Increase Your Property Value with Landscaping

Did you know that great landscaping can increase your home’s value by up to 15%?  And I’m not just talking about outdoor kitchens and fancy brick patios with arbors.  Studies show a well-maintained lawn is the number one thing you can do to increase your property value, followed by planting shrubs and trees, and keeping a tidy garden.  If you are looking to increase your property value, sell your home, or simply increase your home’s appeal, here are some easy things you can do.

1. Keep up with lawncare or hire someone to do it for you. This time of year, there is less to do, but we are still mowing.  Keep your mower blade a little higher when mowing during the heat of August to protect the grass.  Clean out the weeds growing in the cracks of your sidewalk and driveway and pull those dandelions. A weed pulled now can mean dozens fewer next spring.   When the weather starts to cool down his fall, seed over any bare or thin spots.  The best way to keep the weeds at bay is to have thick healthy turf grass. 
2. Plant a tree. Trees with large shade canopies like oaks and maples are great choices to add value to your home. But remember to choose a tree, when full-grown, will fit in the space you have.  If you are short on space try a linden, a Princeton Sentry gingko, or an ornamental flowering tree like Japanese lilac, crabapple, or serviceberry.    
3. Update your foundation plantings. These are the shrubs and plants that surround the foundation of your home.  If your shrubs are overgrown, missing, or just plain ugly, planting new ones will make a world of difference!  The end of summer and early fall is a great time to do it, too.  When choosing shrubs:

• Select shrubs to fit the conditions (sun or shade, soil type, space needed when mature)
• Match the style of your home. Symmetrical plantings with distinct shapes are great for formal homes, angular plantings and ornamental grasses work well for mid-century or contemporary homes, or try an informal mix of shrubs for ranch homes.
• Select shrubs that have year-round interest. Shrubs that are evergreen, have great fall color, or have interesting bark (like dogwood or ninebark) are good choices.
• Plant in odd numbers – 3 or 5 of the same shrub makes a great statement.
• Plant a variety. Choose a mix of evergreen (yew, juniper, or bird’s nest spruce) and flowering shrubs (rhododendron, hydrangea, spirea, or weigela).  Try interspersing ornamental grasses like autumn flame miscanthus or well-behaved perennials like hosta and daylilies with your shrubs.  Vary the height and texture of the shrubs, too.

4. Add fresh mulch. A few hours of work on a Saturday morning can have a huge impact. Fresh bark mulch makes everything look better – and it keeps the weeds away.
5. Add a perennial garden. A small planting by your mailbox or along the pathway to your front door can have a huge impact.  Choose easy care plants that tolerate road salt like artemesia, aster, yarrow, daylily, catmint, black eyed Susan, or veronica.
6. Add pops of color. Add color all summer with a mix of annuals in a bright, cheerful flowerpot or a hanging basket on your porch. As fall approaches, a planter full of mums or a few pumpkins are perfect if you are trying to impress a buyer – or your neighbors, and it’s a great feeling to come home to a welcoming door at the end of the day.

Pleasant Prairie Greenhouse is always happy to help no matter what your landscaping needs.  We still have a great selection available of trees, shrubs, and perennials available. We are open weekends starting 8/19 at Hwy 104 and 8/26 in Evansville.