| Planting flowers along walkways can be a great way to create a more welcoming feel to your home while increasing curb appeal. |
These days, the home improvement industry is as big as it’s ever been.
Take a casual drive through a typical suburban neighborhood and it’s inevitable that one will see a fair number of houses undergoing some sort of reclamation project. Be it a new garage door, a fresh coat of paint or the ever-popular add-on, homes across the country are getting more facelifts than an aging Hollywood starlet.
That said, many homeowners are left looking for ways to keep up with the Joneses while not breaking the bank. Thankfully, the answer for a lot of people is right outside their windows. Improving the landscape of a yard doesn’t have to be expensive. And such improvements can go a long way to increasing a home’s curb appeal, making it more attractive to prospective buyers, if the owner is in the market for that kind of thing.
The key is to think foliage.
Upon planting flowers, many homeowners are surprised at the impact those flowers have on the look and feel of their home. Flowerbeds around the perimeter of a house add to the color of a home, while also making it feel more welcoming to guests, including prospective buyers.
A good trick is to plant flowers along the edges of a driveway or walkway. This can provide a strong contrast to a drab driveway or sidewalk In addition, such flowers will draw the attention of guests or those in the real estate market, taking their eyes away from potential problem areas that the owner might not be able to fix at the moment.
Many homeowners simply don’t have the time to keep their lawn looking lush and green throughout the year. For those who have this problem they should consider planting some trees around the property. This is not only environmentally friendly, but effort-friendly as well, as tending to trees is not nearly as time consuming as keeping a lawn in great shape.
Once a tree begins to sprout, envelop its base in a bed of mulch. Mulch only needs to be replenished once per year, and the look it creates is both beautiful and serene. In addition, planting trees is inexpensive.
One note of caution though. It is always a good idea to confer with neighbors if planting trees near property lines of fences. This can help to avoid problems in the future.
Another area to think about is walkways and patios. Unless there are young children in the family, people will likely spend more time on walkways and patio decks than they will in the actual yard lawn.
Take advantage of that by further lessening the time spent on the actual grass as a means to keeping it in even better shape. For example, if there is a backyard garden an especially proud characteristic of the plot, install a concrete walkway that leads visitors back to the garden. This will greatly reduce the wear and tear the lawn takes each time someone visits the garden. In addition, a concrete walkway won’t be damaged by wheelbarrows full of soil or new plants.
If walkways leading into the home are already lined with foliage, make sure they are kept well-trimmed. Keeping shrubs and bushes well-trimmed doesn’t require a lot of effort but does give the impression of a home that’s been well cared for.