Attributed to both Oscar Wilde and to Will Rogers the old adage “you never get a second change to make a first impression” are landscape words to live by.
If you are planning on listing your home for sale consider the entire context of your home: your outbuildings, property garden beds and the larger landscape and make a plan to ensure it’s in tip top shape.
“If you are selling and you want to maximize the value of your property the first and more important thing is clean, neat and tidy and appears to be well kept,” said Thomas Hebel, president and landscape designer at Bucks Country Gardens in Doylestown.
“In many cases that may mean you’ll remove rather than add” plantings and plant material, he said.
It goes without saying regular lawn mowing, trimming, sweeping up and removing dead material should be on everyone’s seasonal maintenance “to do” list, but what do you do about aging shrubs and trees?
Hebel recommends removing anything in the landscape that is unsightly, and keep the 25-year rule of thumb in mind when it comes to older foundation plantings and their longevity.
“At 25 years, this means things may no longer be in scale with the home,” he said.
Common signs include overgrown plant material that is packed too tightly against sidewalks, plants that overtake windows or curbs and should be pruned or cut back. If the plantings are 25 years or older — and not in good health — consider removing them.
“A typical foundation planting is expected to survive and do well for about 25 years. If your plantings are more than 25 years old, it’s rare they’d be in acceptable condition,” Hebel explained.
Many trees are outside the 25-year-old maxim, especially species that are slow growing and may live for centuries or have other significance or aesthetic value.
“Large trees that are part of the landscape — if they were there before you built the house — and are not dangerous or a maintenance nightmare can be fine” in the landscape, he said.
For tree problems contact a professional arborist for evaluation and recommendations.
Whether you’re thinking about listing your home for sale or not, containers are a terrific, quick and easy way to add seasonal color and interest to the landscape, and they’re not limited to patios, porches or decks.
“Containers don’t have to be flowers, they can be evergreen plants, too,” Hebel said.
If you do choose to add in-ground landscaping, he suggests concentrating on the area around the front door.
Stick with lower maintenance plants and shrubs that should appeal to prospective home buyers like boxwoods. Other plantings include azaleas, roses, evergreens and hostas, according to BobVilla.com.
“You don’t want to create a negative style look. Style is personal, and people have completely different options about how they appreciate or do not (appreciate) landscape installations,” Hebel explained.
Visit local garden and nursery centers, and talk to local experts, too.
“Most (nursery) folks have personal experience with the plants they are talking about,” he said.
For those who enjoy minimal low-maintenance landscapes there are many plants, perennial and shrub types to consider that won’t require endless time spend caring for your yard.
When reviewing landscape additions Hebel recommends asking yourself these questions:
• Do you enjoy being in the outdoors and in the garden or is most of your outdoor time spent on a patio or deck?
• What kind of investment — time, money and care — are you willing to make?
• Do you have children in the household and are you looking for experiences to share with them? “Today’s young family gardens include edibles. Raised beds and containers are the hottest thing out there right now” and vegetables and herbs do well in them, Hebel said.
Gardening together can create meaningful and long-lasting experiences with youngsters.
“And adults can get outside and enjoy planting and harvesting herbs and vegetables, too,” Hebel said.
For beginners, he recommends selecting easy-to-grow plants to start and set realistic expectations. A new gardener’s landscape will not look the same as a master or lifelong gardener’s, nor will a professionally groomed and cared—for garden. That’s okay.
“We’re talking about a living, breathing element in plants. There is bound to be some stumbling along the way. Not everything will grow the way you thought, or taste the way you envisioned it would. Embrace the effort because the reward is in the process,” Hebel said.
Even the most seasoned gardener is excited to begin planting onions and peas in April and may become fatigued by the season’s end.
That doesn’t mean you should throw in the trowel.
“Our interest can wane as the season goes on. Everyone is excited in April and May, but not so many remain excited in July or August,” he said.
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