How to Reduce Your Mowing, Trimming, and Watering Time

Maintaining a traditional lawn and landscape can quickly turn into a demanding chore. Between weekly mowing, trimming overgrown edges, and hauling out hoses to water plants, many homeowners in Western Chicago find themselves spending more time working on their yard than enjoying it. The good news? With a few thoughtful changes to your landscaping design, you can significantly cut back on maintenance while still keeping your outdoor space attractive and healthy.

At Skyline Exteriors Landscaping, we work with clients who want low-maintenance yards without sacrificing beauty. If you’re looking to reclaim your weekends, here’s how you can reduce your mowing, trimming, and watering time with smart, sustainable landscaping solutions.

Scale Back the Lawn

Lawns are beautiful, but they’re also high-maintenance. If you're tired of mowing week after week, consider reducing the size of your turf areas. Replacing part of your lawn with planting beds, gravel walkways, or decorative stone can instantly cut down on your mowing workload. Even better, replacing grass with ground cover plants like creeping thyme, sedum, or ajuga provides visual texture, blooms, and coverage—without needing a mower. These low-growing alternatives fill in quickly, suppress weeds, and require much less attention.

Choose Native and Drought-Tolerant Plants

One of the most effective ways to reduce watering and trimming is by choosing the right plants. Native plants—those naturally suited to the Western Chicago climate—are more resilient, require less water, and are better adapted to local pests and weather conditions. Options like purple coneflowers, black-eyed Susans, prairie dropseed, and switchgrass are both attractive and tough. Once established, they need very little supplemental watering and can thrive with minimal maintenance.

By designing a garden with climate-appropriate plants, you not only save time but also create a more sustainable landscape that supports pollinators and local biodiversity.

Automate Your Watering System

Dragging a hose around the yard every few days is not only time-consuming—it can also lead to overwatering or underwatering. A smart irrigation system solves this issue. Professionally installed drip irrigation or in-ground sprinkler systems can be programmed to water your plants precisely when and where they need it.

Modern systems even include weather sensors and timers to automatically adjust based on rainfall or temperature, eliminating the guesswork. You’ll conserve water, lower your utility bill, and most importantly—save time.

Install Clean, Durable Edging

Trimming around flower beds, patios, and sidewalks can be frustrating and repetitive. A clean, permanent edge solves that problem. Installing edging materials like steel strips, natural stone, or concrete curbs helps keep grass and mulch in their place, reducing the need for trimming. It also gives your landscape a sharp, finished look. With proper edging, mowing becomes easier, and you won’t have to chase down rogue grass blades trying to reclaim your planting beds.

Use Mulch to Reduce Weeds and Watering

Mulch is one of the most underrated tools in low-maintenance landscaping. A good layer of mulch around your plants prevents weeds from sprouting, retains moisture in the soil, and moderates soil temperature throughout the seasons. Organic mulch—like shredded bark or wood chips—not only looks polished but also improves soil health over time. You’ll find yourself watering less and pulling fewer weeds, which adds up to real time savings over the course of the year.

Let Professionals Design with Maintenance in Mind

The most efficient landscapes are designed with longevity and ease in mind. At Skyline Exteriors Landscaping, we specialize in creating outdoor spaces that reflect your lifestyle and maintenance preferences. Whether it’s replacing turf with hardscape features, choosing native plants, or installing smart irrigation, we help homeowners make smart investments that save them time and effort for years to come.

Enjoy More, Work Less

Your yard should be a place of relaxation—not another item on your to-do list. By making intentional design choices and investing in the right landscaping features, you can dramatically reduce the time you spend mowing, trimming, and watering.

Ready to enjoy your outdoor space without all the upkeep? Contact Skyline Exteriors Landscaping today to schedule a consultation. We’ll help you transform your yard into a low-maintenance, high-impact space you’ll love coming home to.