Nowadays, most people are now working from home and spend most of their time indoors. However, some individuals are usually attracted to and relieved by the sounds and sights of nature. It's always refreshing to be surrounded by sweet outdoor fragrances, attractive flowers, green grass, and sunshine. Imagine a beautifully made front yard or backyard where you can comfortably relax and rest.

Residential landscaping positively impacts your home and your family because it inspires positive feelings, enhances the first impression of your property, and boosts curb appeal. Here are some good reasons to start working on your home landscaping and lawn care.

1. Enhances The Aesthetic Appeal of Your Property

As a homeowner, it's best to have a well-planned landscaping because it gives your yard a stunning view. You can work in your yard personally, or you can take advantage of the talent of professional landscapers in your area.

These professionals can transform your typical front yard into a luxurious garden, improving the overall aesthetic appeal of your property. These experts also ensure your plants are properly trimmed and healthy to enhance maximum longevity and growth.

2. Helps Manage Your Home Temperature

Well-executed landscaping can substantially impact the energy required to maintain a livable home. Proper use of shrubs, vines, trees, and artificial structures can alter the temperature around your home to reduce warmness in summer and heat losses in winter. Plants can protect your residence from winter winds and shade it from the summer sun while having fireproof strategies to help protect your home from accidental wildfire.

You can observe how the sun hits your house during the summer, particularly in the early morning and late afternoon. Then research what kind of shade trees you can add to your yard to maximize summer shading and winter solar heating.

To determine the best species of vines, shrubs, or trees for your home's particular conditions and needs, you can consult a professional landscaper so you won't be left guessing.

3. Improves The Quality Of Air And Water

Trees and grass function to eliminate carbon dioxide and capture smoke particles and dust. In addition, they produce oxygen which is fundamental for life. According to a study, in one year, a well-grown tree will take more than 48 pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and discharge oxygen in exchange.

During the storm season, you'll appreciate the importance of landscaping because this can limit pollutants and sediments from reaching the nearest water bodies since it functions as a stormwater runoff barrier. Apart from that, plants can filter pollution from water, especially when it flows to the source of drinking water. Proper landscaping also minimizes flooding as well as soil erosion.

4. Offers Personal Health Benefits

Everyone knows being close to nature can benefit your overall well-being. It's always good to experience a breath of fresh air, especially when one has just had a rough day. Some say your eyesight may also find good rest when you stare at greeneries like trees and plants.

Planting several plants and trees in your yard can also improve air quality. A quiet backyard surrounded by plants and flowers may help you de-stress and recharge. This can be your special place where you can meditate and clear your mind.

Another benefit of proper landscaping is a perfect space for exercising, basking, and relaxing. Additionally, you will be required to water the garden, remove some weeds, and prune your plants. These activities are good exercises to help you burn extra calories.

Good landscaping includes choosing the right plants for your yard. You may include some plants that are considered medicinal that can help cure minor illnesses such as colds, burns, and sore throats. Examples of these medicinal plants are ajwain, aloe vera, basil, coriander, and curry leaves.

5. Maximizes The Use of Your Outdoor

A well-kept yard with proper landscaping offers a good space for recreation and social gathering. Friends and loved ones will feel welcome when they visit your property. Children can play freely in the open space of your yard.

To maximize the space in your yard, quickly analyze the area you want to work on. Think of what you want to do in that area. It can be your personal study nook, work area, a space to entertain loved ones and friends, or just a simple garden where you can nurture your collections of plants and flowers.

From there, create a plan on how you can improve functionality with the help of a professional landscaper.

6. Increases Your Property Value

If you're a homeowner, you can't resist wanting to gain more from your investment. A properly executed and maintained landscape will likely increase your residential property's value. When you eventually put your property on sale, there's a possibility that potential buyers will be more interested because of how well-maintained your landscaping is.

Your landscaping is the first thing buyers will see when they visit your property. Therefore, investing in a landscape design professional's service will help boost your home's value.

How To Get Started In Residential Landscaping?

You may be at a point where you've retired and gotten more time on your hands. Or you may be a new homeowner looking around your yard with excitement brewing in your mind because you can see lots of possibilities for a nice-looking garden.

You might be selling your home in the next two years and would like to make it more appealing. Or you have been living in it for quite some time but now want to have a fresh start by giving your patio a fresh look. Also, you may be trying to de-stress and pick up a new hobby.

