I’m a new gardener and I first thought I wanted low maintenance - til I discovered maintenance is fun! I like dead heading my wild flowers, changing and morphing my beds, growing ground cover, growing vines up trellises… this is fun! I think maybe people who want low maintenance are making assumptions about it that may not be true.
It all depends on interests and stages of one’s life. I love gardening now but for many years I had other priorities and yard maintenance was a chore I didn’t have time for.
It’s a balance between give and take! I love to see flowers blooming, naturally, it also means I probably need to deadhead in order to achieve the ultimate blooming Marathon that I crave. I know I can’t just take, I’ve to give my time too. I know, while I’m physically able to do the maintenance now, I’ll enjoy deadheading and gazing at the blooms while doing it. I know one day, I’ll start going the other way, and wind down on maintenance and just enjoy the look of simplified landscape. Let’s see how many decades will I be able to keep the balance?! 😅
This is great. Lifelong desert dweller here and the most important thing I plant first at a new house are trees to block summer sun. Sometimes you have to live through the season to see where the sun comes up and sets in August. They need to be deciduous so they cool the house in summer and let the sun help warm in winter. My Grandpa gave me that advice 50 years ago. And I have watched it work well at every house. Next to water, shade is what we need to enjoy gardening in the desert.
Someone who gets it! There is value in planting something sustainable, and figuring out a way to make the space work for you! Over time, we figure out what is the most important area to focus on based on your climate zone. Shade is absolutely necessary!
@debbylou5729 that is what I thought, but when I moved farther south I found that I did better by seeing it in the seasons. I think because I was planting trees to shade certain areas, of course as the trees got larger it didn't matter that they were off a bit!
Nice video! New Englander here. Our climate is totally different. Over nearly 30 years, I’ve learned how to have a beautiful low-medium maintenance half-acre lawn and yard here that’s the envy of the neighborhood (not that that matters). I’ve never had to water any part of it except when I’d planted something new and my container plants. The secret is to aerate and lime every year or so, overseed it after aerating, and never mow it shorter than 3 or 4 inches. Never watering forces the grass roots to grow deep to find water on its own, cutting ‘long’ shields most of the blade from scorching summer sun, aerating de-compacts the soil so roots can grow without resistance and what rain happens can percolate easily, and overseeding thickens the grass bed so weeds don’t have a chance to take over. I used to mow it myself with a reel mower, and loved making checkerboard patterns, until my young family and I got busier. I’ve got many mature native shrubs and trees (rhodos, mountain laurel, holly, pachysandra, euonymus, crabapple, more), and their beds are edged and mulched once in the spring. They’re all spectacular when in bloom. Now in my retirement, I do have a company handle the maintenance, but that leaves me time to focus on my container and trellis plants in my hardscaped areas. Come fall, 90% of the leaves in my yard come from my neighbors’ trees, but I don’t mind because we all like each other!
Really love these plantings. The textures and color palette give a very soothing, relaxed vibe. Also shows how water-wise plantings can still feel lush if done right. Bravo.
Finally! A TH-cam channel that has a pro telling the right way to landscape. You're right, if you have a plan with a good design it actually IMPROVES with age, without the need to keep removing and replacing plants, which is ridiculous and expensive. New subscriber here - keep up the good work! 😊
LOL... Criminals LOVE it when "expert landscapers" plant such wonderful foilage, that never needs pruning, ie., trees and bushes in front of windows and entryways (are you SERIOUS???) This may look nice, and not a lot of care involved, BUT, it blocks criminals criminal activity... ie, bishes and trees providing concealment while they break in your windows or doors!!
@@noninoni9962 If your neighborhood is so bad that you cannot plant foundational evergreens around your property then maybe it might be a good idea to move?
@@noninoni9962 Again, we do not own this home, nor does anyone that is affiliated with our company. Thank you for caring so much about the homeowner's safety, we'll let them know they have a champion in you!
Have been gardening for decades. As I age, my time and energy has become more and more important. I am in the process of getting rid of anything that deer and rabbits tend to eat. These are beautiful plants, sometimes expensive, that require either spraying or covering to keep them safe. It has become too discouraging and expensive. I am first taking our my lilies. I am replacing some of them with alliums, and some with dwarf crape myrtles. I have too many to replace them all this year, but it is a start. I have also bought a dwarf butterfly bush for a sunny corner where. I had black eyed Susan’s that were devoured by deer. I love color in the garden and believe I can still have it and not continue to feed the wildlife.
I want a low maintenance garden but I can’t simply do that. I love adding annuals and love a lush lawn. Good thing I love gardening. You did such a great job with the textures of plants.
I love this video. I'm a new gardener who is trying to rescue and maintained a long neglected gorgeous garden on a beautiful large group home property... I am having the time of my life
Gave up on mulched front yard because after a hard rain the street would flood and wash the mulch away. Tried groundcover instead but couldnt keep up with keeping weeds and grass from taking over. A lot of commercial properties don't do groundcover anymore for maintenance reasons. Now going to just grass.
I appreciate the homeowners requirement is being met and your explanation made all the difference. It is close to warm climate commercial in appearance. I have come to understand that I have never been a low maintenance gardener.
@@catherinebonanno6545 Cedar mulch is a by-product of the lumber industry and one of the least expensive bulk wood based mulches available (at least in our area.) Chip is the best ☺
When I walk our garden in PA I look for caterpillars, butterflies, bees, birds and ripening fruit both for us and the birds. Your landscape is pleasing to the eye but seems a bit of an ecological desert. Do you get to pick loquat fruit? Any birds? Interesting video.
