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Which Outdoor Landscaping Improvements Will Increase the Resale Value of My Home?

Which Outdoor Landscaping Improvements Will Increase the Resale Value of My Home?

The housing marking in Kansas City is hot right now. Homes are selling for higher prices and showings abound as soon as a new property hits the market. But what if you’re not ready to sell right now? What if you’d rather stay in your place a bit longer and make improvements that will increase the resale value even more?

If that’s you, read on to learn about some outdoor improvements can increase the resale value of your home once you are ready to sell.

Your Outdoor Landscaping Matters Most

Not surprisingly, Consumer Reports says that improving your landscaping is the number one way to increase the resale value of your home. Zillow even says that adding the word “landscaping” to your sale listing can add 2.7% or more to the sale price.

Why? Curb appeal! Your front lawn and whatever features it includes, whether that’s shrubbery, a flower bed, or something bigger like a water feature, give a potential buyer a first impression. And that first impression can’t be changed. When your lawn and landscape is well-maintained and attractive, a potential buyer will think that the inside of your home is also well-maintained, tidy, and attractive.

Of course, we’d recommend working with a landscape architect or landscaping firm to make sure your outdoor space is ready for potential buyers. But if you choose to do the work yourself, focusing on a few key things will give you the best return. One of those things is to mulch with dark-brown or black mulch. You should also mow your grass to the appropriate height. Another important task is to trim foundation hedges so that first-floor windows are clear.

Think About Your Outdoor Landscaping Lighting

Adding new or improved lighting to the outside of your home can have a dramatic effect on your resale efforts. According to Zillow, listings that included the words “outdoor lighting” sold 3.1 days faster and for 1.6% more than other homes (on average).

We specialize in outdoor lighting and would welcome the chance to help. But if you’re DIYing your way through selling your home, there are a few things you can consider first. Those include path lighting, spotlight lights, or solar options to make the most of your efforts.

Making the Most of Your Outdoor Space

If you have an outdoor living area like a patio or deck, an outdoor kitchen, or a fire or water feature, be sure that those areas are working and staged. It’s important to show potential buyers how the space is intended to be used. But it’s also important to keep your personal “stuff” out of that space. Too many personal touches, like personalized decorations, can work against you by making it difficult for potential buyers to see themselves using the space.

If you’re working with a team on the sale of your house, we’d love to be part of it. Reach out for a consultation or a discussion to see how we can help you net more when you sell your home.

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Organic Pest Control Options for Your Johnson County, Kansas Lawn and Landscape

Kansas Lawn and Landscape

Organic Pest Control Options for Your Johnson County, Kansas Lawn and Landscape

Deciding which options are best for controlling pests in your lawn and landscape can be tricky. Should you opt for all-natural options or chemical intervention? Perhaps a mix would work best for your particular space. If you’re curious about whether or not organic options might work for your lawn, garden, or landscape, keep reading.

Determine Which Pests You Need to Control

Keeping pests in check in your outdoor space is different, of course, than mitigating pests in your home. When we’re looking at controlling pests in the outdoors, the ideal is very rarely to eliminate pests altogether, like it might be inside your home. Rather, the ideal is more often to create a space that fosters the good critters and keeps the ones that cause harm out of your space.

To that end, it’s important to know which pests cause the most havoc in the Kansas City area. That list includes ants, clover mites, chiggers, crickets, grasshoppers, mosquitoes, and ticks. For more detailed information on all of these pests and more, visit the K-State Extension office page here.

Remember: Organic Doesn’t Mean Homemade

It might seem natural to think that organic options for pest control can be made with ingredients you might already have in your pantry. But this is untrue. Organic pest control options aren’t homemade potions. Rather, they are treatments that are derived from natural matter. That might include greenery or living matter—like seaweed or bone, for example.

This means that there are organic options on the shelves right next to chemical pesticides, should you choose to go the DIY route. Be sure to read the labels and perform your due diligence to ensure that the pest control options, even though organic, are safe for the humans and pets in your family.

Making the Choice: Organic or Conventional Pesticides

Determining which pest control option is best for you and your outdoor space can include considerations that only professionals know, such as how each option has performed over time and what, if any, long-term effects those options have caused.

Because we’ve worked on countless lawn and landscapes in Olathe and Johnson County, we know how every pest control option affects both your space and the community as a whole. If you’d like to learn more or have help determining how to make your space the best it can be, we’d love to work with you. Please reach out if we can offer options or assistance.

