Considering a makeover?
Here are some tips from the landscaping experts we talked to on increasing the curb appeal of your home.
m Simplify. “If you have a lot of tiny plants, the landscape may need to be scaled down,” says landscape architect and author Billy Goodnick. “The view may need to be simpler with bigger masses of plants and fewer types of plants. You don’t want it to look like it’s too busy and too much work to maintain.” On the opposite end of the spectrum, he says that oversize plants may work against you, too, and you may need to remove some, especially those that obscure the windows or walkway. “You want big plants to frame, not obscure, the house.”
m Check out the view. Cross the street and take a good, hard look at your front landscape to see what plants may be overwhelming the house. Try to view it as a first-time visitor would. “Now, as people do much of their home shopping online through Zillow or Realtor.com, viewing the property’s front or foundation landscape is the initial green or red light for a buyer,” says landscape architect Deirdre Toner.
m Remake your beds. Does the landscaping reflect the style of your home? “If you have a modern house that’s very linear, you’d want the bed lines to mimic the house [with] more architectural plants — vertical grasses, for example,” says landscape designer Diane Smith. “Bed lines [the edges that meet the lawn] should be simple and clean, and the beds spacious enough for plants with room for them to grow.”
m Eye candy. “Color is important,” Smith says. “The home landscape should embrace the seasons — bulbs in spring, flowering shrubs, long-blooming perennials. It’s nice to try and get something blooming from spring through fall.”