Volume XV, Issue 2
2nd Quarter 2007
Just as Staging the interior of a home to prepare
for marketing is important for the Buyer’s initial
impression —so is the landscaping of a property.
The good news is that even if your home isn’t on the
market, it’s value is increased by the right
landscaping...as a beautiful frame can turn a
photograph into a work of art—so can the right
landscaping turn a home into a showplace. For
buyers, attractive landscaping shows that a home is
loved.
Your well-designed landscape doesn’t only include
sumptuous lawns and colorful flower beds, but also
trees, shrubs, irrigation, “rockscaping”, lighting
and water features.
Smart homeowners/buyers will want to consult experts
on what plants would thrive on their property before
they delve into their project. Here’s the top four
conditions to consider:
P Soil
Condition:
To analyze soil, home owners should contact a local
college extension service, master gardener or kit
from a garden center. An analysis will determine
the pH balance of the soil. Depending on your
plants—near neutral pH is ideal. Other plants enjoy
acidic soil.
P Drainage:
Whether your soil is sandy, silty, clay or loam...it
will affect soil drainage. The Grosse Pointes are
notorious for lots of clay in our soil which may
drain poorly preventing nutrients and oxygen from
reaching plant roots.
P Sunlight:
Check to see where, when and how much sun occurs in
your yard. Choose the plantings that thrive in the
proper sunlight.
P Hardiness
Zone:
Also known as the climate zones, this is our guide
to help you know which plants will grow where you
live.
Hire Help—Create A Budget…
Depending on the type of landscaping you’ll be
tackling, a landscape architect, gardener,
landscaper or arborist should be consulted to create
a master plan. When budgeting for a complete
landscaping overhaul, rule of thumb is to plan about
ten percent of the value of the home.
Here’s some great ideas that will impact your
property’s appearance and maybe even boost resale
value:
P Plant
trees:
trees look great, cut down on heating/cooling costs…
P Go
for year-round color:
choose green for all seasons (junipers, boxwood)…
P Help
the environment:
a rain garden...xeriscape plants that don’t need
much water…
P Make
your yard livable:
transform a yard into a livable outdoor “room”…
P Just
add water:
water-features are soothing...water cascading into a
pond, hot tubs…
P Build
a pergola:
columns/trelliswork for climbing plants add
interest...
v
