Your Property – Invest in it!
(Summer 2010)
I recently gave a talk on “Getting the Most Out of Your Property” at the Better Homes & Gradens/Rand Realty offices in Nyack. In putting together information that I thought would be useful to prospective home buyers or sellers, I realized this was information that was probably relevent for anyone who owns or maintains a property.
Planning is really essential to spending your landscaping time and money wisely. The best way to get started is to assess your property – take a walk around and do an inventory of what’s good and not-so-good. Is it easy to view the main entrance, or is it hidden behind a wall of overgrown rhododendrons? Does the patio face a scraggly lawn or something not so attractive in your neighbor’s property? What is the most important thing about the outdoor space for your family: access? Playing space? Eating and cooking area? Entertaining space? Quiet and privacy?
Now, take a look at the light conditions in the various parts of your yard. Maybe the front of the house gets tons of sun and the backyard is a cave – maybe the backyard wouldn’t be so dark if one or two trees were carefully pruned?
Next, be sure to identify what style your house is (Contemporary, Victorian, Colonial Modernist), and what style you are comfortable with (casual, formal). Finally, the color of your house should be taken into consideration when it comes time to select any plantings you’ll be adding (or removing, if necessary!)
Once you have this information, you can prioritize your plan of attack and be sure you are addressing the most important things first. HOW you address these priorities is also important. Try to be forward-thinking: if you just replace a dying foundation shrub with a new one of the same kind, you could be repeating the same mistake. Why was the shrub dying anyway? If you are a do-it-yourselfer, be sure you have the equipment and expertise to undertake the desired changes. If you are either inexperienced, overscheduled or both, you would be well to consult a professional about how to achieve your vision, and how much it will cost to make it happen. Usually, there are several ways to accomplish the same effect, and each one will have pros and cons (and different price tags.).
Click the tab below for a list of common mistakes made in residential landscaping, followed by a menu of solutions (short term or long term) to suit different budgets.
COMMON MISTAKES IN RESIDENTIAL LANDSCAPING
- Overgrown shrubs around the foundation area – where’s the house? Who’s coming up the walk?
- No foundation plantings – the house looks naked
- Large areas of mulch (often brightly colored) – can clash with house color, hard to maintain weed-free
- Random clumps of ornamental grasses – lack of recognizable design, often out of step with the style of the house.
- Solar lights – they never work
- Monotonous plantings – they bloom maybe once and then they’re just a green bush.
- Parade of unrelated plants & shrubs – distracting and messy-looking
- Wrong plant in the wrong place: shade lovers frying in the sun, sun lovers languishing in the shade.
- Trees or shrubs planted too close together – close quarters can create unhealthy growing conditions; if they do thrive, they will need to be moved when they grow in.
- Not a tree in sight – is it a golf course or a residence?
- Patio seems randomly placed, not near a door, or the bbq, but just floating out in the lawn
- Swingset or trampoline is the first thing you see when you look at the property.
- Watering with the “teacup method” – watering each plant with your hose for 2 or 3 minutes once a week isn’t enough.
SOLUTIONS TO COMMON RESIDENTIAL LANDSCAPING PROBLEMS
Here are some common ‘problem areas’ and just a sample of some suggestions for addressing them in the short term (“Quick Fix”) and long term. Short term solutions are for instant gratification to spruce up for sale; longer term is for those who can afford to wait. Short term is not always the cheaper route: one $ denotes a cheaper alternative, $$ denotes not cheap but not a bank-buster, $$$ means fairly expensive.
Foundation plantings:
The idea is to have shrubs and perennials that will enhance the style of the house year-round.
Quick fix: Replace overgrown shrubs with smaller shrubs ($$), choose a mix of evergreen shrubs and deciduous flowering shrubs or small tree to add color in spring and fall.
Longer term: Many shrubs like rhododendrons, Japanese andromeda, yews and hemlocks can be pruned severely to return them to an appropriate size ($). Make sure there is a balance of heights and textures in the shrubs you use. Plant bulbs among the shrubs for a spring pick-me-up ($).
Front Entry and walk:
It should be easy for the visitor to see their destination; the walk should guide the eye as well as the feet to the door. The front door should be framed in a welcoming manner.
Quick fix: Add containers of annuals around the doorway or steps ($). A small tree in a container can be a nice focal point. Replace the porch light or doorbell. Replace or add cushions for existing porch furniture ($).
Longer term: Put in attractive shrubs around front door or at bottom of steps; add flower beds ($$) to accentuate the shape of the walk and entryway. Add a gate to the walk ($ – $$). Replace the path material for a new look ($$$). Install low voltage lighting ($$).
A note on driveways (more below): an attractive mailbox with pretty perennials or annuals below (Clematis vine, long-blooming Black-eyed Susans, colorful Cosmos) can perk up the vehicular entrance to your property.
Patios and Decks:
A patio or deck greatly expands the living space of your home. Patios should have a connection to the house or garden plan. Consider whether your deck suits the style of your house – would steps to a patio be better? Both patios and decks are more enjoyable if they feel private.
Quick fix: a planter with vertical trellis can achieve instant privacy ($). Think about placing the BBQ conveniently, but not so it dominates (and smokes out) the space (zero$). A table with an umbrella and colorful chair cushions will jazz things up ($). Containers of blooming flowers will help organize the space and make it seem more like an outdoor room ($). Paint decks for a cleaner look ($-$$ depending on size of deck).
Long term: If the patio is adjacent to the house, a pergola overhead ($$) creates an attractive room-like feeling and provides dappled shade (allowing a vine such as wisteria or climbing hydrangea to grow on the pergola is a beautiful, classic look). Adding water feature like a small fountain ($) or more elaborate pond ($$) nearby will provide a soothing sound of water (and screen other noises). If your deck seems out of place, a paint job might help ($-$$), or replace it with steps to a patio ($$$). Update your patio furniture ($$).
Fences, screens and driveways:
Fences are a good option for disguising unwanted neighboring views, however, a fence in bad condition makes the property look run-down. Often driveways act as dividers between properties and need strong delineation. Lattice panels can be used to screen play equipment from view.
Short term: install or replace a fence ($$). Add a low stone or brick wall along driveway ($$). Install a lattice screen ($$) or evergreen hedge ($$) to hide play equipment.
Longer term: Put up lattice to cover an unattractive fence ($), grow ivy or other vines on the fence/lattice ($), at the base of the fence or along the driveway edge, plant perennials with large, attractive foliage (lilies, irises, ferns, hosta) ($).
Wet areas:
A soggy part of your yard can be transformed if you “go with the flow”. Create a river bed with river rocks and moisture-loving plants like irises, ferns, skimmia and anemones.
Dry shade:
Under shallow-rooted trees it is hard to get anything green to take hold. Some tough customers include: vinca, pachysandra, forget-me-nots (a self-seeding annual), coral bells and certain ferns. ($)
Flower beds/perennial borders:
A good rule of thumb is keep it simple. Select 3 or 4 types of perennials ($) that you know will be successful in the sun and soil conditions you have and plant them in groups. Try to select plants that have more than one good season (see list below). As they mature they will create a massing effect. Don’t sprinkle a little of everything everywhere. Do include a focal point such as a birdbath or colorful urn ($), or a small flowering tree ($$) or dwarf evergreen ($). You can place pots of annuals in the empty spots until the perennials fill in ($).