We ended up getting about 25 different plant genus represented in this garden! Like many gardens, some of the plants are great pollinator pleasers, and some are not. While I don’t know what kind of wildlife the homeowners see on a daily basis, during filming we saw a Spotted Towhee and a White Crowned Sparrow!
We've converted 3000 feet of our large yard to native plants, and we are delighted to see so many insects now. With the insects have come toads, lizards, and birds. There's no end to the wonder of a functioning ecosystem!
I love your informative videos! I didn't know about the dwarf agave, they are lovely. I especially like the olive trees at the front door because they symbolize peace and tranquility. Too bad the front door entrance is hidden behind the bulk of the tree. If the homeowner truly wanted to cut back on less water usage in California, perhaps they might consider placing the fountain in another spot where the spillage can help other plants/herbs/flowers. We planted herbs and veggies all around our fountain because the wind and fountain pump kept splashing the water on the ground. We're in hot Northern California zone 9 and have lived with the never ending drought situation.
Nicely done, sort of a formal "Italian Terrace" feel to it. Very low key and calming. A change of species and you could be awash in flowers for much of the year if that's what you want.
Their are some seasonal flowers in this landscaping, they were not featured though as they are not particularly maintenance. We chose to highlight the long-term low maintenance aspects! 🤗
Very very nice! My parents’ small front lawn turned out to have below soil red ant colony. We, the kids, ran around and fell. I did too, and ended up with 20 itchy welts. Eventually they dug and paved. Plant boxes were made and low shrubs grew there. Because of childhood experience my own place does not have a grass lawn, and never will.
Good choices but I do love Crepe Myrtle Trees. I also like Yesterday Today and Tomorrow shrubs, drought resistance and I rarely have to prune it. It takes the heat.
Concrete = runoff. No chance for water to soak in & recharge soil or ground water. Goes right into the street & sewer system. In my area the amount of hard surface reflects on the runoff section of my water bill. Cost more than the water usage.
You are correct. You may have noticed that Many of our videos show our familiarity and preference for permeable paving as we have implemented it frequently. However, we view our role being to meet the needs of the clients. Many times the end product is more a result of their preferences than ours. However, we do our best to influence their decisions with our perspectives.
We’re in the Midwest, and we’re doing the prairie version of this. No grass! Small plant/flower beds, small trees, hardscaping and raised vegetable beds. I don’t like yard work.
I just discovered your channel and have been watching some of your videos. It appears you are in Fresno. I am in Bakersfield, which is almost like Fresno except we get half as much rain per year and are about 4 degrees otter in the summer. Your gardening tips are spot on for my location. I just watched the video of the back yard with 12 different kinds of fruit trees. Wow!
This is really pretty. I have a backyard full of flowers, plants, garden containers. But If I were to plant a bunch of plants and cactuses and not have a lawn, then I'm going to have weeds coming up everywhere and I have to pull weeds constantly (which I call maintenance). I think I'd rather mow. If you don't have a lawn, where do the dogs go poop? Just wondering... Chip is so cute. I have four dogs. I think yard work is therapeutic. I bought this house with a big backyard and a pool for my dogs to play in. So where does Chip go poop? 🤔
We use FOUNTEC Algaecide/Clarifier. Also, on most of our fountains we use a float or some other mechanism (even a manual valve) to add fresh water on a regular basis to keep the water level proper. The combination of the constant addition of fresh water, the activity of the fountain and the Fountec works well. - John
Our apologies, this garden was constructed about 7 years ago and we know longer have a plan copy available. However, we can provide specific information as needed. -John
The people who bought our house cut down a columnar sweet gum, a weeping cherry and a trI-color beech…I don’t get it! It made me cry when I found out …. Especially the weeping cherry because it was gorgeous and had been planted as a memorial for our dog Sam …that tree was amazing. What could possess someone to cut down well planted and maintained trees like that?!
I’m so sorry. It’s sad when we lose a tree. A guy was being chased by the police and obliterated one of three matching triangular palms that were 30 feet tall. I was beside myself. Another died of disease shortly after. I’m sorry for the loss. Maybe you could plant another memorial for Sam.
I learned the hard way too - I'm not kidding, even if the new buyers' say they love everything take with you the things you cherish the most - because the next owner probably won't. I had an entire heirloom rose garden and peonies ripped out and trashed at my other house! Never again!
I had a minimum 70 yr old native weeping cherry I had to have cut down bc storm damage, then lightening strike. It was enormous and my heart broke. The cut trunk is almost 4’ across. I haven’t even replanted yet cause I know the roots are massive.
Weeds seems to be a 24/7 365 day year to year for me . I didn’t plant them , they just showed up ! Lol They will never be low maintenance and always seem to do better that the shrubs I planted ! 😂 Nice patio, looks comfy with no grass ! 👍👍
To mulch or to weed, that is the question 😀 I applied 2-3 inches of mulch on 500 sq ft about 6 months ago and almost no weeds have dared poke their heads up. It seems this is the way...
Your video's are so informative, really enjoy listening to you. I am in Scottsdale AZ. Originally from the Bay Area in CA. So of course I want color in my yard. We have been at our current house 14 years now. I love to garden in the months that allow us ( Oct-May) What can I use to 'enrich' my soil here? Would there happen to be anything at our local 'box' store that may work? Thank you again, and looking forward to more content.
