Nathan PriceEvery year, more and more of us decide it’s time to finally do something with our gardens. But whether it’s small or large, the thought of changing your garden can be challenging to approach. Outside of simply buying new plants, where do you start? One way of injecting new life and value into your garden is landscaping.
Landscaping is when an area of land is modified to make it more attractive, practical or both. It can involve changing, adding and removing things like:
- Plants, like trees, flowers, shrubs and bushes
- Natural landforms, including terrain shape and elevation
- Structures like fences and buildings
- Natural and man-made water bodies, including ponds, lakes and water features
A good landscaper will have good observation and design skills. They will also be practical and have a good knowledge of nature and construction.
Why should I consider garden landscaping?
Landscaping your property can make a huge difference to how it looks and feels. There are lots of ways in which it can improve your home:
1. Create a great first impression
Whether you’re having guests over, or are looking to sell your home and want to create more value in the eyes of potential buyers, Landscaping can help. Clearing space for a statue or a water feature can add character to your garden, and help create talking points.
2. Add value to your home
Revamping your garden is a superb way to help you get a good price for your home. Poorly kept gardens can drag down a property’s value, but a well maintained landscaped garden should increase it.
If a new buyer has to inherit a run-down garden that requires a lot of work, they’ll expect a lower price for the house. The more effort they have to put in to make it reach their standards, the less they’ll be willing to pay.
3. Create a healthy environment
Planting trees, shrubs and flowers in your garden will help to improve the air quality. Trees and shrubs specifically also reduce the toxicity of soil that they’re planted in, allowing you to plant a wider variety of plants down the line.
If you’re planning on expanding the floral elements of your garden, you’ll want to make sure you can protect them. There are a variety of common weeds that can wreak havoc on your plants if left untreated. In order to create a truly healthy environment, invest in weedkiller and be prepared to take a keen eye to any wanted greenery.
4. Reduce household bills
The trees grown as part of a landscape gardening project can also cast shade over your property. This reduces the need for blinds and air conditioning. Planting deciduous trees can also provide passive solar heating, which can reduce your monthly heating bills too.
5. Grow your own food
Lots of people use landscaping to make enough space to grow a variety of fruit and veg. You can plant tomatoes, carrots, radishes, potatoes and more!
Not only does this help save money on the weekly shop, it also adds to a healthier lifestyle. Just remember that growing food may encourage wildlife to stop by your garden for a quick snack, so plan accordingly. That said, animal attention isn’t always a negative…
6. Build a place for animals to visit your garden
Even a small bit of landscaping can create enough room to erect a birdhouse, letting you feed the local wildlife. Alternatively, with a large enough area you could install a fishpond!
For some prospective buyers, this kind of animal presence can add a charm that really raises the value of the garden. Additionally, building a habitable space for these creatures is a small, but significant, benefit to your local environment.
7. Improve your mental well-being
A beautiful garden can help you to relax and enjoy your home after a busy day. Maintaining your landscape can also benefit your physical and mental health. With a wide open space you can sit down, having something to eat or drink, and decompress.
So looking after your landscape can not only improve your garden but also your whole property, bank balance and well-being!
What’s the best way to landscape a property?
There are several different ways to make an outdoor area look great. Do some online research to get some ideas and see what your options are. You might find designs or features you’d never think of yourself.
Quotatis also has posts about how to make your garden the best for entertaining guests that it can be.
- You can find out how to make your garden the ultimate social space.
- Or you can learn about how to transform your garden into the ideal place to host Bonfire night celebrations.
- Or even discover a range of water features and ponds that can help spruce up your garden.
It’s also a good idea to speak to a range of professional landscapers. Ask them to come up with some different design ideas and quotes. This will help you end up with a great landscape design that suits your budget. And if your budget doesn’t quite stretch so far, take a look at our tips for getting your garden ready for spring.
If you’d like to find a landscape gardener, fill out the form below and we’ll put you in touch with up to four professionals.
Tom Crosswell
Electra Nanou
