Looking to Get a Little Something Extra Out of Your Home's Landscaping This Year? Here Are Five Ways to Take It to the Next Level
Washington, D.C. has an incredible variety of luxury housing.
Sprawling country estates.
Picturesque suburban mansions.
Charming and historical in-town rowhomes.
While personal style dictates an owner's house of choice, there is a common element that makes or breaks a home's esthetic before you even step inside — the landscaping.
Landscaping is the frame in which we show off our home's exterior — the critical first impression. But how does one transform their outdoor space from ordinary to stunning?
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Keep Your Plants Local
Not everyone possesses a green thumb, which makes many plants a non-starter for some homeowners. However, flowers and shrubs add a tremendous amount of pop to your yard through color and texture. To keep the care quotient low, feature plants that are native to the D.C. area — perennial flowers like False Indigo or Coneflowers, shrubs such as Virginia Sweetspire or Winterberry Holly, and vines like the Honeysuckle.
Native plants require less maintenance, keep invasive growth at bay, and serve to showcase our local ecosystem. -
Give Your Yard Movement
Straight lines and little to no foliage are great for minimalists, but this approach can result in an underwhelming yard. For more excitement, give your landscape some movement. Add potted plants to your front steps or porch. Install curved edging around flower beds or tree wells. Create paths that meander through your garden or areas with an architectural focal point.
The goal with movement is to infuse your outdoor space with character and visual points of interest. But don't randomly toss disparate elements together; create a theme and blend complementary components that produce a cohesive look. -
Create Personal Spaces
Too often, we approach our home's landscape as something to view. Instead of just crafting a space to admire, create areas where you'll want to spend your time. In the front, tree swings or benches will welcome in neighbors for a quick chat.
In your backyard, build personal spaces that promote relaxation or conversation. Lounge pads using crushed stone or pavers. A shaded sitting area and water feature hidden away behind privacy hedges. Or entertaining zones where guests can congregate and converse outdoors, such as a firepit. -
Extend Your Landscape's Curfew
When the sun dips below the horizon, it typically means lights out for your landscaping. But why should it? You invest a lot of time and money into creating a magnificent landscape; why show off your efforts for only half of the day? Lighting gives your outdoor space a vibrant, dramatic ambiance well past sunset.
And the options are endless. In addition to conventional lighting for paths, patios, and driveways, consider well-, flood-, or spotlights to illuminate trees, flowerbeds, or architectural points of interest. If you have hardscapes, like stone walls or a pergola, string or LED lighting pumps up the atmosphere around otherwise static structures. -
Little Things Make a Big Difference
It may seem obvious, but keeping up with your landscape's upkeep does wonders for maintaining its vibrancy throughout the year.
Tend to bare spots in your lawn. Clear away dead brush or fallen limbs that can promote disease or negate growth. Keep your mulch fresh, shrubs and trees trimmed, and hardscapes clean.
Much of the pop from a gorgeous landscape stems from a clean, crisp appearance, and fewer blemishes will also increase your home's value when it comes time to sell.
Searching for a canvas on which to paint your perfect landscape? Work with us. It would be our pleasure to serve as your Washington, D.C. real estate agents and help you turn homeownership into an enduring investment in the D.C. luxury real estate market.
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