Unfortunately, there is nothing like our concentrated, soil building products at a box store, but I'm working on it for the future. For your garden/landscape in Scottsdale I recommend our "Blend" and our Penetrate Liquid Biotiller. You can order it directly from us at johnandbobs.com and we will deliver it right to your door step via UPS Ground without a shipping fee for orders over $99. Thank you for watching our videos! We enjoy making them and would appreciate your continued feedback. Best, John&Bob's
Olive can crack sidewalk… but it takes a long time… I have a client with one cracking the patio pavers… it’s probably 30 or 40 years old… I’ve heard this can be prevented with deep watering but as a designer I don’t expect that to happen in the future
Hello There, would you happen to have a video on how to save an oak tree. Weed kill was sprayed to close to the roots & now it has no leaves but just a couple of branches has leaves. I have been watering the trunks over night. It is showing leaf growth but not progressing very good. Any advice would be great. I did place tree spikes on the outer part of trunk. I have 4 trees in a row that we’re affected they are about 15 years old Thank you.
I love the look of those big containers in the driveway they remind me the smell of trash but the appeal is how the greens blend in with the bushes behind them
I had found that trees and flower beds are high maintenance. I currently have no trees and limited flower beds. I have an average sized grass lawn in front and back, that I pay to get mowed every two weeks.
I just wonder about the concrete/garden ratio. Putting concrete everywhere likely raises the temperature around the house which some people may want to compensate by running an aircon, thus costly. Also, it would accelerate moisture evaporation. Though i notice you did cover the earth with woodchips, likely slowing that process. Anyways.... Could it be done without all that paving?
It definitely could be done with less or even no concrete paving. This garden is one of many on our channel that reflects our interpretation of the needs and preferences of the owners. We have several that feature mostly permeable paving, but that wasn't appropriate for these owners. -John
The olives on the front are completely hiding the front door, and there is a tree on the back, which is right in front of a window. What is the logic behind these decisions?
There are 4 Fruitless Olives that define the front courtyard while semi-screening the entrance from traffic and the street. Their strategic placement still allows open and clear entry access. The owner loves the thinned small Japanese Maple tree in back in front of the kitchen window at the sink because she sees delicate green leaves right in front of her, but she can also see right through to the back garden. It works well! - John
You will pulling weeds, unless the garden is quite a distance from other gardens or naturalized areas, since mulch decompose, turn soil and weed's seeds brought by wind, birds and other animals will germinate on top. Concrete may crack (because earth is alive) and weeds will grow in the cracks as well. There is no "zero maintenance" garden, except leave anything naturalized and humans learn to live with nature, animal life, pests and deceases. May be choosing wild varieties of weeds that bloom and still are interesting but consider that many can be very poisonus) Humans enjoy nature but cannot control nature so far, they are having trouble landing again in the moon
In this case, inhabiting a house on a small lot was the major factor. Probably, if one were to walk down the street, all of the houses would have low-maintenance lawns.
Not such an issue in the desert, but in cooler climates, concrete+water+debris from trees/plants=moss/mold on concrete. Concrete covered in moss/mold when wet can be very slippery. If you are going to have concrete+water+debris from trees/plants, make sure the sun can get to most of it at some point of the day.
This variety is slow growing to about 25' tall & wide. Properly pruned each year, that will work well here and their canopies will eventually touch & overlap. -John
We've successfully used various rocks as mulch. We've used both 3/8" colored rock as well as gray pea gravel. We've also used 3/4" colored rock. Here in California the two colors we've used most frequently in both 3/8" and 3/4" are California Gold and Desert Gold. - John
This was landscaped with heat and drought tolerance in mind. There ARE low maintenance plants for rainy areas, this is not one of them. Maybe that's a video we can do in the future!
Gee thanks 🥲 We worked with the space we had! The area available to plant in just happens to be in front of the door, but I guess that also gives the homeowners some privacy? 🤷 To each their own!
Most of this garden is concete. It doesn’t look like concrete but it is. It is extremely low maintenance but doesn’t allow for the water cycle so we will have less water in general in the future. All easy but unsustainable for those who will need water to cook, bathe and eat later.
Yes, there is a lot of concrete, we addressed this and tried to do the best with the space we had to work with! We ended up getting about 25 different plant genus represented in this garden!
@@beckysmith6375 You are absolutely correct. You may have noticed that many of our videos show our familiarity and preference for permeable paving as we have implemented it frequently. However, we view our role being to meet the needs of the clients. Many times the end product is more a result of their preferences than ours. However, we do our best to influence their decisions with our perspectives. -John
Architecturally, the focus of the front of the house is the front door. In this case, the front door is hidden, making the landscaping look overgrown. Love all the plants, though.
To each their own! This is what the homeowners wanted, some people just like their privacy, and that's ok! ☺ We're just here for the plants 😉Plus, a front courtyard shifts the focus to the courtyard, which acts an excellent buffer between the house and the street.
There are 4 Fruitless Olives that define the front courtyard while semi-screening the entrance from traffic and the street. The strategic placement still allows open and clear entry access. The owner loves the thinned small Japanese Maple tree in back in front of the kitchen window at the sink because she sees delicate green leaves right in front of her, but she can also see right through to the back garden. It works well, and the owners are happy! - J&B’s
Not bad for concretescaping. Don't garden if gardening is a chore for you. Any lushest garden can be low maintenance if properly designed. Mulch is high maintenance and waste of land. This is a beginner high end cookie cutter. But it's yours so enjoy it
This home does not belong to anyone affiliated with John & Bobs.. it belongs to a private homeowner who had their own reasons to design in this style, and keep things low maintenance. It's a good thing you can choose to garden the way you want at your home, and we can too! We are passionate about organic gardening, and building soil life- this is entirely what our business is centered around. We invite all levels of planting into our circle, not just the one's growing advanced gardens. Some people are brilliant gardeners who grow their own fruits and veggies year round, cultivate beautiful blooms, care for indoor jungles, raise trees from seeds and so on- we think thats great! But, we also think a homeowner doing their part in their home landscaping is also great! At the end of the day different people will always have different preferences, but we encourage anyone with the slightest itch to start planting, to get out there and grow!
