so where are you geographically - you may want to do some research on what is the history of the site - the lowest maintenance you can achieve would be to return the site to a some what natural condition - if you are in the east or midwest, i would plant a prairie... a mix of prairie grasses and wildflowers...grasses are big bluestem, indian grass, little blue stem, side oats grama... a typical prairie mix contains 3 or 4 prairie grasses and several species of wildflowers... there is some prep work you would have to do - but fall is generally considered a great time to seed. i would check with your local NRCS office or a local chapter of pheasants forever - both of those places will have information on how to get started, where to get seed in your area, tools to use etc... another great resource is www.prairienursery.com - they have tons of infomation on their website: preparation, maintenance, background -

once you get a praire established, you should have little maintenance except an annual burn or mowing is required - some weed control in the early years of a prairie planting can sometimes be disheartening...but weeds are usually not a problem after the prairie is established -

i would also reccomend planting some native wetland and water loving native wildflowers and grasses in an area around your pond - it will look great with the prairie...

i would also reccommend a transitional area to transition from yard to prairie - low growing natives or no-mow grass. if you are into low maintenance and if you havent already seeded your lawn...you may want to consider no-mow grass for your lawn area as well...