Updating Your Curb Appeal
I don’t often write about landscaping, but I sincerely feel that it is a big part of your home’s design. If you haven’t thought about updating your curb appeal lately, then I encourage you do so now. Go out in front of your house, step back from it, far enough away so you get a “first” glance at your home. Close your eyes for 10 seconds, then open them and see your home as if your were driving by for the first time. How is the curb appeal? Does it look neat, inviting, and like you would want to buy your house all over again?
If you would like to do a DIY update, then here are some tips from Better Homes and Garden, September 2017 issue, from an article, “Cutting Edge, Guide to Garden Style” by Diana Dickinson and James A. Baggett with Photos by Marty Baldwin.
Go Big! Oversized foliage
…e.g. Hostas – the Empress Wu has 2 foot long leaves. This and other giant foilages are great attention grabbers. Another one is Petasites Japonicus is a low growing perennial and prefers moist soils and full to part shade. These and others have a great impact and dimension to your yard. You must mange these, but are easy to do. Planting these giants gives a great dimension to yards that suffer from “everything is the same size”
Container and Shades of Gray
A current trend is to have several shades of gray. Your hardscape should be in concrete, slate and granite. Containers should also be in gray but lighter materials, such as resins and fiber stone for pits and containers. Why gray? Because it plays up the greenery in them and around them.
If you are willing to go to the “cutting edge”, try replacing your manicured lawn with something that is shaggy, green and easy-peasy to care for such as drought tolerant edges. It is like walking through shaggy grassy lawn.
Wetherproof Patio Furniture
Ikea has joined the club and you can buy a weatherproof eco-friendly patio chair for about $100. It is called the Mastholmen chair. I am currently in love with bamboo / rattan furniture. I just bought two chairs in this style for my living room.
Whatever you decide is right for the style of your home, you owe it to walk across the street, close your eyes for 10 seconds and then open them. You will see what needs to be done to update and spruce up your curb appeal.