@@JohnandBobs I agree but the title isn't very inviting of all levels. And it's sounds condescending . Landscaping is art. Mistakes in art aren't really mistakes. And work in the garden is therapy.
You've done a great job!! -- For potential burglars... Is your homeowners insurance paid up?? Having plants/trees that block the sight of windows and entryways, can conceal anyone who is hiding-in-wait for your return... SURPRISE!! You've just set up a criminal to kidnap you, force you inside so they can rob you of your stuff that's INSIDE!!!... You've done an exemplary job of concealment for burglars with those "low maintenance trees," yes Sir!! Congratulations on not having to PRUNE ANYTHING, saving all that time and money!! Did you know, criminals "case" potential vuctim's homes? You should be proud, as your place will be in their TOP THREE!!! They love it when no one can see them while they break into your front door or windows... At least you'll save money on water and all that maintenance time... ~ retired LEO (military and civilian)
I’m a new gardener and I first thought I wanted low maintenance - til I discovered maintenance is fun! I like dead heading my wild flowers, changing and morphing my beds, growing ground cover, growing vines up trellises… this is fun! I think maybe people who want low maintenance are making assumptions about it that may not be true.
It all depends on interests and stages of one’s life. I love gardening now but for many years I had other priorities and yard maintenance was a chore I didn’t have time for.
I love gardening too, but as I'm getting older, it's gotten a little harder 😟
It’s a balance between give and take! I love to see flowers blooming, naturally, it also means I probably need to deadhead in order to achieve the ultimate blooming Marathon that I crave. I know I can’t just take, I’ve to give my time too. I know, while I’m physically able to do the maintenance now, I’ll enjoy deadheading and gazing at the blooms while doing it. I know one day, I’ll start going the other way, and wind down on maintenance and just enjoy the look of simplified landscape. Let’s see how many decades will I be able to keep the balance?! 😅
Most people need low maintenance because they a) have no idea what to do and b) simply will not do what needs to be done
THO....as you get older it will be more of a hassle and harder unless you OK with hiring people to do the work.
This is great. Lifelong desert dweller here and the most important thing I plant first at a new house are trees to block summer sun. Sometimes you have to live through the season to see where the sun comes up and sets in August. They need to be deciduous so they cool the house in summer and let the sun help warm in winter. My Grandpa gave me that advice 50 years ago. And I have watched it work well at every house. Next to water, shade is what we need to enjoy gardening in the desert.
Someone who gets it! There is value in planting something sustainable, and figuring out a way to make the space work for you! Over time, we figure out what is the most important area to focus on based on your climate zone. Shade is absolutely necessary!
The only thing you need is a compas and chart. You don’t have to wait
@debbylou5729 that is what I thought, but when I moved farther south I found that I did better by seeing it in the seasons. I think because I was planting trees to shade certain areas, of course as the trees got larger it didn't matter that they were off a bit!
Nice video! New Englander here. Our climate is totally different. Over nearly 30 years, I’ve learned how to have a beautiful low-medium maintenance half-acre lawn and yard here that’s the envy of the neighborhood (not that that matters). I’ve never had to water any part of it except when I’d planted something new and my container plants. The secret is to aerate and lime every year or so, overseed it after aerating, and never mow it shorter than 3 or 4 inches. Never watering forces the grass roots to grow deep to find water on its own, cutting ‘long’ shields most of the blade from scorching summer sun, aerating de-compacts the soil so roots can grow without resistance and what rain happens can percolate easily, and overseeding thickens the grass bed so weeds don’t have a chance to take over. I used to mow it myself with a reel mower, and loved making checkerboard patterns, until my young family and I got busier. I’ve got many mature native shrubs and trees (rhodos, mountain laurel, holly, pachysandra, euonymus, crabapple, more), and their beds are edged and mulched once in the spring. They’re all spectacular when in bloom. Now in my retirement, I do have a company handle the maintenance, but that leaves me time to focus on my container and trellis plants in my hardscaped areas. Come fall, 90% of the leaves in my yard come from my neighbors’ trees, but I don’t mind because we all like each other!
Really love these plantings. The textures and color palette give a very soothing, relaxed vibe. Also shows how water-wise plantings can still feel lush if done right. Bravo.
Finally! A TH-cam channel that has a pro telling the right way to landscape. You're right, if you have a plan with a good design it actually IMPROVES with age, without the need to keep removing and replacing plants, which is ridiculous and expensive.
New subscriber here - keep up the good work! 😊
We're glad to have you here! 🌱
LOL... Criminals LOVE it when "expert landscapers" plant such wonderful foilage, that never needs pruning, ie., trees and bushes in front of windows and entryways (are you SERIOUS???)
This may look nice, and not a lot of care involved, BUT, it blocks criminals criminal activity... ie, bishes and trees providing concealment while they break in your windows or doors!!
@@noninoni9962 If your neighborhood is so bad that you cannot plant foundational evergreens around your property then maybe it might be a good idea to move?
@@noninoni9962 Again, we do not own this home, nor does anyone that is affiliated with our company.