 

 

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How to Maximize Privacy Through Landscaping

Maximize Privacy Through Landscaping

Maximizing Privacy Through Landscaping

The idea of a wide-open space filled with elements you love might seem like the perfect set-up. That is, until you remember that you live close to others and value your privacy. Luckily, you can use a few landscaping tips to have the best of both worlds.

Landscaping Tips to Maximize Privacy

It’s easiest, of course, to achieve this goal if you are just starting on your outdoor space. This means you can plan for privacy by planting a row of trees, for example, or by installing a retaining wall that doubles as a privacy fence.

If you are remodeling, this is an option too. Sit down and talk with your family and with your landscape expert about what you love about your current space and what you’d like to change. Where, exactly, do you need privacy? Is it for the entire yard, or just for a particular area? Do you want to block sightlines into the space, or remove your neighbor’s ability to see into your windows?

Knowing exactly what—and where—privacy is most important to you will help you determine which elements will work best going forward.

Using Trees and Shrubs for Privacy

An obvious way to make your space more private is to install natural elements that impede an outsider’s view or access. This might be a row of shrubs that obstruct a clear view into a window or a line of trees that prevent people from crossing your property line.

You can also use non-living elements to achieve the same goal. Consider building a privacy panel with additional sheets of lattice or a privacy wall that mimics a fence, but shields a seating area from prying eyes.

Keep Your Privacy: The Landscaping Options are Endless

Truth is, creating privacy in your outdoor space can be an endeavor that is just as individual as you are. You can use living elements like trees, bushes, or vine-covered fences. You can build a pergola that you outfit with drapery that can be opened and closed whenever you want. Or, you might build a huge water element that faces into your space and blocks your neighbors’ views. The options truly are endless.

The trick is deciding which elements you love and then incorporating them in a way that brings you just the amount of privacy you want. We’d love to work with you on a project like that, so please reach out if we can offer options or assistance.

 

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The Best Drainage Options for Your Lawn and Landscape

Drainage Options for Your Lawn

The Best Drainage Options for Your Lawn and Landscape

We all know the saying: April showers bring May flowers. While it’s always exciting to see the colors and beautiful flower beds of Spring, there’s another vital element to be aware of to keep your lawn and landscape healthy. That element is drainage and how improper or inadequate drainage can cause harm.

Why Is Proper Drainage Important?

There are several reasons proper drainage matters when it comes to your outdoor space. One of the most important reasons is soil erosion. If your space does not have proper drainage, the risk of water runoff is high—and when there’s runoff, there’s a risk of soil erosion.

That might not seem like a big deal until you realize that soil erosion can cause foundation issues for your home, which can be dangerous and expensive. Erosion can also harm the health of your lawn and ruin the landscaping you’ve worked so hard to install.

What is erosion? Erosion is what happens when water carries your landscape away. Think about a Spring rainstorm and how the water can flow down a street in search of the gutter. If you watch, you’ll see it brings any debris and litter with it. The same is true in your yard: runoff can pick up and carry away soil. This means all your hard work will be gone. Left over time, erosion can become a substantial problem, not just for your lawn, but for your home.

Fix Erosion with Proper Drainage

The way to stem this troublesome erosion is to ensure that you have proper drainage. There are basically two types of drainage: surface systems and subsurface  systems.

Surface draining systems are options that are on the surface of the ground. They use the power of gravity to pull excess rainfall away from places it might cause harm. Subsurface draining systems are underground but work in a similar way.

Types of Drainage: Surface and Subsurface Options

An example of a surface drain is called a channel drain (which is also sometimes called a trench drain). This type of drain moves water through an underground drainage system—picture the gutters on your home, but used in your yard instead. Channel drains can be used wherever you need to direct overflow to a different area.

An example of a subsurface drain is called a French drain. If you’ve seen a rain barrel, you already have an idea of how a French drain works: excess water is collected and held so it can seep slowly into the ground. The difference is that a French drain is installed in the ground and often includes different layers that help filter impurities out of the water. It also has small holes that allow the water to seep into the ground slowly, while a rain barrel is an enclosed system that requires a spout and/or hose to extract water manually.

The type of drain—or types, depending on your particular space and needs—can be trick to determine and install, but we’re here to help. To learn more, visit our projects page or give us a call. We’d love to work with you.