Whichever the case is for you, landscaping can be a source of joy and fulfillment, especially when done right. Here are tips on how to get started:

1. Plan Your Project

Schedule a day out of your week to inspect your exteriors. Go to the street and take a look at your home from there. Walk around in your yard. Stand still in the middle of your garden. This activity is to help you inspect what you currently have in your vicinity. Perhaps a tree has signs of decay and has to be removed. Your fence probably needs new paint.

Next, think of your personal preference. Residential landscaping is usually not an easy project. Are you willing to DIY (do-it-yourself) or get help from professionals? If the latter, you can be sure you're in good company.

Any one of your local landscaping firms has environmental architects, gardeners, and installers that work in teams, bringing expertise to the table. You can request one to take a look at your property. And after a thorough check, they can offer a landscape design that has balance, proportion, simplicity, and unity of the elements you want in your yard.

2. Research

Once you've decided on your preferences, do some research. Better do this online and offline. You can search for materials, their availability, prices, and designs online. Think of things you want in your garden, like boulders and rocks, materials for the pavement and decks, possible lighting pieces, and water installations (e.g., ponds and fountains).

Offline research will be more targeted. Based on your online notes, you can visit the gardening and landscaping stores you found on the internet to see if they have fixtures and materials not available on their websites. You can also inquire about shipping procedures, warranties, and other admin concerns.

Aside from artificial elements (hardscape), look up your local softscape. This means plants, fishes (if you want a pond installation), and other living things. Plants like flowers, shrubs, and species for hedges are the mainstay in landscaping. Check out their particular needs, how the seasons affect them, also how tall they can be (i.e., you might not want tall plants obscuring your windows).

3. Set Goals

Now that you have ideas out of which you can begin your project, don't forget goal-setting. What is the purpose of the landscape? Is it mainly for aesthetics? Or perhaps you'd like to host barbecues and outdoor parties in the yard for your kids. How about a larger personal space for doing yoga or reading a book? Incorporating functionality into your project maximizes the use of your outdoor space.

4. Put Everything On Paper

Do a rough sketch of what the garden will look like. If you're consulting with a landscaping company, they will advise you on specifics based on your sketch. Aspects like balance the between your hardscape and softscape, irrigation for your water features, and safe electrical wiring for your lighting fixtures are important albeit hidden parts of the project.

With the above points properly laid out and accounted for, you can now proceed with the budget. Although you've made lots of big and small landscaping decisions before this point, budgeting is the one that will either make or break your project. Carefully weigh the feasibility of your landscaping plan based on the availability of your funds. If it's not feasible, you can easily scale it down.

5. Schedule Your Landscaping Activities

Things can go in many directions at this juncture, depending on whether you have an existing landscape you want to upgrade or you're starting from scratch. But the usual progression is:

1. Removing weeds and wild grass
2. Leveling of the soil
3. Setting down the pathways (and other fixed structures)
4. Installing the lights
5. Cultivating plants, flowers, and hedges
6. Cultivating the lawn

Even though the above is a short list, it can span weeks and months of work. Expect that it will be a project you'll need to give your time to (if you're doing it yourself) or your money to (if someone is doing it for you).

6. Don't Forget Maintenance

Despite the hard work and resources necessary for landscaping projects, many homeowners love to have them done for their properties (you can revisit the benefits listed above). And now it's time to set up a system for maintenance.

If you have fish in your pond, regularly feed them. Cleaning around the yard or garden is also a regular task. Try to get rid of fallen leaves and branches frequently, perhaps every two days. You can trim and prune the plants every week, depending on how often your plants need them. However, you can give yourself some leeway for deep cleaning and do this every season.

One more tip is to go back to your neighborhood's landscaping team and ask for a consultation. They can tell you what other upgrades you can make (e.g., furniture that can withstand elements) or things you need to change in your exterior space (e.g., an inefficient sprinkler on your lawn).

Takeaway

Residential landscaping has many more benefits than you would've thought at first. It can enhance your property's curb appeal, boost security, and increase your property value and security, among many more advantages. The ones covered in this comprehensive article are just among the few that are advantageous to your residential property. For that reason, if you're interested in starting this project, plan it, set a schedule, and create a system for maintenance.