Are you proud of your landscaping at your home? Does it stand out as unique and make you feel good every time you see it? Or does it look ordinary and just feel like it’s missing something?
If you’re feeling that it’s more of the latter, then you might be looking for some landscaping ideas for enhancements. Enhancements are a great way to take your property to the next level but with simple changes that are not overly complex or involved.
We’re not talking massive design/build projects but instead simple-but-effective landscaping projects that can be quite impactful when it comes to transforming your properties.
In order to give you some ideas of what can make the biggest difference on your property, let’s look at both the front and the backyard of your Flower Mound, Highland Village, or Lewisville, TX home.
The front yard is all about curb appeal and therefore is directly linked to the overall value of your home. When guests pull up to your property, do they feel that wow factor or is the front yard kind of lackluster?
It doesn’t take too much to really enhance the front yard which is why we’ve rounded up a list of some of the enhancement projects that would have the biggest impact.
When it comes to landscaping ideas for front yards, you really want to consider enhancements that are going to help make your front yard “pop.” For that reason, a lot of homeowners turn to adding color. One of the best ways to do this is with annual installations. Seasonal annuals are a great way to add color and wow factor to your landscape design—if installed properly. If they’re not installed properly, they can look messy and actually detract from the overall look.
That’s why you want to work with a landscape professional who will think about important factors such as color, spacing, and even strategic bloom time. You don't want your plant beds to suddenly look empty because bloom times were not staggered well.
Of course, annuals are not the only way to add color. You also want to make sure that you have a nice mix of perennials and other shrubs which will add even more color and variety to your landscape while also giving you the longevity that annuals can’t offer. Though they’re the most spectacular in terms of color and beauty, annuals don’t last forever, so it’s important that your landscape design has a variety of plants.
Having well-edged plant beds is another excellent enhancement. Edging goes a long way in making the plant beds in your front yard look their best. That clear delineation between your lawn and your plant beds helps them to look neat and tidy.
We have performed edging in various ways for our clients. Whether you want to add some river rock to create a unique edge around your beds or you just want an edge cut in, it can really enhance the overall look of your space.
Mulching is another simple but powerful addition to your property. It not only makes your plant beds look better, but it will help them perform better, too. That’s because mulch plays a valuable role in helping plants to retain their moisture. Mulching also helps suppress unsightly weeds.
While some people assume that they can just perform mulching on their own, it’s easy to see the difference between a plant bed that was professionally mulched and one that was not. Having your plant beds mulched by a professional will help ensure that the mulch is installed properly. Mulching is also a labor-intensive job that a lot of homeowners don’t want to deal with. By having your mulch installed by a professional, you won’t have to deal with any of the hassles.
A common enhancement job for us is upgrading “builder grade” plant beds with better plant material. Contractors who are quickly putting in as much new construction as they can are known for plopping in some standard plant beds with the most basic plant material. But there are so many wonderful options for plants that thrive in our area. You shouldn’t feel stuck with what you were given.
There’s a big trend toward using native plant material these days, and for good reason. Native plant material will naturally survive in our climate with decreased watering needs. In other words, they’ll look great without a lot of care.
The landscaping in your backyard is less about overall curb appeal and more about personal enjoyment. You and your family are the ones who regularly spend time in your backyard, plus those guests that you choose to invite over.
Here are a couple of enhancement-related landscaping ideas for backyards.
We are getting a lot of requests for low maintenance landscapes and it’s no surprise why. The watering needs for our climate can be intense. But adding various ground cover plants is a great option that reduces the burden of your landscape maintenance. Not only is it easy to care for, but ground cover can really add some nice color and texture to your property in the place of plant beds with flowers or lots of turf areas, both of which will require more care, including a lot of water.
Since the backyard often has a lot more “space to fill,” we’re suggesting ground cover among the landscaping ideas for backyards. But there is no reason why it can’t also be used in the front, particularly if you have a sloping hillside there.
Also in the spirit of going low maintenance, we’re seeing increasing interest in using rocks and large boulders to a property to add interest and texture, without having maintenance needs.
Some homeowners are considering “rock gardens” in place of plant beds with flowers. It fills space in an attractive way but doesn’t have any watering needs. Many homeowners see that as a major win.
Sometimes homeowners think of small to mid-level size projects as something they can go the “DIY route.” But when push comes to shove, do you really have the time or desire to get involved in a landscaping project? Your weekends are likely already busy and the last thing you want to do is fill them with work.
Not only that but oftentimes these projects are more involved than homeowners realize. They might assume that performing some mulching or installing some flowers is a simple task but once they get into it, they may start to wish they’d just left it up to a pro. Not only can these types of projects be labor-intensive but they can require a bit more know-how than some may think. For instance, knowing which plant varieties will perform best in your landscape or how to prep your plant bed before laying mulch, may be more than the average homeowner understands.
This is why choosing a landscape professional to handle these tasks for you may be your best choice.
We understand that you have better things to do with your time than getting involved in a landscaping project. By making the wise choice to work with a pro, you can sit back and relax while you watch your beautiful new landscape take shape.
Image Source: vinca minor