By Lisa Allen Landscape • • • • • • • 0 Comments

Attracting Butterflies and Birds to Your Landscape

The best, most successful lawns and landscapes are the result of a partnership between you and your landscape professionals. Why? Because from the planning stage to the maintenance stage, working together to create, plant, and maintain an outdoor space you love will be a combination of one-time events (like building a waterfall centerpiece in a backyard garden, for example) and daily habits (like watering your flower beds at the right times, so they continue to thrive).

There’s a third party that plays a vital role in the health and vitality of your outdoor space, as well: nature itself. This is especially true if you want your lawn and garden to be filled with butterflies and birds. Read on to learn why.

Why Attract Butterflies and Birds to your Landscape?

Butterflies and birds aren’t just beautiful and fun to observe. Both can fulfill a vital role in keeping your outdoor space healthy. They do this by feeding on the nectar of various flowers and plants. When they feed, they also help pollinate, which helps flowers and even some vegetable gardens thrive.

Hummingbirds and bees, especially, are crucial to the pollination of various plants and flowers. By providing a space that’s safe for them to land and feed, you’re ensuring that pollination will continue to happen—and that your outdoor space, by extension, will continue to grow.

The Perfect Pollination Spaces

Birds and butterflies need flowers and plants that provide nectar. In the Kansas City and Johnson County area, native nectar plants include rose verbena, columbines, bee balms, milkweeds, clovers, and Indigo Bush.

These plants need lots of sunlight to bloom and survive, so be sure to plan a space that gets full sun from mid-morning to afternoon. A sunny spot is also important for butterflies, because butterflies are cold-blooded and require the sun’s heat to survive.

Make Your Landscape a Home for the Caterpillars

While butterflies are beautiful, their life span is surprisingly short. In fact the average life span of an adult butterfly is two weeks or less. This means that if you want to truly make your outdoor space—or a portion of it—home to butterflies, you must also make it a home to the baby version of butterflies: caterpillars.

In a perfect world, an adult butterfly will lay her eggs on a host plant—and that plant isn’t a flower. In fact, the only food for Monarch butterflies is Milkweed. Black Swallowtails feed on members of the carrot family (think Queen Anne’s Lace, fennel, parsley, and Golden Alexanders).

Want to learn more about creating an outdoor space that perfectly suits you and your family? We’re ready and eager  to work with you—so get in touch today!

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Environmentally Friendly Landscaping Practices

Do you ever wonder if you’re doing the right things to be environmentally friendly as you create your perfect outdoor space? It can be confusing to know which products and practices actually help, rather than harm, the environment. Working with a landscaping architect is a great first step if this is one of your goals. We can help you understand what steps are necessary to make your space as environmentally friendly as possible while still achieving your goals. Projects like building a retaining wall to help stop soil erosion or creating a rain garden make the most of native grasses can just as much of a benefit to the community at large as it can be to your outdoor space.

But it can be difficult to sift through the myriad products on the shelves—and without a degree in chemistry or horticulture, much of it can sound like word soup. This post aims to provide some basic starting information and remember: we’re always here to help, no matter what project you have in mind.

Easy Landscaping Steps to Help the Environment

One of the easiest things you can do if your goal is to benefit the environment is to leave grass clippings on your lawn after you mow. Why? Because clippings are basically green debris, which is another way of saying that it’s nature’s fertilizer. Grass clippings contain nitrogen—one of the main ingredients in chemical fertilizer. By leaving clippings on the ground rather than bagging and disposing of them, you let nature work in its own way to nourish your soil.

You can also choose to compost clippings rather than dispose of them. This is true of most lawn and garden debris. If you don’t compost at home, most communities provide where residents can bring lawn waste to be turned into either mulch or compost. In Olathe, for instance, there is a compost facility drop-off location. Just load up your bags of lawn waste and drop it off at the designated location. The city then turns that waste into either compost or mulch, both of which residents can pick up for free.

Keep Your Landscaping Native

Another easy way to be environmentally friendly is to choose native plants and grasses for your gardens. Native plants and grasses are simply those that flourish in our particular climate and soil conditions, which means they need less chemical help than non-native plants to flourish.

Native plants and grasses are important to rain gardens and to nurturing a home for birds, butterflies, and other beneficial insects. Learn more about native plants and grasses and how they benefit rain gardens (and how rain gardens can be part of your outdoor space) here.

Re-think Your Irrigation Systems

If you haven’t evaluated your irrigation systems for some time, you might be surprised at how options have evolved to be better for the environment and for your budget. Newer system options can decrease the amount of water used. It can also ensure that water is being used in the right spots and at the right time. A consultation with your local landscape architect can tell you if your system could benefit from an upgrade or a redesign.

