In addition, homeowners are living outside more and more.  We love to grill, play, entertain our friends and family and finally, we love to relax outside.  Sprucing up your landscape will lend a lot more joy to backyard living for both you and potential buyers.

Here are three ways you can improve your yard without spending any money, or very little:

1. Remove trees that may be blocking out plant growth or other more appealing trees. For instance, what if you have a lovely dogwood in a backyard corner but a gum tree that is hindering its growth is overwhelming it?  Consider cutting down the offending tree and then the dogwood can become the center of attention for that part of the yard.
2. Fast growing plants may overwhelm the bed you originally prepared for them.  Transplant part of your bushes, ground cover, and vines to other parts of the yard.  Ask your landscaper for the best time of year to transplant flowers and bushes.
3. Weed and clean the plant beds.  Make the bed look as appealing as possible.  You may even be able to shift some soil from more mature areas or use you compost to enhance the beds.

In Part 2, we’ll share more low cost ways to improve the look of your home.

4. Plant pansies around the mailbox.  If your mailbox has a lot of sun, Vincas are a good choice.  Read the plant labels for the proper sun, shade and moisture requirements.
5. Re-plant pots and window boxes with seasonal flowers.  The colors should be bold but complement the house and surroundings.
6. Keep the gutters cleaned out.  This is inexpensive and only needs to be done seasonally.  If you have a one-story house, you can probably do it yourself.  I never recommend doing it alone.  Should you fall from a ladder, someone needs to be there to help.
7. Power wash driveways, sidewalks and patios.  The before and after effect of this can be amazing.  It just perks up everything and makes all the pretty landscaping around your home look even better.  Power washing can include gutters and it’s usually only $20 more to include them.

In Part 3, we’ll share more ways to improve the look of your home.

8. Repairing lawns.  This can be because of heavy traffic, dog “relief areas” and lawn disease such as brown patch.  You really need a professional to test the soil and investigate the cause and cure for these problems.  Typically, only a few applications of the correct treatment are needed and there is no yearlong contract involved.  In addition, your landscaper can even replant or reinstall sections of the lawn to repair such lawn menaces permanently.
9. Drainage problems.  If you have areas that don’t drain, or your backyard is constantly wet, you may need to install a drainage system such as a French drain.  This can be costly and more time consuming since there can be a significant amount of digging involved.  Again, hire this out and make sure you have contacted the power, phone and cable companies before any digging.  Normally, your landscaper will notify these companies for you.
10. Permanent structures.  Retainer walls, sprinkler systems, fences and decks all costs a fair amount of money – but are well worth it for many people.  However, unless you’re a handyman, you will want to have this contracted out.  Irrigations systems run roughly $500 per zone.  If you need five zones, that’s $2,500 dollars.  You can most likely stain fences and decks yourself.  Just plan to donate your weekend for the job and make sure it’s sunny for several days afterwards.  Building or repairing a deck is another matter entirely.  You often save money, and spend less on repairs, if an experienced professional does the work since they have a variety of specialty tools needed for the job.  In addition, they can get materials at a better price than homeowners.

Now you have 10 tips for improving your home’s curb appeal.  Items 1-7 can make a big impact with a small investment of time and money.  For the more costly improvements, you may have to compromise.  Instead of an in-ground irrigations system, you could use several well-hidden hoses on a timer with sprinklers attached.  It can help to keep the lawn nice and green during the summer months, because curb appeal is a big factor for any prospective buyer.

To get more information about any improvements mentioned in this article, please email us or call 919-755-0496.  Four Seasons will be happy to schedule a free quote, soil sample and a consultation at your convenience.

Landscape Design - Unique Features

Do you ever dream about what your yard could look like some day? As you look through garden catalogs filled with beautiful trees, shrubs, flowers and pictures of beautifully landscaped yards–complete with ponds and garden sculptures–the choices seem endless. Before ordering hundreds of plants or giving up because you cannot decide what you really want, here are a few things to consider.

A common issue in landscaping is creating a peaceful, private environment. While fencing can provide immediate privacy, consider a buffer strip of shrubbery between your yard and the one next door. Many shrubs will grow quickly–within a couple of years–and act as a screen while providing habitat for a variety of birds. Consider planting native shrubs because they are usually well adapted to local conditions and may provide the best habitat for local wildlife.

Landscape Design - Focus on Flowers

Other considerations: whether the plants have special characteristics such as flowers or fruits, how large they will eventually become, and how much maintenance they require to remain healthy and in scale with your yard. Check with us for recommended species.

If you do not want to spend your weekends maintaining a yard, turn part of it into a wildflower garden. If you want a more maintained yard, consider ground covers instead of grass and use mulch to control weeds in foundation plantings and flower beds.

When selecting plants, make sure they are adapted to your area. Consider both the minimum and maximum temperatures, amount of moisture, amount of sunlight, and soil characteristics. Ask yourself: Do you want an annual that will need replanting every year or a perennial that comes up year after year? Do you want cut flowers for inside your home or to give to friends?

Landscape Design - Low Maintenance

Consider native plants. They are usually better adapted to local conditions and need little maintenance. Be cautious about introducing exotic species such as purple loosestrife that will become invasive and is prohibited in many states.

Above all, choose what you like. There is an enormous variety of plants that will provide food and shelter to a wide variety of wildlife. With a little planning, you and the local wildlife can both enjoy the yard of your dreams.  Call us – we’re here to help you design and maintain your dream yard!