Whether you've recently purchased a home that needs a landscaping makeover or you simply want to change things up a bit in your outdoor living space, you may have decided to visit your local nursery and purchase a few decorative shrubs. Shrubs have a lot more to offer than the average landscape. They help balance the overall composition of your outdoor living space by providing a middle ground between trees and low-lying areas such as lawns and flower gardens, and since many are evergreen, they can provide outdoor color during the winter months. Some even put on fabulous floral displays, provide edible berries, control soil erosion on slopes, or act as privacy barriers when massed together. However, you may be reluctant to add shrubs to your yard because you're trying to converse water and/or keep your utility costs down. Fortunately, there is a wide range of shrubs that perform well with little water once they become established. Following are three of them. 

Forsythia

Not only does forsythia provide a welcoming bright yellow burst of color in mid-to-late winter, but it also requires very little water. They also aren't particular about soils, don't require fertilization, are resistant to most pests, and only need pruning or trimming if you want to control their size. Plant them in a sunny spot in your yard with plenty of room to branch out for best results. 

Lilacs

The amazing fragrance and the attractive appearance of lilac flowers often lead homeowners to believe that this shrub is high-maintenance, but in reality, it needs very little care and can typically thrive with average summer rainfall in most areas except in cases of extreme drought. They do prefer soils that are slightly on the alkaline side, so you may need to add lime at the time of planting, depending on your soil's pH. 

Butterfly Bush

Butterfly bush is a strong, hardy plant that dies back to the ground during winter. The spring rains in most areas are enough to get it going, but homeowners in dry areas may need to water it deeply once new growth begins. The bush produces semi-upright purple spires with a pleasant scent. As its name implies, you'll be rewarded with butterflies during the shrub's long summer bloom season. 

Contact Your Local Landscaping Service for More Information

Shrubs have varying cultivation needs, but there are many that do fine with little or no supplemental watering. Local landscaping services are the best resources for finding out which ones work best in your particular area. For more information, turn to a company such as A Woman's Touch Tree Care LLC.