Some of us made some resolutions and most are already forgotten. But the one I like is "work smarter, not harder". This is where low-maintenance gardening comes in. What does that mean?

It means putting some thought into your garden before you plant. But, it doesn't mean neglecting your garden.

It means you are going to make garden choices which give you more time to do the other things we enjoy. Gardening is fun and it should never be a job. This type of gardening allows you to leave for a holiday or vacation and come back to an attractive garden. No, the weeds haven't taken over and, yes, it still looks great.

As I stated, this type of gardening requires thought. We must chose plants that stay in their allocated space. This doesn't mean you don't enjoy gardening. It just means your life is busy and gardening fun is easier to do than gardening work.

The plants we are looking for are disease and pest resistant, don't drop messy fruit, tolerate some environmental stress, and don't interfere much with nearby plants.

Think about choosing perennials rather than annuals for the coming year. Perennials, once planted need only be maintained. Some choices you might consider are flowering plants such as daylilies, columbine, stonecrop sedum, gay-feather, or fennel. Hostas are another choice for plants which need little attention and are grown in shady locations.

Mulches require thought also. If you chose gravel, remember to not throw your mower discharge on it. The grass clippings can cause weed problems as seeds begin to grow. Gravel also requires a border for retention. Wood mulches will require annual attention with some additions as decay occurs. To save labor, mulches should have a fabric barrier under them to reduce weed problems.

Some of the tree and shrub plants to consider are disease resistant crabapples, hawthorns, and kousa dogwood. Some large trees on this list include red oak, white oak, and paper birch.

Low-maintenance plants are attractive and can be colorful. Your gardening now can be more enjoyable, but your garden choices come with some free time in mind. Remember the three P's: plan, plant, and play.