Have you recently moved into a new home? Are the front and back yards a disaster? Unfortunately, it can take some time to turn a yard from a disaster into a showplace. The sooner you get started, the better. When spring rolls around, here are some tips to help make your landscape one of the most attractive places in your neighborhood:
Groundcover doesn't mean just grass: For some people, their landscape plans include little more than planting grass everywhere that trees or bushes are not. But, as you may be able to see when you look at your yard, this doesn't always work. Grass is less likely to grow and flourish in areas of deep shade or in areas that stay muddy and marshy for days after a rain. What you should plant will depend on the area of the country that you're in, as well as your particular yard, but there are many low-growing plants that are attractive and that will flourish in places where grass will not. For areas of deep shade, especially areas with excess water, choose one or more species of attractive moss to provide the same green color as grass.
Find a focal point: In order to effectively plan a landscape, finding a focal point for your yard can be essential to making it look great. This focal point can be something bought from a store, such as a bench or a fountain, or it can simply be a favorite plant or bush. Around this focal point, plant your largest flowers and shrubs. As you move further away from the focal point, plant shorter and shorter flowers and plants.This will help draw the eye to your focal point, helping to make your landscape appear even more attractive.
Paint your house: If you don't live in a neighborhood where you're restricted on the colors that you can use, consider repainting your home's trim to match the colors in your new landscape. For example, if your favorite flower is the sunflower and you're featuring them heavily, you could paint your trim a rich golden brown or a beautiful yellow to match. If you can't get enough of roses and you've planted several bushes, perhaps you should paint your door a deep rose red. Obviously, this won't work with every home. But when it does, it will tie your home and yard together in a way that makes your entire property look spectacular.
