TREES! Especially those that are well adapted to your area. Fruit trees are particularly valuable IF (notice that it is a big "if") they are reasonabley fruitful without creating a huge mess.
LOW MAINTENANCE! Don't plant an acre of lawn, put in a pool, or a gurgling stream that ends up in a pond. Too much work!
PERENIALS! - Flowering perenial bushes that require little water once established are much better than a lot of annuals that only last one season. A few annuals are OK. If you plant annuals, look for those that sead themselves. The dead seed heads of marigolds, for example, can be planted right where they lay; cover them over with a light mulch and when spring comes, they will sprout and flower again.
EVERGREENS! The fewer leaves to rake up in fall, the better. Besides, something green always looks better than a bunch of ugly brown twigs. And, typically, evergreens don't grow as fast so they need less trimming to look good.
GROUND COVERS! Instead of lawns. Many have flowers and require less water than lawns. Fewer diseases and insects, too.
There's nothing wrong with leaving some open space, either, and using pathways, gravel, or stone walkways to accentuate your plantings.
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