If you don’t know where to begin with landscaping your front or backyard, this video is made for any beginner on a budget. DIY your landscape with these helpful tips from a gardening pro.
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I’m John Schultz, owner of JDS Home Inspection Services in Denver, Colorado. Unless you’re a gardener, landscaping is one of the last things we think about when purchasing a home. Attractive landscaping not only makes the house seem more like a home, but can raise your property value ten to twelve percent. It’s important to get to know your property before landscaping. How much light does each area get throughout the day? Is it all day sun, all day shade, morning sun, or afternoon sun? How about moisture? Does the area stay cool and damp or dry as a bone? Where do the sprinklers hit? These are all important questions that dictate what plants and landscaping will be successful in what areas. It’s important to have underground power lines and water utilities marked before you start digging. You don’t want to plant a tree or lay heavy stone directly over your sewer line or buried electrical service. Just dial eight one one. This is a free service provided by the city. When designing landscaping for your front yard or backyard, consider what you want to use the space for. I suggest separating the yard into rooms. Where will you cook? Where will you eat? Where is the best place to relax? Where will the kids or pets play? It’s a great idea to start with hardscaping. Hardscaping refers to the elements in the yard that are not plants. This may include rocks and boulders, paths, patios and decks, ponds, fountains, a fire pit or statuary. These are the more expensive elements of your landscape that you won’t be moved once installed, so be sure to place them correctly. Choose elements that will hold winter interest or act as focal points and your landscaping will be beautiful any time of year. Once you know the conditions of your landscape, you may choose plants accordingly. At the garden center you will find two types of plants, annuals and perennials. Perennials are plants that come back year after year. Consider carefully where you want to establish your perennials and follow their care instructions to get the most out of them. Perennials include taller shrubs that will shade out other plants as they grow, so consider what you plant around them. Annuals are plants that only survive for one year. They are typically smaller and come in a variety of bright colors. These make excellent fillers between perennials and in pots and you can experiment with different colors and varieties every year. Perennials intended for warmer climates may be brought indoors for the winter. A great idea is to plant in containers. This allows you to move your plants around to find the best conditions for them. Check out my video on container plants for some beautiful container design suggestions. Just remember plants in pots need to be watered twice as much as plants in the ground because they dry out faster. In most cases, you won’t have to start with bare dirt. You can incorporate landscaping that came with the home and work with what you’ve got. Many existing trees and perennials just need to be trimmed to look their best. Some may even be transplanted. The most important thing is to keep experimenting and never stop learning. Keep a gardener’s journal and record what you learn every year. Just remember, not everything is going to make it or turn out how you expected. If all that sounds like too much work and you prefer a low maintenance landscape, look into xeriscaping. No matter your climate, soil conditions, or skill level, there are landscaping options for you. Thanks for listening and be sure to check out our other videos for helpful tips on other home-related subjects.