A beautiful lawn can be an excellent status symbol. One that includes a perfectly manicured lawn and expertly trimmed hedges creates a fabulous sense of confidence because you know your property has to be one of the most attractive on the block.
But because it might seem like no more than a cosmetic feature, some homeowners skip landscaping. They regard it as an unnecessary expense when they can simply mow the lawn and plant flowers themselves.
As a result, people incorporate DIY improvements that may not achieve the quality or professionalism of solid landscape design. If you’re thinking of bypassing landscaping, you should recognize what’s at stake.
Landscaping entails much more than just appearance. It’s integral to maintaining your property and keeping everything running smoothly. Professional landscaping can save you from enormous repair and maintenance costs in the future.
Here are some of the most important reasons to landscape your property.
1. Nature Preservation
Global awareness of environmental preservation is growing steadily. Traditional property designs that left trees and plants out of the picture are disappearing as everyone seeks to enjoy more nature in their surroundings.
Even residents of high-rise apartments find ways to bring greenery into their living environment. Landscaping is one of the best ways to enclose your home with nature. You can preserve native foliage and plants around the structures. Flora may fit organically into your yard space where it can grow unimpeded.
You could include hardscaping, with pathways and patio flooring, but these elements won’t outshine greenery. These will be more for helping you to enjoy your personal nature preserve. Together, plants and hardscaping create a good balance for both look and function.
2. Positive Environmental Impact
As you strive to expand the role of nature in your back yard, think about your impact on the environment. When you allow grass, trees, flowers, and other plants to grow in your yard, you’re contributing to a much healthier atmosphere, especially if you reside in a highly populated area.
The plants are good for the soil, air, and water, and you can plan the design so it conserves these resources as well. Temperatures may be rising in many locales as a result of climate change, but landscaping can lower your summer air temperatures locally.
The EPA reports that trees in one’s backyard may reduce temperatures inside the home by as much as 40 degrees. Your use of electricity and other non-renewable resources will fall, and you’ll be able to reduce your overall carbon footprint.
3. Promotion of Economic Development
One study on the utility of landscaping showed that community relations were actually stronger when members of a neighborhood landscaped. “Residents who participated in a tree-planting program in their low-income neighborhood in Oakland, California, reported feeling a stronger sense of community, enhanced communication with neighbors, and more control over their environment,” the study reported.
As a result, the neighborhood became more of a place where people wanted to live. Home values can rise at an average of 8 percent, jobs come to town, and communities rise in affluence over time. Satisfaction in these areas of with individual residences climbs as well.
Crime rates decrease and tourism rises. Statistically, the economy improves when there’s a strong community focus on landscaping.
4. Higher Quality of Living
Other than supporting the basic need for shelter, landscaping increases comfort and livability. It generates a cozy ambiance that adds to the beauty of the home’s exterior and even interior. People who have a vacation spot in their backyard tend to feel happier and more content indoors as well.
What’s more, being surrounded by plants has been shown to improve mental health. Study after study indicates that greenery improves concentration and memory, boosts educational performance in children, generates a sense of happiness, promotes health and recreation, accelerates healing, reduces stress, and stimulates energy.
“Beautiful natural landscapes not only improve the aesthetics of the community, they also affect residents’ perceived quality of life,” a study from Phipps Botanical Gardens and Conservatory revealed. “People associate living in areas with a great deal of natural beauty with a higher quality of life.”
5. Security from Trespassers
Certain landscaping features can serve as deterrents to burglars and trespassers. A tall stone wall that surrounds your property is not only challenging to climb, but it raises the chances that a trespasser will be spotted. He’s less likely even to attempt a burglary.
You also enjoy more privacy. Walls, trees, trellises, ivy-covered pergolas, and other elements can reduce visibility to outsiders. People can’t spy on you as you spend time with your family in the back yard. This too can lead to greater peace of mind for the homeowner.
6. Preventing Plant Overgrowth and Home Damage
Many homeowners don’t realize the potential threat of tree and bush roots that grow beneath the ground. When left untrimmed and unchecked, roots can do serious damage to a home’s foundation.
They can penetrate the concrete and cause cracks and shifting that undermine the structural integrity of the house. Roots can also get into the plumbing and cause severe clogs. They can damage the main line and cost you thousands in necessary repairs.
Overgrowth around your home can threaten structural integrity, too. Branches can find their way into window seals and your siding. Again, you could be looking at thousands in repairs.
With landscaping, you can minimize the impact on your home by trimming roots and branches to prevent overgrowth. If you don’t pay the small, planned cost for landscaping now, you’re more likely to pay a huge, unplanned sum for repairs later on.
7. More Functional Outdoor Environment
Owning property is a sign of prosperity, but that’s all it is if you don’t maximize every inch of your property to its fullest potential. With landscaping, you can create a complete outdoor living space.
The goal is to create a place that’s comfortable and has a great ambiance. When your grass and flower beds are overgrown with weeds and tall blades, it’s harder to feel relaxed and comfortable in the space.
Also, you can imagine what hardscaping with seats and amenities such as a fire pit can do to make the space more inviting. With a great landscape design, you can incorporate a patio, deck, pavers, and other attractive elements that form an outdoor living room.
Contact Proactive Landscaping Today!
By now, we hope you have a better sense of the potential appeal of good landscaping, whether you focus on a better yard design or increased functionality. Proactive Landscaping can help you plan the functional and striking yard of your dreams.
For more information about our services, contact us today!
