Fortunately for the Washington DC and Northern Virginia area, this year’s winter season was particularly lighter than those of previous years. Even though temperatures didn’t drop too much during the winter months, the significantly warmer (and prettier) weather in recent weeks makes it clear that spring has arrived.
It seems that every year, the same pattern occurs—the temperatures increases; our spare time decreases. This ultimately makes it easier for many to procrastinate on necessary projects normally completed this time of year, such as spring cleaning, gardening, or landscaping. In spite of vanishing free time, it’s important for a homeowner to remember that these projects (particularly the landscaping) are as important of an aesthetic aspect of your property as the interior. After all, shouldn’t a home be a beautiful place inside and out?
To help save time and ease the undertaking of spring projects, Northern Virginia’s leading landscaping experts, JK Enterprise Landscape Supply, have compiled a list of important tips to keep in mind when developing your home’s curb appeal:
Before embarking on this year’s landscaping project, make sure to clean up your previous mess. Set a few hours (or entire weekend) aside to tackle an unkempt yard that needs sprucing up. Not only will this give you a fresh slate from which to start new projects, but it will allow one to really see the potential an exterior space holds.
Just because your yard is cleared, doesn’t mean that immediately going to work is the next step. Instead, it’s always better to have a plan—especially when dealing with such a large investment of time and money. Drawing a map of your yard pointing out shaded and sunny areas can be helpful choosing where to place landscaping materials.
Choose to plant a low-maintenance yard and you’ll save yourself aggravation later. Laying closer, for example, is an ideal alternative to grass because it’s insect repellent and requires less mowing.
In addition to being less physically strenuous, layering your flower beds in three rows (with the tallest plants in back) provides a sense of repetition that will entirely unify your garden as a whole.
Make sure to add hard landscaping materials (rock, wood, pottery, etc.) throughout your home’s exterior to the yard texture and divide it into visually appealing segments. When doing so however, it’s always the best idea to match your flowers, plants, and hard materials to the soil where you place them. (Color-code your map if necessary!)
If your home’s exterior improvements are great but your budget is not, there are a few things one can do to accomplish a beautiful lawn with simple fixes that are more time consuming, but less expensive. Aside from retouching the paint on a fence or trimming the hedges regularly, laying plants that can be maintained year-round. Evergreens, for example, provide a complimentary color to any plant or flower and require a lot less up-keep.
The last and most important landscaping tip for spring 2012 is to know when to count yourself out. Although most homeowners want to lead their own landscape projects, doing so can end up costing more time and money, in addition to looking less-than-stunning. If you find that you’re lacking the time, expertise, or materials required for your project, it’s probably the best idea to just hire a landscaping company from the get-go. In addition to making the process an easier one, it will
