Isn’t it a pleasure to drive past a home with lovely, well-manicured lawns and glowing flowerbeds with vibrant colors? In fact, those flowerbeds and trees on a property can actually increase a home’s value. They can also be a liability when trees aren’t properly maintained or when gardens become overgrown.
If you’re buying or selling a home in Columbus, Ohio, we’ve put together some of our best suggestions for a lawn and garden that compliments your real estate investment. Whether you want to grab a shovel and do-it-yourself, or hire the best seasonal lawn professional, we can help.
Top Tips for a Great Garden
Some of the most common mistakes we see the novice gardener make are in landscape design. Understanding the design elements of height and color are just two considerations; you must also pick the right plantings that compliment the style of your home and neighborhood.
Picking the right plants for our temperamental Ohio climate is important along with knowing exactly how to nurture them. Here are our top three tips for a great summer garden:
- Improve the soil by adding compost, manure or peat. If you take care of the soil, it will take care of your plants.
- Water in the morning. Watering in the heat of the day will wilt the plants. Watering in the evening will make them more susceptible to disease.
- Apply mulch for a cleaner look. Adding mulch will also help reduce weeds, improve the soil, and help your plants retain more water.
Should I Hire Someone?
If you really love getting your hands dirty, but are uncertain about what to plant, consider hiring a landscape designer to work with you to create your garden vision. You can still take care of the “heavy lifting” of planting, weeding and mulching.
If the idea of lawn and garden maintenance during humid August temperatures doesn’t thrill you, considering hiring a maintenance crew to keep the gardens thriving.
How Much is Too Much?
Many homeowners associations now restrict and control the type and amount of landscaping on a property. It’s true that quantity is just as important as quality, and if you’re a do-it-yourselfer, keep in mind that you will still have to maintain your flowers long-term. Will you have the same energy to devote to your plantings ten years down the road?
Best Garden Centers in Our Area
Central Ohio is lucky to have some of the finest garden centers in the state. Each of these resources offers landscape design services in addition to a fantastic selection of plants:
- Baker’s Acres, with 4,000 varieties of plants, this sprawling garden center has a devoted fan base.
- DeMonyes is widely known for its spring perennial flower sale where you can pick up flats of 36 plants for around $16.
- Oakland Nursery has four locations around Central Ohio and a seasoned landscape team devoted to keeping our community green.
Every seasoned gardener tends to have a favorite resource. What’s yours?
Buying or Selling a Green Thumb Home
If you’re selling your home this year, we would like you to consider that the outside maintenance will be just as important as keeping a sparkling interior. The Grover Group can recommend cost-efficient landscapers to help with external upkeep.
If you’re buying a home, we can find you gardens that have been tended with loving care, acreage, or even condos with balcony gardens that cater to the brownest of thumbs.
How can we help you today? Contact us for a free consultation!
