Whether you’re landscaping your home for sale or to enjoy for decades to come, chances are that you still keep an eye on its market value. Were you aware that when you spend just 5% of your house’s overall value on landscaping, that it can bring you up to a 150% return on your investment? Furthermore, it can also increase your home’s resale value by 14%. All this does depend, of course, on the types of updates and enhancements that you make. Curb appeal is, as you may be aware, a major contributing factor to a realtor and buyer’s first impression.
Do you take care of your own landscaping, or do you have a service assist you from time-to-time? While you may have had a landscape designer initially create your raised beds, patios, and other outdoor living areas, gardening may be at the top of the list for your favorite outdoor activities.
If you’re just getting started on your first project, you probably have a few items on your landscaping supply list. In addition to fill dirt, you may also need a large quantity of soil for gardening. It’s also possible that you have your eyes on a few other gardening supplies, such as some new gardening tools and equipment. Wheelbarrows can come in handy for a variety of landscaping tasks.
Are you looking for a few landscaping tips? When you’ve just had trees planted, for example, they need a 3 to 4-foot circle of mulch around them. There are organic and inorganic mulches available for this purpose.
Tired of pulling up weeds? Did you know that you can control them with a 1-inch layer of small rocks? Since there are so many varieties of rocks and stones from which to choose, you may decide to use several different types of rocks to create a unique landscape feature.
Have you tested your garden soil’s pH levels recently? While there are kits available for this, you may want to have a professional landscaper check this for you. When you test your soil for its pH levels, you’re basically determining its level of acidity or alkalinity. The scale ranges from 1.0 to 14.0, and the halfway mark at 7.0 is considered to be neutral. Since many plants require low acidic to neutral range pH levels, having this information can assist you with choosing the right soil. Furthermore, it will also determine what you decide to plant and where.
When evaluating soil, emphasis is placed on its fertility and texture. It’s interesting to note that soil stores water within its pores. Healthy soil will have the following components:
- Minerals: 45%
- Water: 25%
- Air: 25%
- Organic matter: 5%
After you’ve finished all the items on your landscaping to-do list, be sure to create the time to enjoy what you’ve accomplished. Pull up a chair and relax for a few minutes before you start on your next home-beautification project.