Thank you for caring so much about the homeowner's safety, we'll let them know they have a champion in you!
@@JohnandBobs Your graceful response is something I aspire to. I really admire you and your channel. I'm so glad I found this video!
What a genius. Wonderful architecture. Looks very neat, green and absolutely low maintenance and more space.
Thank you so much for your kind comment! ☺
Appropriate, calming, and considerate... very inviting.
Thank you so much! We think so too.
Wow, gorgeous. I'm a more hardcore native plant person myself but I must say that these landscape designs are stunning. Liked and subscribing.
Thanks so much! 🌱
Have been gardening for decades. As I age, my time and energy has become more and more important. I am in the process of getting rid of anything that deer and rabbits tend to eat. These are beautiful plants, sometimes expensive, that require either spraying or covering to keep them safe. It has become too discouraging and expensive. I am first taking our my lilies. I am replacing some of them with alliums, and some with dwarf crape myrtles. I have too many to replace them all this year, but it is a start. I have also bought a dwarf butterfly bush for a sunny corner where. I had black eyed Susan’s that were devoured by deer. I love color in the garden and believe I can still have it and not continue to feed the wildlife.
I want a low maintenance garden but I can’t simply do that. I love adding annuals and love a lush lawn. Good thing I love gardening. You did such a great job with the textures of plants.
Many people new to landscaping, forget to figure in the mature size of plants & end up with huge plantings that require frequent trimming.
Thanks for going through all of these. It is nice to discover low maintenance landscaping ideas that stays low maintenance.
Thanks for watching!
I love this video. I'm a new gardener who is trying to rescue and maintained a long neglected gorgeous garden on a beautiful large group home property... I am having the time of my life
What s great opportunity to *grow* as a gardener. We're glad to have you on the channel with us.
Your landscaping is absolutely breathtaking!!
We thank you very much, after decades of landscaping we like to think we leave our clients (and their plants) happy!
Gave up on mulched front yard because after a hard rain the street would flood and wash the mulch away.
Tried groundcover instead but couldnt keep up with keeping weeds and grass from taking over.
A lot of commercial properties don't do groundcover anymore for maintenance reasons.
Now going to just grass.
I appreciate the homeowners requirement is being met and your explanation made all the difference. It is close to warm climate commercial in appearance. I have come to understand that I have never been a low maintenance gardener.
Tremendous work! Simple, effective, well thought out, sustainable, what's not to love :)
Thank you very much! Efficient, effective, sustainable and attractive are our main priorities when landscaping designing. 🌱🌳💚
How is Cedar mulch sustainable?
Looks so healthy, but I don’t consider this simple. Too much going on and coverage.
Chip is cute.
@@catherinebonanno6545 Cedar mulch is a by-product of the lumber industry and one of the least expensive bulk wood based mulches available (at least in our area.)
Chip is the best ☺
This is what I am looking for!
That’s great!
I love what you’ve done. I like the texturing plant choice and positioning. Lovely.
We appreciate it! Thank you.
When I walk our garden in PA I look for caterpillars, butterflies, bees, birds and ripening fruit both for us and the birds. Your landscape is pleasing to the eye but seems a bit of an ecological desert. Do you get to pick loquat fruit? Any birds? Interesting video.
We ended up getting about 25 different plant genus represented in this garden! Like many gardens, some of the plants are great pollinator pleasers, and some are not. While I don’t know what kind of wildlife the homeowners see on a daily basis, during filming we saw a Spotted Towhee and a White Crowned Sparrow!
We've converted 3000 feet of our large yard to native plants, and we are delighted to see so many insects now. With the insects have come toads, lizards, and birds. There's no end to the wonder of a functioning ecosystem!
@@beckysmith6375 that’s incredible!! 🌱
Very beautiful, delightfully conceptualized and yes, very manageable.
Thank you for your kind comment!
So beautiful & practical.
Beautiful Blessed Family. God's protection.
I love that yard. Nicely done.
I love your informative videos! I didn't know about the dwarf agave, they are lovely. I especially like the olive trees at the front door because they symbolize peace and tranquility. Too bad the front door entrance is hidden behind the bulk of the tree. If the homeowner truly wanted to cut back on less water usage in California, perhaps they might consider placing the fountain in another spot where the spillage can help other plants/herbs/flowers. We planted herbs and veggies all around our fountain because the wind and fountain pump kept splashing the water on the ground. We're in hot Northern California zone 9 and have lived with the never ending drought situation.
Gold. Very useful insight, and thank you for showing such a beautiful example as you talked.
Beautiful low naintenance yards!
Well done.........takes planning
Nicely done, sort of a formal "Italian Terrace" feel to it. Very low key and calming.
A change of species and you could be awash in flowers for much of the year if that's what you want.
Their are some seasonal flowers in this landscaping, they were not featured though as they are not particularly maintenance. We chose to highlight the long-term low maintenance aspects! 🤗
Very very nice! My parents’ small front lawn turned out to have below soil red ant colony. We, the kids, ran around and fell. I did too, and ended up with 20 itchy welts. Eventually they dug and paved. Plant boxes were made and low shrubs grew there. Because of childhood experience my own place does not have a grass lawn, and never will.
Because of some ants? I get ants sometimes but I just sprinkle that white powder stuff on them. Kills them off in just one day.
Good choices but I do love Crepe Myrtle Trees. I also like Yesterday Today and Tomorrow shrubs, drought resistance and I rarely have to prune it. It takes the heat.
John, you explain gardening so clearly and give so much information. Love seeing Chip, too. How is your house and garden coming along?
