Fancy Gardens Add Value to Your Home
A fancy garden can add value and curb appeal to your home, as well as provide recreation and beauty for your family. Formal landscaping requires some home improvement skills, but you will be happy with the result!
Fancy landscaping involves formal hedges, showy flowers, and hardscaping (using solid landscaping elements such as natural stone, flagstone, pavers, or river rock for decoration or defining space). A fancy garden generally includes an outdoor living space such as a patio or deck.
Fancy gardens contain beautiful flowers, but not wild, cottage garden flowers. Choose formal plantings using groups of the same flower for maximum effect. Flowers should be deadheaded and pruned back as necessary to keep from looking wild.
Flowering trees and shrubs such as magnolias and dogwoods are idea choices for fancy gardens. Showy, delicate trees such as Japanese maples also add exotic appeal. Shrubs and hedges should be maintained. Rows of hedges or shrubs should be pruned into neat, elegant shape each year.
Your landscaped yard should have formal beds, with a firm division between lawn and landscaping areas. Borders and paths should be carefully edged and maintained. Beds should not be filled with weeds. Use sweet-smelling mulch, rocks, or a simple groundcover to keep your beds neat.
A lush green lawn is an essential part of a fancy garden. Keep your lawn green with plenty of water each day, and do not mow it too close to the ground.
You may want to consider a small pond, rock garden, bench, trellis, or water feature to add interest in your garden.
With a little work maintaining your plantings and lawn, you can create a fancy landscaped garden that will provide a tranquil outdoor living area. This will add value and beauty to your home.