5 LANDSCAPE UPGRADES ANYONE CAN DO
Landscaping your yard can be pretty intimidating for a variety of reasons. It seems like lots of the common landscaping jobs we think about are big undertakings that require lots of money, manpower, and skill.
But that’s not always the case. There are plenty of little landscaping jobs that anyone can tackle that will have a huge impact on the overall curb appeal and potential value of your home and yard.
Here are 5 of our favorite easy-to-DIY landscape upgrades in Indianapolis.
1. Start a lawn care program. Unless you live in a condo where lawn care is covered, you’re probably going to have to take care of the lawn anyway. Implementing a simple lawn care program has a huge impact on your yard’s aesthetic appearance. A lawn care program should involve aerating the lawn once a year, in spring or fall, along with dethatching to help loosen compacted soil and remove dead grass that’s impeding growth. Fertilizing up to 4 times a year (early spring, late spring, mid-summer, and late fall) will help suppress weeds and support strong grass roots. One last lawn trick that has a huge impact: edging your lawn! Simply cutting your lawn edges back from creeping over the edges of sidewalks, driveways, and pathways really make the whole yard look tidier and well-kept.
2. Prune your existing trees and shrubs. Pruning is not as scary as it may seem. A simple cleanup of the dead, dying, or diseased branches in shrubs and trees makes them look so much better, and will encourage new growth. Pruning is usually best done in the early spring, but if you’re a little nervous about it, come have a chat with our staff at our garden center. We can help you figure out the best time and the best way to prune your particular trees and shrubs.
3. Freshen up your fence, deck, and sidewalks. Nothing makes a home look more sad and tired than a deck or driveway with old peeling paint, sagging sections, or noticeable stains. A pressure washer, which you can rent for just a few hours, makes short work of removing old paint from decking and cleaning up stains on cement driveways and sidewalks. We don’t recommend re-painting your decking since paint tends to chip and peel in just a few years. However, you can stain it a color that will fade slowly. Fixing up sagging areas with a hammer and some nails shouldn’t take too long.
4. Plant a tree or shrub. Adding trees and shrubs to your yard not only adds visual interest, but it also adds value to your home and can have a positive impact on your energy bills once they reach maturity. Planting a nice ornamental tree or a classic evergreen is a pretty simple task. Our staff at the garden center can help you pick out a tree or shrub that’s perfectly suited for your yard, and tell you just how to plant and care for it so that it will grow successfully.
5. Plant some perennials. This is possibly one of the easiest and most impactful landscape upgrades. There are plenty of native perennials that are super easy to plant, grow and bloom profusely here in Indianapolis, and require almost zero maintenance. Every yard, and all our pollinators, can benefit from a few nicely placed flower plants. Perennials like coneflower bloom all summer long and you don’t have to do anything but plant them once. Bulbs like Allium are striking and eye-catching all year long, even through the winter. Sedums are drought-tolerant, spread on their own to fill spaces, and add a unique look to your yard.
Are you ready to make a few easy but impactful landscaping upgrades in your yard? We’ll help you get started. At our garden center, we’ve got all the tools you need and plenty of friendly tips and advice to make your landscaping projects as easy and successful as possible.