There are many homeowners who aspire to have an award-winning landscape. The trouble is, not every yard is a perfect canvas for plantings. In most cases, there are one or more spots in a landscape that can prove troublesome and require different strategies.

One such strategy is using succulents and rocks to contend with the weak areas of the yard. A rock garden accented with succulent plants can help make the most of dry patches or areas of steep inclines where planting lawn or other foliage is difficult. Other areas of the yard may be marred by tree roots or sandy soil. Providing remedies for these areas can be as simple as arranging low-maintenance plants and decorative rocks.

Succulents are plants that thrive with minimal care and water. They store water in their leaves (cacti are a subset of succulents). Because they are drought-tolerant, succulents work well in sandy soil or areas that tend to be dry. They also produce shallow roots, which helps them thrive even in poor soil.

Many succulents are perennial plants, meaning they will come back year after year. They also work well in containers, which can be moved and rearranged to create different looks all around the yard.

To accent succulents in the garden, homeowners can enhance them with rocks and other decorative items. Rocks will help improve water flow and prevent run-off of soil.

Oftentimes, gardeners can take a clipping of a succulent plant and replant it somewhere else. This makes succulents an affordable addition to the yard because they can typically spread and prosper easily.

Here are some popular succulents that can adapt to many landscapes.

* Hens and chicks: These spreading plants are low-growing green leaves that form rosettes. Each rosette can grow around 5 inches wide.

* Autumn Joy: This succulent emerges in very early spring and develops into a dense, cabbage-shaped plant. Late in summer the succulent will sprout stalks of pink-shaded flowers, which will darken to a russet hue as the autumn approaches. A perennial, this plant requires almost no upkeep.

* Yellow Ice Plant:A late-blooming, flowering succulent that features yellow blooms against dark foliage. The foliage turns red in the winter.

* Agave: A large succulent with blade-like foliage. It enjoys full sun but thrives in partial shade as well.

* Jade: The tree-like variety Crassula ovata can grow up to 6 feet tall. It prefers full sun and drying out between watering.

* Aloe: This healing plant is a succulent that can be a welcome addition to the landscape.

Troublesome areas in the landscape can be remedied with beautiful, low-maintenance succulent plants.

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