Landscaping includes all the visible features of your garden, lawn and property. Landscaping Harrisburg PA may include plants, trees, water features, paths, pavilions, stone retaining walls and garden sculptures.
vvvvAs climate awareness grows, homeowners make more ecologically sustainable choices in their homes and gardens. This is reflected in landscaping trends, shifting away from overly formal and perfect lawns towards eco-conscious native plant spaces.
When a home has beautiful landscaping, potential buyers will be willing to pay more for the property. Landscaping can increase your property value by 10 to 12 percent, according to experts. This is because many people prefer to live in homes that have well-maintained yards and exteriors.
One of the biggest ways that landscaping can boost your home’s value is by improving its curb appeal. Adding flowers, trees, shrubs, and other horticultural features to your yard can create a beautiful outdoor oasis that makes your home stand out from the rest of the neighborhood. Curb appeal is the first thing that potential buyers will notice about your home, so it is important to make a good impression with the landscaping of your property.
You can also increase your home’s value by installing hardscapes such as patios, decks, walkways, and swimming pools. These features are attractive to potential buyers because they provide extra space for entertaining and relaxing. In addition, these hardscapes can last for years and will not require constant upkeep.
If you are looking to make a larger investment in your landscaping, consider adding an outdoor living space like an outdoor kitchen or fire pit. These features will add more value to your home because they are attractive and functional.
Another way that landscaping can increase your home’s value is by reducing its energy costs. Cities often have a heat island effect, which means that they are warmer than rural areas due to the presence of concrete and cars. Landscaping can help reduce this heat island effect by planting trees and using other green practices on your property. In addition, trees and grass remove carbon dioxide from the air, produce oxygen, and capture dust and smoke particles.
A well-designed landscape complements the home, creating a relaxing environment. This can be done through the use of various design elements, such as color, texture, movement, and focalization. It can also be done through the incorporation of different architectural styles such as a Japanese garden, a formal English garden, or even an ultra-modern contemporary.
Landscaping has a positive impact on the environment, reducing pollution and conserving water through the use of grasses and trees. It also helps control erosion and clogged streams and rivers by absorbing rainwater.
Moreover, plants and grasses provide a natural cooling effect in the summer and can save on energy costs by allowing you to use less air conditioning and heating. They can also act as a buffer to sound from nearby roads and neighbors.
The soothing scent of verdant leaves, fragrant flowers and squishy earth provides a sensory experience that can reduce stress levels and improve mental health. In fact, research shows that people who have access to nature are more productive at work and are happier overall.
In addition, landscaping can be used to create comfortable seating areas that are perfect for a relaxing evening outdoors. This can include pergolas, gazebos and stone retaining walls. It can also incorporate features such as patios and outdoor kitchens where family and friends can gather to enjoy a meal or just chat. These spaces can be enhanced with lighting to create a calming ambience. Additionally, the use of pavers, decks and walkways makes these spaces easy to navigate. These hardscapes can be combined with softscapes (living organic features such as trees, shrubs and flowers) to complete the look and feel of your yard.
It might seem odd that mowing the lawn or tending to flowers and plants could foster better mental health, but the truth is that this everyday task boasts several benefits. It feeds our need for alone time and quiet meditation, as well as our love of nature. Studies consistently show that being in nature improves memory, lowers stress levels and boosts feelings of happiness. And a beautiful landscape does so much more than beautify your home, business or public space—it also helps keep the surrounding area healthy and energizing.
Grass and plants take in carbon dioxide, then break it down to produce oxygen, which makes the air cleaner for you to breathe. Additionally, impeccably mowed grass and lush green shrubbery help filter and absorb runoff pollutants, preventing them from polluting water bodies.
Gardening and other landscaping activities provide a fun and engaging way to relax while doing something productive. They engage our brains and help us forget the daily stresses of life, giving us a sense of accomplishment and pride in our work. Plus, it’s a great way to socialize with family and friends.
A study by Roger Ulrich found that hospital patients who saw greenery outside their windows experienced less stress, higher pain tolerance, and quicker recovery than those without a view of nature. Even if you don’t have your own backyard, you can reap the benefits of gardening and nature by spending time in a community garden, or by cultivating indoor plants that purify the air.
In fact, even if you live in an apartment or dorm room and can’t maintain your own yard, you can still enjoy these positive effects by volunteering to care for a local plantscape, offering to help a neighbor with their gardens or simply walking through a park or natural landscape. Landscaping, landscape maintenance and indoor plantscaping all have similar benefits to your mental health.
In addition to creating a welcoming environment for relaxing and spending time with family and friends, well-done landscaping will encourage outdoor activity. Walking through your garden, visiting a public park or arboretum, or even just watering the flowers and plants on your property are all great forms of healthy exercise.
Studies show that just looking at greenery reduces blood pressure, and walking through natural landscapes, even in the middle of a city, improves attention and memory. Furthermore, neighborhoods that incorporate community green spaces have lower stress levels and healthcare costs.
Over time, erosion eats away at soil and carries sediment into rivers, streams, lakes, and oceans, which can clog waters and kill fish and other wildlife. Plants and grass help prevent erosion, as they hold the soil together with their roots. Landscapes that prioritize soil preservation and erosion control are more eco-friendly.
Using different plants with contrasting colors, sizes, leaf structures, and textures can add visual variety to your landscape. Similarly, incorporating focal points like water features, sculptures, and statues can draw the eye and add drama. Using the principles of sequence and repetition can also create a sense of harmony in your landscape design.
Adding mulch and other organic materials to your yard can decrease evaporation, suppress weed growth, moderate soil temperature, and inhibit erosion. In addition, choosing drought-tolerant plants and using xeriscaping can reduce the need for irrigation, saving you money on your water bill.
Landscaping adds value to your property by creating a functional area designed for outdoor activities. Patios, fire pits, gardens, seating areas, water features and more create spaces where families can entertain and relax together. A well-designed landscape also protects your home from environmental hazards such as soil erosion, flooding and falling rocks. Structures like retaining walls and plantings such as bushes or trees can help prevent these issues.
A well-designed landscaping also has benefits that aren’t immediately obvious. For example, trees and shrubs help keep your house cool in summer by shading the windows and outdoor air conditioning units. They can also help reduce energy costs in winter by blocking cold winds from entering the house. Plants and grasses can even help balance the nitrogen and other nutrient levels in the soil, provide food for wildlife, and clean the local air by absorbing dust and smoke particles.
If you are considering selling your home in the future, a professionally designed and installed landscape can increase its resale value. It will make your home more attractive to potential buyers and may even increase the speed at which it sells.
A well-designed landscaping also helps to improve your family’s health by lowering stress and promoting physical activity. Activities such as mowing the lawn, pruning, and weeding are considered healthy exercises that burn calories. Moreover, the mental and emotional benefits of spending time outdoors are numerous and can greatly improve your overall quality of life.