Thank you for reaching out and remembering the new house! It's coming along nicely, we hope to do an updated video soon! Chip says thank you too.
Concrete = runoff. No chance for water to soak in & recharge soil or ground water. Goes right into the street & sewer system. In my area the amount of hard surface reflects on the runoff section of my water bill. Cost more than the water usage.
You are correct. You may have noticed that Many of our videos show our familiarity and preference for permeable paving as we have implemented it frequently. However, we view our role being to meet the needs of the clients. Many times the end product is more a result of their preferences than ours. However, we do our best to influence their decisions with our perspectives.
I have a low maintenance evergreen only garden
Leafy and shrub evergreens
It’s lovely
Only maintenance is occasional watering and pruning/shaping
This person knows what they are doing!! 👆
thank you! looking forward to trimming my out of control Japanese maple. cheers
Hi, I love your videos and your patio dinner table in this video. Please give us info on it. LOVE ITTT
We’re in the Midwest, and we’re doing the prairie version of this. No grass! Small plant/flower beds, small trees, hardscaping and raised vegetable beds. I don’t like yard work.
Beautiful garden, simple and aesthetic
Thank you!
It's all so beautiful!
You're very kind. The homeowners are very happy with it!
I just discovered your channel and have been watching some of your videos. It appears you are in Fresno. I am in Bakersfield, which is almost like Fresno except we get half as much rain per year and are about 4 degrees otter in the summer. Your gardening tips are spot on for my location. I just watched the video of the back yard with 12 different kinds of fruit trees. Wow!
We love our local gardeners! Thank you for your comment, we're glad you've found us.
💁 ~Love your videos (& cute puppy doodle!) 🏡
Thank you for your kind comment. Chip really is great ☺️🐾
Chip is adorable! 🐶
He's not just adorable, he's also a great boss/camera-man/soil tester/plant inspector/financial advisor and media master. 😉🐾
Many thankjs for a very useful video!
We are glad to be of use! 🌱
Lot of HOAs in the East Coast don't allow you to remove lawn and replace it with other plants.
Beautiful garden!
Lovely!
This is really pretty. I have a backyard full of flowers, plants, garden containers. But If I were to plant a bunch of plants and cactuses and not have a lawn, then I'm going to have weeds coming up everywhere and I have to pull weeds constantly (which I call maintenance). I think I'd rather mow. If you don't have a lawn, where do the dogs go poop? Just wondering... Chip is so cute. I have four dogs. I think yard work is therapeutic. I bought this house with a big backyard and a pool for my dogs to play in. So where does Chip go poop? 🤔
where there's a will there's a way 😉🐶
How do you keep your fountain so clean? Any tips for a novice would be much appreciated?
We use FOUNTEC Algaecide/Clarifier. Also, on most of our fountains we use a float or some other mechanism (even a manual valve) to add fresh water on a regular basis to keep the water level proper. The combination of the constant addition of fresh water, the activity of the fountain and the Fountec works well. - John
@@JohnandBobs thanks, I will try that.
Good advice and a lovely yard. not sure why you want to hide your front door but still a very nice garden.
I’m dealing with firescaping so can’t use mulch that burns or any evergreens especially juniper. Would appreciate any videos that address that.
Love these plants. Where can I find the layout and planting guide for this garden?
Our apologies, this garden was constructed about 7 years ago and we know longer have a plan copy available. However, we can provide specific information as needed. -John
I’m needing a more low maintenance garden now, you’ve given me some good ideas. Can I ask what state your in, I’m in CA. Warm and dry climate
We have quite a few videos on low-maintenance and native plants here in California! We are located in central Ca (zone 9.)
This is an amazing video of what not too do.
Well thank you 😃
Beautiful sir ❤
Thank you for your kind comment!
The people who bought our house cut down a columnar sweet gum, a weeping cherry and a trI-color beech…I don’t get it! It made me cry when I found out …. Especially the weeping cherry because it was gorgeous and had been planted as a memorial for our dog Sam …that tree was amazing. What could possess someone to cut down well planted and maintained trees like that?!
I’m so sorry. It’s sad when we lose a tree. A guy was being chased by the police and obliterated one of three matching triangular palms that were 30 feet tall. I was beside myself. Another died of disease shortly after. I’m sorry for the loss. Maybe you could plant another memorial for Sam.
I learned the hard way too - I'm not kidding, even if the new buyers' say they love everything take with you the things you cherish the most - because the next owner probably won't.
I had an entire heirloom rose garden and peonies ripped out and trashed at my other house!
Never again!
@@sherriianiro747 oh my gosh. I’m so sorry. So much love goes into gardening. It’s like ripping your heart out.
Idiots do that.
I had a minimum 70 yr old native weeping cherry I had to have cut down bc storm damage, then lightening strike. It was enormous and my heart broke. The cut trunk is almost 4’ across. I haven’t even replanted yet cause I know the roots are massive.
Weeds seems to be a 24/7 365 day year to year for me . I didn’t plant them , they just showed up ! Lol
They will never be low maintenance and always seem to do better that the shrubs I planted ! 😂
Nice patio, looks comfy with no grass ! 👍👍
To mulch or to weed, that is the question 😀 I applied 2-3 inches of mulch on 500 sq ft about 6 months ago and almost no weeds have dared poke their heads up. It seems this is the way...
You take the energy of the Japanese maple to grow if you trim it twice a year or outside when it’s waking up, around march
You are exactly right. That's an interesting way to put it!
