Whether you are looking to ramp up your curb appeal, enjoy some fresh vegetables, or just have a beautiful space to enjoy, planting a garden is a good move. More buyers want move-in-ready houses, meaning they prefer a house with an established garden. Many people today are turning to home gardening as a means of acquiring fresh produce in the summer months. Having interesting and well manicured landscaping and flower gardens enhance the natural beauty of the property and add value to the overall asking price. Take a look at these tips to create a beautiful garden in your home.
Vegetable Gardens
A garden that is well set up and ready to be used will appeal to those who have an interest in starting or who are first learning how to grow produce.
- Like all things in real estate it’s all about location, location, location! You need to find a location that’s perfect for the vegetables you are growing. For example, a tomato plant needs rich soil with plenty of sunshine so if you have a shaded or soggy spot it will likely die. You’ll also want to consider convenience and aesthetics. Vegetables should be near the house for easy picking. If the only sunny spot you have means you’ll have to dig up the middle of your backyard, you will need to reconsider having a garden.
- You get what you pay for in tools. You need to make sure that you get a heavy duty shovel that will stand up to roots and stems. Get tips and suggestions at the store or from a gardening expert to make sure you have all the quality tools for your particular yard.
- Believe it or not, planting a vegetable garden is a lot like staging a home. You have to start with the bare bones, in this case perfect soil with no weeds or rocks standing in your way. Dig up a spade-deep layer of dirt, place it on a tarp, and remove any roots, stems or rocks. Dig and loosen another layer of soil, and return the top layer along with well-rotted compost and topsoil. If you have more time and want less manually labor, try smothering the grass with cardboard and newspaper, before topping that with compost and topsoil. Don’t skip on the compost because your plants will need the organic material for nutrients.
- Don’t just watch the weeds. Keep up on it and make sure they get removed as soon as visible to keep them from attacking your vegetables, cancelling out all the hard work you have done. Irrigate only when necessary, and fertilize with an organic product according to label instructions.
Flower Gardens
Adding flower gardens to the landscaping of a property will positively affect the overall appeal and potential selling price of a home.
- If you are starting from seeds you can save money and select more unusual varieties. Since some seeds transplant poorly, check the packet and make sure you don’t have to sow directly in the ground. Start seeds in trays, pots or in coir pots, using a seedling mixture, place them in a sunny spot, and transplant as soon as they have developed sturdy stems. Nursery-grown bedding plants give you instant gratification, but the short time between purchase and planting is crucial to their survival. Be sure to take them straight home (other errands will have to wait) and water them as soon as you get them home.
- If you plan to replace or change the plants every year, select annuals. Select perennials for a more long term look. Evergreen shrubs or ornamental grasses can provide structure and year-round interest. For a lot of ground cover, select spreading plants. Don’t forget to plan for the final height of the plant. Low-growing flowers and annuals that are changed yearly should be kept to the front so they are easily visible and accessible.
- Follow the guidelines on the seed packet or plant tag as closely as possible. It may not seem like they need that much space, but the root system will need lots of room to grow. When planting transplants and nursery plants, always place them so that their crowns (where the plant meets the soil) are level with the soil in the bed. If the crown is above the soil level, the plant may dry out when soil washes away from the roots. If planted too low, soil will settle around the crown and rot the plant. Finish it off with mulch to keep the moisture in and weeds out.
- Don’t forget the edging. It may be tempting to purchase a cheaper, plastic edging, but don’t forget you get what you pay for. Brick, concrete or stone dug into a small trench is the best solution for longevity and easier mowing, trimming and maintenance.
It’s a lot of work to create a garden, but the good news is that if you do it right the first time, gardening will only get easier in time. It will also only add value and curb appeal to your home. For more tips and tricks, call Helen today at 847.967.0022 or email [email protected].
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