Welcome to the Jungle: Landscaping Maintenance

With summer in full swing and pleasant weather expected, homeowners feel the urge to tackle a long awaited outdoor refresh. Cultivating a home’s landscape is an anticipated project. One that can take years to bring to fruition. These renovations can create serious curb appeal for residents and homebuyers alike. However, projects like this can wreck havoc on a home if not calculated carefully. Read on for the tips and tricks to maintaining your home while landscaping your yard!

Things to Watch For or Avoid When Landscaping

Water Pooling/Ponding

Water ponding or pooling in the wrong area can have lasting damaging effects on a home’s foundation. Without a proper irrigation system, water from hoses, hose bibs, and rain can collect in the yard or in a home’s crawl space. Checking your property's grading (the slope or decline of the ground around the home) is a fantastic way to ensure your water run off is not collecting in areas around your home. This can dictate where water flow will go, giving you an idea of how and where to place any new additions. It is advised to avoid driveways and sidewalks in preparation for winter. This will avoid runoff water freezing over, creating icy sidewalks. 

Foundation and Roof Damage

Foundation damage can come from planting trees or large plants too close to a home. The root system can slowly unlevel a sidewalk, a home’s foundation, and even constrict the plumbing structures under the home. Keeping trees a safe distance from your home can also prevent roof damage. In stormy weather, branches can fall on a roof or windows causing costly repairs. 

Siding Damage

Just like large plants, small ones can cause damage if planted too close to a home. Bushes, namely shrubs, retain moisture. If they are planted too close to a home, the moisture can damage the siding. It’s recommended to plant small shrubs at least 2 feet from the home’s siding and increase the distance depending on the expected maturity of the plant. 

Pest Infestation

Placing plants too close to your home can also invite unwanted pests. Animals like wasps, termites, or silverfish gravitate towards moist areas or trees to build their home. If left untreated or unnoticed, it can lead to an infestation. 

Keeping these menaces in mind, landscaping is not necessarily a negative experience. There are many advantages to shaping up the area around your home.

Benefits of Landscaping

Curb Appeal

For sellers, buyers, and residents, curb appeal is a fun way to make a house a home. Landscaping can invoke a sense of accomplishment or pride for residents. It can also leave a long lasting impression on guests and inspire others with their own home projects. It can also increase your home’s value, especially with proper maintenance that reinforces a home’s structure. Keeping up with your home’s appearance can also decrease the amount of maintenance needed when taking on new projects. 

Fresh Air

In areas with little vegetation, increasing the amount of plants can improve the quality of the air you breathe. For those in a more urban location, plants have been known to improve mental health, as well as physical health. Plants also absorb odors and harmful pollutants. Greenspaces can also improve the soil quality and can be used as a natural irrigation system. Trees especially, help absorb water at a slower rate, increasing the soil quality and benefiting plants nearby. 

Promotes natural wildlife habitats 

Just like unwanted pests, there are creatures that are beneficial to a home, the environment, and are welcome guests for many. Bees, butterflies, certain spiders, and even praying mantises all congregate in flower gardens or bushes. Planting certain flowers like goldenrod, milkweed, asters or sunflowers can promote a healthier ecosystem right in your backyard. 

Lower energy bills 

Planting large bushes or trees can help decrease your energy bills. Large plants can block sunlight, preventing heat from entering through open gaps. It can also provide natural shade outside reducing the use of electric fans. 

With both risks and benefits in mind, you’re ready to tackle any new project this summer! For more helpful advice check out our seasonal maintenance tips to keep your home and landscape gorgeous in any season!