The easiest landscapes to maintain combine hardscape, mulched beds of native plants, and evergreen shrubs, with little or no lawn. Lawn is the biggest time sink in most yards, so the less turf you keep, the less mowing, watering, and fertilizing you do.
A gravel or paver patio needs an occasional sweep and a weeding pass a few times a season. Native perennials and ornamental grasses, once established after the first year, usually get by on rainfall and one spring cutback. A 2 to 3 inch mulch layer keeps weeds down and cuts watering roughly in half. Skip clipped hedges and fruit trees if time is tight, since both need attention several times a year.
If you want to see how a lower-maintenance layout would look on your own lot, test a few versions with AI backyard design before pulling anything out.