Want to learn more? Reach out or visit us on Facebook!

By Lisa Allen Do It Yourself • Landscape • • • • • • • • • • • • • 0 Comments

Spring 2021 Lawn and Landscape Checklist

While Spring doesn’t officially happen until March 20th, the days here in Olathe and surrounding areas are starting to feel like the season is already here. And you know what that means: it’s time to pay attention to your lawn and landscape! This is true if you want to make big changes as the weather gets warmer, but it’s also true if you just want to revive your space. No matter your plans for the coming year, doing these few things in Spring will ensure a beautiful lawn and landscape.

Take a Good Look Around

You don’t know what you can do until you know what you’re working with. Once the temperatures start to warm, you can start inspecting your lawn and landscape. Pay particular attention to shrubs and trees. Look for broken branches and overgrowth, and prune if necessary.

This is also an ideal time to assess the possibilities your space has to offer. Look around: do you have a sunny spot that might be good for a flower bed? Or a partially sunny corner that might be a great home for an herb garden? Take a little time to think about what you want in your space. Maybe a birdbath and bird feeder, or a butterfly garden, or even a new gazebo or outdoor kitchen. The first step is assessing your space and seeing where there’s potential to grow.

Get Your Tools In Order

If you stored your tools properly before the cold temperatures set it, this step might be as simple as unpacking everything. But if you let hoses sit out during our freezing temperatures or if you let your tools sit outside, where they were subject to moisture and rust, then you might have to take inventory. While some tools can be cleaned and used again, others might need to be replaced.

Prep Your Soil

Do you know the Ph of your soil? Have you determined the right fertilizer and how often it should be applied? How about nutrient profiles—do you know what your soil needs and how to supply it?

It’s absolutely fine if you answer those questions by saying no. Spring is the perfect time to assess all of this information. Connect with your local extension office (many offer free soil testing) or visit your favorite lawn and garden store. Once you know how to best nourish your soil—and which plants will grow best in the soil you have—you can plan the lawn and landscape of your dreams.

Spring Clean Your Yard

Spring cleaning isn’t just for kitchens! Take this time to rake leaves and other debris, clean up refuse that got trapped under snow, and clean up the edges around your lawn, trees, and flower beds.

Want help turning your Johnson County landscape from boring to gorgeous? We’d love to talk to you. Shoot us an email or call—or visit our Facebook page to see various projects.

By Lisa Allen Do It Yourself • Landscape • • • • • • • • • • • 1 Comment

What is a Rain Garden and Why Should You Consider Having One?

What is a Rain Garden and Why Should You Consider Having One?

All the choices you have for making your lawn and landscape look amazing can get confusing. How do you choose between a flower garden, herb garden, or even a rain garden? A gazebo or an extended deck? A fire element or an outdoor kitchen?

All of these decisions, no matter how economical or expensive, have multiple factors. Budget, of course. The amount of time you can devote to planning, executing, and maintaining the finished product. And, of course, the natural limitations of your property—including layout, space available, available sunlight, moisture levels, and more.

One feature to consider might be a rain garden. Read on to learn more.

What is a Rain Garden?

Rain gardens are comprised of native plants and grasses and are generally planted on a gentle slope of land, in a depression of the ground. The overall idea of a rain garden is to create a place that can temporarily hold water so it can eventually soak, slowly, into the ground. Rain gardens are an ideal way to leverage run-off from roofs, patios, or other sloped areas.

Why Native Plants and Grasses?

It’s vital that the plants and grasses in a rain garden are native to the area. The reason is this: native plants have deep root systems. Those deep root systems are the best way to channel the run-off water that might normally erode a landscape deeper into the soil. This prevents erosion.

Native plants and grasses also thrive without the use of added fertilizers or chemicals, because they are uniquely able to grow in our exact conditions. This is important because the water that a rain garden collects will seep directly into the earth. Using native plants and grasses means fewer chemicals, which means there are fewer chemicals in the water that seeps into the ground.

What are the Benefits of a Rain Garden?

Like other gardens, one of the main advantages of a rain garden is how it looks. Because rain gardens are full of native plants and grasses, they are typically lush and full—and that means a rain garden can be beautiful to look at.

But rain gardens are also practical because they can help prevent erosion, which is normally caused by a runoff water, by giving that water a place to slowly seep into the ground. The native plants and grasses also filter storm and rainwater before it can get enter local waterways. Finally, rain gardens can provide a safe, abundant spot for birds, butterflies, and other wildlife.

