One of the areas of home-improvement that can have an almost immediate impact on your home’s appearance is the outside landscaping. And this is another area where do-it-yourselfers that are physically fit can do a lot of their own work. And it’s also an area where year investment will often come back to you in the sale of your home. So let’s discuss some of the best ideas for your home landscaping.
First of all, make sure that you actually have a plan for your landscaping. This is very often missing when folks who like to do it themselves get to work. But instead of just throwing a shrub or plant in a space just because there is a hole there, why not take a little extra time and map out at least a section of your yard, and decide in advance what plants you will use and where they will go for the best possible appearance? If you draw out a detailed landscape plan like this before you get started, you will most likely wind up with a much better looking yard.
Another suggestion is to plan your landscape design not only for appearance but for functionality as well. For instance, if you plant shade trees on the south and west of your home, you can often help cut down on your electric bill, because those shade trees can help cool your home. And if you plant shrubs that can grow into a small hedge around your foundation, that can also help by creating an extra layer of insulation around the outside of your home. So try to think of your landscaping not only from the aspect of appearance, but also practicality as well.
Nothing will make as much of an impact on the way that your landscaping appears as your having a regular schedule for maintenance though. But unfortunately, this is where even the best landscape designs often go wrong. You have to remember that what ever you plant in your yard will need some kind of attention and maintenance from time to time. So plan your landscape with that in mind. If you don’t have much time to spend in the yard, try to select plants that don’t need very much constant attention. And make your landscaping tools easily accessible, as that will make you more likely to actually use them as you should.
The next biggest enemy of good landscaping design is a failure to properly irrigate after your trees and shrubs are installed. What sense does it make to spend lots of money on the nicest plants and shrubs that you can find, and then lose them because you didn’t irrigate them properly? Automatic irrigation will no doubt be your best choice as it can make sure that water is delivered to the right places in your yard at the right times without your having to worry about it, especially when you have to be away from your home for a while for any reason.
Some do-it-yourselfers plan their landscaping well, and have their irrigation system all set up, but still get bad results because they don’t select the right plants for their particular yard. Almost every yard is different, and if your yard happens to get steady sun all day long, make sure that you select plants that can handle that. Or if your yard is mostly shaded, plant with that in mind. But don’t try to make your yard fit some kind of design that is in your head, but doesn’t fit the kind of yard that you have. Just understand what kind of terrain you have and work in harmony with its needs.
Almost anyone can come up with a great home landscaping design though if they spend enough time beforehand planning it out in advance and then make regular time available in their schedule to maintain what they have planted afterward.