Love your minimalis garden❤
Your video's are so informative, really enjoy listening to you. I am in Scottsdale AZ. Originally from the Bay Area in CA. So of course I want color in my yard. We have been at our current house 14 years now. I love to garden in the months that allow us ( Oct-May) What can I use to 'enrich' my soil here? Would there happen to be anything at our local 'box' store that may work? Thank you again, and looking forward to more content.
Unfortunately, there is nothing like our concentrated, soil building products at a box store, but I'm working on it for the future. For your garden/landscape in Scottsdale I recommend our "Blend" and our Penetrate Liquid Biotiller. You can order it directly from us at johnandbobs.com and we will deliver it right to your door step via UPS Ground without a shipping fee for orders over $99. Thank you for watching our videos! We enjoy making them and would appreciate your continued feedback.
Best, John&Bob's
Great video
Thank you for the support!
No flowers for the summer?
This landscape does have some, but we didn't show them because annual summer color is not low maintenance!
I love your fruitless olive trees!They are gorgeous! Would you please tell me the variety of your fruitless olive tree? Thank you!
Olive can crack sidewalk… but it takes a long time… I have a client with one cracking the patio pavers… it’s probably 30 or 40 years old… I’ve heard this can be prevented with deep watering but as a designer I don’t expect that to happen in the future
Nice work!
Thank you! 🌳
I like the landscaping very much, but I personally think the front door needs to be more open to the street so the architecture isn’t sacrificed.
We think that would be nice too, either way.. people have their preferences! (and that's okay! 🤗)
Olives grow suckers at the base, can become very high maintenance over time.
This villa looks so good! Where is this?
Thank you! We are located in the central valley in California.
Hello There, would you happen to have a video on how to save an oak tree. Weed kill was sprayed to close to the roots & now it has no leaves but just a couple of branches has leaves. I have been watering the trunks over night. It is showing leaf growth but not progressing very good. Any advice would be great. I did place tree spikes on the outer part of trunk. I have 4 trees in a row that we’re affected they are about 15 years old Thank you.
I love the look of those big containers in the driveway they remind me the smell of trash but the appeal is how the greens blend in with the bushes behind them
People planted pine trees in each corner of our fenced yard and they already look ridiculous … they are crooked and too close to the fence
Yikes.. that's too bad. It's so important to think about plant spacing in the coming years.. expect growth and plan accordingly!
I had found that trees and flower beds are high maintenance. I currently have no trees and limited flower beds. I have an average sized grass lawn in front and back, that I pay to get mowed every two weeks.
Gotta find what works for you!
Lovely except I wouldn't have blocked the front door with that tree
How much for the doggie? Hahaha! He's adorable!!
Where are you located? I was just wondering if you are in Arizona or Nevada. Just found your channel today and I subscribed. Your dog is adorable. 😊🐶
Thank you, We love our little Chip! We are locacted in central Ca (zone 9.)
It has matured nicely, was Chip a baby when this was first landscaped?
Yes, It was installed right around the time Chip came aboard as Vice President in charge of deep thinking. 😄
@@JohnandBobs Chip, bring your camera next time, we love the Chip-Cam.
Nice !!! Now paint the house in a light beige o creamy white.
Could be nice.. but it's not ours to paint!
@@JohnandBobs ok
John, which of your products do you recommend for Italian cypress trees and for a hedge of boxwoods?
For Italian Cypress and Boxwoods I use our "Blend", which is a proportional mixture of our Optimize, Nourish Biosol and Maximize. - John
I just wonder about the concrete/garden ratio. Putting concrete everywhere likely raises the temperature around the house which some people may want to compensate by running an aircon, thus costly. Also, it would accelerate moisture evaporation. Though i notice you did cover the earth with woodchips, likely slowing that process. Anyways.... Could it be done without all that paving?
It definitely could be done with less or even no concrete paving. This garden is one of many on our channel that reflects our interpretation of the needs and preferences of the owners. We have several that feature mostly permeable paving, but that wasn't appropriate for these owners. -John
Low maintenance, yes. I don’t feel charmed by it though. I long for flowers, bees and chirping birds.
Don't underestimate its natural charm, during filming we saw a Spotted Towhee and a White Crowned Sparrow!
☺
The olives on the front are completely hiding the front door, and there is a tree on the back, which is right in front of a window. What is the logic behind these decisions?
There are 4 Fruitless Olives that define the front courtyard while semi-screening the entrance from traffic and the street. Their strategic placement still allows open and clear entry access. The owner loves the thinned small Japanese Maple tree in back in front of the kitchen window at the sink because she sees delicate green leaves right in front of her, but she can also see right through to the back garden. It works well! - John
They are hiding the front door, BUT there is a clear "enter here" pathway to that courtyard. And I assume there is also a path from the driveway.
You will pulling weeds, unless the garden is quite a distance from other gardens or naturalized areas, since mulch decompose, turn soil and weed's seeds brought by wind, birds and other animals will germinate on top.
Concrete may crack (because earth is alive) and weeds will grow in the cracks as well.
There is no "zero maintenance" garden, except leave anything naturalized and humans learn to live with nature, animal life, pests and deceases. May be choosing wild varieties of weeds that bloom and still are interesting but consider that many can be very poisonus)
Humans enjoy nature but cannot control nature so far, they are having trouble landing again in the moon
Is your dog leash actually a tow strap?
Any bottlebrush we know of is covered in bees. Isn't that a bad choice for walkways?
Blooming dwarf Bottlebrush does attract bees, but as far as we know it hasn't been a problem. ☺
In this case, inhabiting a house on a small lot was the major factor. Probably, if one were to walk down the street, all of the houses would have low-maintenance lawns.
