“Then the first monarch butterfly of the season floated in from the side of my house to where my Rose of Sharon lives, and rested on a lilac bush at the deck. She bypassed the fuchsia hollyhocks, sat on a shasta daisy, fluttered busily around a milkweed that has no blossom yet, looked at a peach stella dora and the blue gloxinia and floated away, above the snowball bush.”
My friend and colleague regularly posts on social media about the flora and fauna she observes from her deck in her backyard. Luxury landscape design can turn anyone’s backyard into a little oasis. You don’t have to be a master gardener to experience “lilac wafting across the deck as birdsong sweetly brings the dawn.” Professional landscaping companies can bring together craftsmanship and horticulture to create your outdoor garden oasis.
There are all kinds of improvements that professional landscaping companies can make to upgrade your patio and landscaping.
- Walkways
- Firepits
- Lighting
- Lawn patch repair
- Plantings
- Mulch
- Rock
- Paver patio designs
- Water features
- Hardscaping
Benefits of Landscaping for Resale Value
Aside from the personal enjoyment you get from having morning coffee or tea outside on your deck while you take in the newness of the day, professional landscaping can increase the value of your home when it comes time to sell. In fact, spending only 5% of your home’s value on landscaping can bring a 15% greater sale price. But why wait? Enjoy your beautiful backyard long before you intend to sell.
Benefits of Landscaping for Energy Savings
Trees and the shade they produce can make a tremendous impact on your utility bills in several ways. When an air conditioning unit is shaded, it can increase its efficiency 10%. Air conditioning bills can be reduced 20% to 50% with properly placed plants and trees. Trees can reduce the temperature by 9 degrees.
Benefits of Landscaping for Conserving Water
Well chosen plants can help reduce water bills. Drought tolerant plants can bring beauty to your yard while decreasing your overall water use. Also, carefully grouping plants according to water needs can save water. Other tips for getting the most out of the water you are putting on your lawn and landscaping is to water in the morning. Any later in the day and a lot of the water is lost to evaporation and evening watering can encourage fungal growth.
Benefits of Hardscaping
Landscaping companies are not just about plants and trees and lawns, though this may be what most people think of first. In reality, a landscaping company is prepared to plan and implement an entire design that includes wood decks, artistically designed patios, outdoor fireplaces, fire pits and water features. These elements of a backyard design are what are considered hardscaping. Sure, the flowering plants bring bees, birds and butterflies, but it’s often a firepit or outdoor kitchen that will bring your neighbors and friends. Outdoor cooking in nice weather or even in the hottest part of the summer can bring down utility bills by keeping the indoor kitchen cool.
Every home should be a little oasis from the hustle and work that fills the majority of your waking hours. It’s difficult keeping the inside of your home from succumbing to clutter, and sometimes you just want to step out onto your deck, patio or porch and take in the beautiful colors and smells as nature intended. You might be surprised how much more you could enjoy your outdoor space if you were to research landscaping companies. Most landscapers have a bachelor’s or master’s degree in horticulture or architectural landscape. A degreed professional might draw up the plans and make most decisions about varieties to plant taking soil composition and terrain and available light into consideration. Non-degreed employees might be implementing the plan and maintaining grounds thereafter.
When you consider the many benefits of upgrading your outdoor space such as visual appeal, resale and energy savings, it’s apparent what a little nature can do for you. Let skilled landscape designers dream up your backyard or take your vision to them. Either way, you’ll soon be able to post a little something like this to social media, “It’s a bit chilly this morning but the daffodils and jonquils don’t seem to mind as they chat outside my kitchen window.”