Curious about ways we can help you create new, interesting spots in your lawn and landscape? From small projects to huge undertakings, we love working with clients to make their dreams come true. Give us a call or email for more information.

By Lisa Allen General Information • • • • • • • • • • • 0 Comments

Did You Have a COVID Garden? What to Do Next

Did You Have a COVID Garden?

One of the results of the Coronavirus pandemic of 2020 was the rise of home and backyard gardens. Most often supplemental gardens (those used not as sole sources of food, but as supplemental supplies) and often container based rather than in-ground, these COVID gardens gave people something productive to do.

But, as COVID fatigue set in—and as temperatures plummeted during winter—the shine that these gardens once had might be a bit scuffed. If you built a garden last year and want to change things up a bit for the upcoming season, here are a few ideas to make the most of your space.

New Year, New Gardens

If you planted a garden last year by purchasing or building container gardens, you likely remember how those crops fared. Did your tomatoes grow tall and leggy but produce few fruits? Did your watermelons fizzle? Make notes about each crop you planted.  Pay attention to placement in your garden, your watering habits, and the results.

Chances are, you can rotate your crops this year to better leverage your space. If your containers are portable, consider place where you’ll get optimal sunlight; if you cannot move your containers, take some time to determine where sunlight falls in your space and for how long, then follow the guidelines set out for each crop. For example, tomatoes have different sunlight needs than green beans.

Consider Adding New Elements

If you know what you’re planting, whether that’s vegetables or flowers or a combination of both, and you have the space, you can consider adding other elements to your garden. Some communities reimburse homeowners for environmentally friendly garden elements, like rain barrels or butterfly gardens. You could also add a hardscape, like a patio, or a water or fire element.

Combine Garden and Outdoor Living Concepts

One outdoor trend, according to Veranda, is the return of the cutting garden. Another is a more seamless integration of outdoor and indoor spaces. You can breathe new life into your outdoor space by considering these trends. For instance, use a currently barren corner to plant zinnias or sunflowers—and then use those cuttings to decorate both your patio tables and in your indoor bouquets.

Another option is to expand your garden and add seating elements. This can be as easy as adding a bench so you can sit and enjoy the fruits of your labor, or by building an umbrellaed dining area complete with countertops and an outdoor oven.

Do you have big plans for your outdoor space? We’d love to hear about them. Share on our Facebook or shoot us an email.

 

By Lisa Allen General Information • • • • • • • • 0 Comments

2021 Outdoor Living Trends

The new year is traditionally a time to take stock of what we value most in life. For some, that means making resolutions to be healthier or to spend more time with family. For others, it means setting financial or professional goals.

This year, as we move from the unique year that was 2020 and into 2021, we have a chance to reflect on having spent more time at home and with family. And as the seasons turn from winter snow to spring sun, we can plan for the improvements we might make to our homes and outdoor living spaces to better accommodate our current reality of staying close to home.

To that end, let’s take a look at what design and industry experts are naming top outdoor living space trends for 2021.

Year-Round Outdoor Living Spaces

Like some of Kansas City’s most popular outdoor dining spots, our own outdoor spaces can go from summer-only to (almost) year-round with the addition of elements that help temper the elements. Think heating elements to warm up on cold or cooler nights, like portable heaters or built-in fireplaces, as well as additional areas of shade to make being out in the sun less harsh. Retractable shades and umbrellas are perfect options, especially when paired with fans to help circulate the air.

Lighting Makes a Difference

Because so many people are entertaining more in their outdoor spaces, the lighting in those spaces has become more important than ever. Whether your space needs to illuminate a border or path (or driveway) or you want to spotlight your favorite trees or foliage, a custom plan to place just the right lighting in just the right spots can turn your outdoor living space from ho-hum to brilliant.

Extending Your Living Space

You’re likely familiar with the idea of extending your living space by making your outdoor space look and feel more like the rooms inside your home. But because we’ve been spending so much more time inside, people are thinking more about making the outside not only more livable, but more beautiful. Think about it—our gardens, front lawns, and back yards have been our view for the past year and will likely continue to be this year. Why not make it a view you love?

Maximizing your view can be as simple as rethinking your gardens; but it can also be an elaborate project, like adding a water element or finally building that retaining wall. Regardless of how simple or how involved your project might be, we’d be honored to help you make your outdoor living space the perfect space for you. Visit us on Facebook or reach out to learn more.