Some yes, some no!
Lawns are the cheapest to put in and the highest maintenance and consumer of water.
I wonder how this landscape will survive a Chicago winter...!!!!
Its all about proper design and planning! If designed for Chicago - no problem.
🤗
Not such an issue in the desert, but in cooler climates, concrete+water+debris from trees/plants=moss/mold on concrete.
Concrete covered in moss/mold when wet can be very slippery.
If you are going to have concrete+water+debris from trees/plants, make sure the sun can get to most of it at some point of the day.
This is true!
We live in a very hot area, (zone 9) so we do keep this in mind when selecting plants and designing spaces.
your bushes need water too, but they are better for environment. A fence is necessary to hold dogs out and feel more save.
Those olives will grow to be 30 feet tall and wide, though, right?
This variety is slow growing to about 25' tall & wide. Properly pruned each year, that will work well here and their canopies will eventually touch & overlap. -John
Instead of mulch what’s your recommendation on rocks? I live in Texas., JENNIFER from Colleyville, Texas
We've successfully used various rocks as mulch. We've used both 3/8" colored rock as well as gray pea gravel. We've also used 3/4" colored rock. Here in California the two colors we've used most frequently in both 3/8" and 3/4" are California Gold and Desert Gold. - John
How is the house build going, is that why you haven't been posting videos, way too busy?
It's going well, we will be making an updated video soon! Thank you for asking, and remembering.
Does it work in a very rainy city?
This was landscaped with heat and drought tolerance in mind. There ARE low maintenance plants for rainy areas, this is not one of them. Maybe that's a video we can do in the future!
Be I g So open to the street; Don't you find a lot of rubbish blows in?
What state are you un, please
We are located in central California!
How do you cover the front entrance from view? It’s awful!
Gee thanks 🥲
We worked with the space we had! The area available to plant in just happens to be in front of the door, but I guess that also gives the homeowners some privacy? 🤷
To each their own!
Most of this garden is concete. It doesn’t look like concrete but it is. It is extremely low maintenance but doesn’t allow for the water cycle so we will have less water in general in the future. All easy but unsustainable for those who will need water to cook, bathe and eat later.
Yes, there is a lot of concrete, we addressed this and tried to do the best with the space we had to work with! We ended up getting about 25 different plant genus represented in this garden!
Concrete absorbs so much heat, too! Leads to overheated urban areas...
@@beckysmith6375 You are absolutely correct. You may have noticed that many of our videos show our familiarity and preference for permeable paving as we have implemented it frequently. However, we view our role being to meet the needs of the clients. Many times the end product is more a result of their preferences than ours. However, we do our best to influence their decisions with our perspectives. -John
Architecturally, the focus of the front of the house is the front door. In this case, the front door is hidden, making the landscaping look overgrown.
Love all the plants, though.
To each their own! This is what the homeowners wanted, some people just like their privacy, and that's ok! ☺ We're just here for the plants 😉Plus, a front courtyard shifts the focus to the courtyard, which acts an excellent buffer between the house and the street.
One thing I don’t like is the front door is hidden and doesn’t look inviting.
There are 4 Fruitless Olives that define the front courtyard while semi-screening the entrance from traffic and the street. The strategic placement still allows open and clear entry access. The owner loves the thinned small Japanese Maple tree in back in front of the kitchen window at the sink because she sees delicate green leaves right in front of her, but she can also see right through to the back garden. It works well, and the owners are happy!
- J&B’s
Not bad for concretescaping. Don't garden if gardening is a chore for you.
Any lushest garden can be low maintenance if properly designed.
Mulch is high maintenance and waste of land.
This is a beginner high end cookie cutter.
But it's yours so enjoy it
This home does not belong to anyone affiliated with John & Bobs.. it belongs to a private homeowner who had their own reasons to design in this style, and keep things low maintenance. It's a good thing you can choose to garden the way you want at your home, and we can too!
We are passionate about organic gardening, and building soil life- this is entirely what our business is centered around. We invite all levels of planting into our circle, not just the one's growing advanced gardens. Some people are brilliant gardeners who grow their own fruits and veggies year round, cultivate beautiful blooms, care for indoor jungles, raise trees from seeds and so on- we think thats great! But, we also think a homeowner doing their part in their home landscaping is also great!
At the end of the day different people will always have different preferences, but we encourage anyone with the slightest itch to start planting, to get out there and grow!
@@JohnandBobs I agree but the title isn't very inviting of all levels.
And it's sounds condescending . Landscaping is art. Mistakes in art aren't really mistakes. And work in the garden is therapy.
You've done a great job!! -- For potential burglars... Is your homeowners insurance paid up??
Having plants/trees that block the sight of windows and entryways, can conceal anyone who is hiding-in-wait for your return... SURPRISE!! You've just set up a criminal to kidnap you, force you inside so they can rob you of your stuff that's INSIDE!!!...
You've done an exemplary job of concealment for burglars with those "low maintenance trees," yes Sir!! Congratulations on not having to PRUNE ANYTHING, saving all that time and money!!
Did you know, criminals "case" potential vuctim's homes? You should be proud, as your place will be in their TOP THREE!!! They love it when no one can see them while they break into your front door or windows...
At least you'll save money on water and all that maintenance time...
~ retired LEO (military and civilian)
Wow! We do not own this house nor does anyone affiliated with the John & Bob's company. But thanks for the warning 😆
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thanks! 🌱🌳🌻