If you've ever looked at houses for sale you have probably noticed how many homes are bland and characterless, particularly if they've been built en masse by contractors building entire neighbourhoods or are hold-overs from the 1970s. There are a variety of ways that you can add some charm and character to the outside of your home to make it more appealing for yourself or to buyers.
This particular spot with its nice view and higher elevation, would make a perfect retreat. We took her advice, and proceeded to set this spot aside from the rest of the lawn by creating a floral hedge. We extended our rock path to weave through this area and poured gravel. Finally, we added a concrete bench, birdbath and some planters. Now we had a secluded spot to escape with our morning coffee and enjoy the view.
If your yard is very steep, it is best if you don't have to trim grass or weed flower beds on the slope; try to choose plants that can survive well without outside interference. If your yard has marshy soil, you can plant water-loving plants or increase the drainage around the perimeter of your home or yard.
Visit the neighbors and ask them what they think if the tree house will be within their sight. Many people won't care at all what you do in your own yard, but will appreciate the gesture. If they do object, see what you can do to alleviate their concerns or the problems that they have. If you have a plan for an attractive, planned structure, it will be a lot easier to pass by the neighbors than a haphazard collection of boards and nails.
Your fountain runs off of electricity, so choose a location within reach of an outlet. Begin with a waterproof container or hole with plastic liner. This could also be as simple as a large, decorative, waterproof planter, an old cast urn or a plastic tote dug into the ground and placed on a light bed of gravel. Also dig a small trench to the nearest outlet to run some PVC pipe to carry your electrical cord to the outlet.
My gardens have always been described as whimsical. That is a nice way to say there is no order to them. Flowers are here, there and everywhere with no particular color scheme, and although attractive, they don't have the eye catching appeal of a formal garden.
If you are looking for nice rich soil fairly quickly, it’s best to use a method called active composting where you pay attention to the ratio of carbon to nitrogen in your compost and turn it regularly; this system is more labour intensive and requires more know-how to get a good result.
Food prices can be significantly offset by a well-stocked garden, allowing the home owner to spend their food budget on more expensive/higher quality items that they could not afford otherwise. A vegetable garden can be dug and planted for pennies. Surplus produce can be sold or traded at local farmer's markets. An already-dug and planted garden can make your potential buyers see your property as a money savings.
Sculptures no longer have to be limited to stone or marble, but may include metal, foliage, such as a topiary, resin, or even ornate benches. A carefully placed birdbath provides not only a source of enjoyment from watching the birds flit about, but can be quite the eyecatcher. Situated among a sea of wildflowers or in a lush garden setting, that birdbath now becomes a form of artistic expression.
The other major choice in backyard lighting is that of energy sources. If you want your lights to come on automatically when darkness falls and you don't want to have to pay for the electricity to run the lights, solar lighting may be just what you need. Most solar systems work well even when the days are overcast as well.
Under no circumstances should you waste money and time on tidying the beds, weeding or even dumping some mulch to make things look better. The more forlorn and dead your flora looks, the less likely people will admire it or want to think of it as their own. Bonus points for any dead and decaying plants.
This environmentally-friendly way of conditioning your soil is both free and highly rewarding. If you keep a compost bin in the kitchen to gather organic waste, make sure that you use a charcoal filter to eliminate nasty odors. Prevent hungry pests from getting into the compost in your garden by fitting a secure lid to your composting bin.
During spring and summer plenty of bright, scented flowers should attract dazzling butterflies and hummingbirds. Evergreen shrubbery and small trees will create safe feeding and roosting areas for a host of wild birds all year round.
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