Home Landscaping
(Page 2 of 10)
August/September 1999
By Mort Mather
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We want our grounds to provide a good living environment. It is an environment we pass through a couple of times a day or more as we come and go. We probably want to spend some time just sitting in this self-made environment. It's what we see every time we look out our windows. If there is a long view from our property, we probably want to keep it open or perhaps to frame it. Or we may want to close off the long view and create a new view of our own.
It is important for most businesses to be attractive to other people. The public face we put on our homes, on the other hand, is more a matter of individual preference. Still, the way we present our homes to public view will, inevitably, reflect something about ourselves. The best clue as to how your home should look to passers-by is how well it will fit in with the neighborhood. If your vision is vastly different from your neighbors, you are probably in the wrong neighborhood.
Which brings us back to increasing the value of your property. Creating an anomaly in a neighborhood will not increase value. If all the houses on your block have neat lawns and you put in a rock garden with a waterfall, your neighbors will talk and potential buyers will in the future shy away. Consider the same neighborhood with no trees. The right tree, well placed, would probably increase the value of the property.
Assessment
Landscaping begins with an assessment of what is already there. Make a diagram of the area. If it is a house lot, the boundaries are set and easily measured to prepare a scale drawing. Our house is 20 feet from the road and otherwise essentially unrestricted by lot lines. The "landscaped" area covers about 100 feet in one direction, which includes the vegetable garden, 50 feet in the other, which includes our parking area, and 25 feet at the back of the house.
What already exists on your land? Draw in buildings, driveways, walkways, utility poles, trees and shrubs. Is the contour of the land going to be a factor in planning? Check out the air space. Are there any wires? Note them on the plan. Are there any shadows cast from trees or buildings on neighboring properties?
What is the soil like? A new house is likely to be surrounded by porous fill covered with an inch of topsoil. Ledge outcroppings or lots of rocks may cry out for a rock garden, while clay might suggest a small pond. A weeping willow will thrive in a soggy soil and actually soak up much of the moisture. A well-drained sandy soil may realistically be limited to desert type plants. The range of plants that can be grown in any soil is widened with the incorporation of organic matter and its decomposed end product, humus. Humus soaks up moisture for release when plants need it. It creates spaces between the tiny particles of clay and fills in the spaces between the larger particles of sand. Whatever type of soil you have, it can be improved. However, give consideration to what is there because working with what you have rather than trying to impose your will is easier, and I always think that easier is better.
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