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Landscaping for Curb Appeal: Where to Start?
Landscaping is one of the most impactful ways to improve curb appeal. Humans react to the presence of plant life, on levels both conscious and unconscious. So if you’d like to make your home pop, create a rejuvenating and relaxing space, AND do a little good for the environment in the process, incorporating some beautiful landscaping is your best bet.
But where to start? There are so many options for front-yard landscaping styles. One thing that helps is knowing the right questions to ask. Below is a list of 5 helpful questions to ask yourself before you decide which landscaping options are best for you.
1. What Does My Climate Support?
Unfortunately, a bright, fragrant lemon tree is not a possibility for those of us in, say, New England. But if you’re in Arizona, you probably see them all over the place! Look at this handy map to find which climate zone you are in, so you can pick plants that will thrive instead of just survive.
2. How Much Maintenance Do I Want to Do?
A very important question! Avoid the upset that comes with brown, dried-out plants you simply couldn’t care for properly. Be realistic. Do you need low-maintenance options? Will simple additions work for you, such as a ground covers and a few trees? Perhaps some simple, elegant planters could do the trick.
3. What Styles Go With the Architecture of My House?
A yard covered in a pebble garden doesn’t make too much sense in front of a farmhouse surrounded by lush trees. Somehow it just doesn’t fit. Put the same yard in front of a contemporary stucco home and it looks...well, right at home! There are many types of landscape designs to choose from, whether it be a quaint English garden or neatly manicured flower beds—try to visualize the final result and imagine how it could complement your home.
4. What Fits My Needs?
Do you plan to entertain frequently? Incorporating a patio into the landscape design might be a good idea. Have a dog that will need space to roam freely? Some hardy grass and fencing would be ideal. Want to add privacy to a home that sits close to the road? Lush, flowering trees, hedged bushes, and shrubbery will help. Make your yard work for YOU. Determine whether there are any problems that can be solved with the right kind of landscape design. You might be surprised at how you can utilize your front lawn!
5. Are There Any Details I Absolutely Want to Include?
Whether you’ve long dreamed of having a fountain or simply wish to repel bugs with fragrant herbs and flowers, many of us have envisioned the perfect outdoor space down to the last detail. Oftentimes, there are one or two key defining features that we have always known we’d love to have: a bench swing, a bird-feeder, a labyrinth, butterfly bushes—you name it! Well, now that you’re planning just such a space, don’t forget to plan around that one special thing you’ve always wanted in your yard.
