Smart Landscaping Strategies for Every Home

Enhance Your Entryway with Flowers

Flowers have a remarkable ability to make a home feel more inviting. By incorporating a mix of annuals and perennials such as Petunias, Gertrude Jekyll roses, and Lily-of-the-Nile, you can create a stunning visual impact at your entrance. Utilize the small spaces between your house and the street by adding a low fence in front of your yard, which can create the illusion of more distance from the street and add a charming touch to your landscape.

Cultivate Climbing Vines for Vertical Interest

Clematis vines, with their array of colors including red, purple, blue, pink, and white, can add a vertical dimension to your garden. These versatile plants can be trained on a trellis or allowed to meander over shrubs and perennials. For optimal growth, plant clematis in loose, fertile, well-drained soil rich in organic matter, ensuring the roots remain cool and shaded. Regular fertilization with an organic product suitable for tomatoes or roses is beneficial, and pruning requirements vary depending on the type of clematis. These vines are readily available at garden centers or can be ordered online for delivery within the country.

Transform Your Driveway with Strategic Planting

An unattractive driveway can be disguised with thoughtful landscaping. Start by creating a raised lawn island in the center of the drive and surround it with a low boxwood hedge. Intersperse the hedge with a mix of annuals, roses, and perennials that rise above it, choosing a variety of colors, textures, and heights to achieve a personalized look for your garden.

Embrace the Resilience of Lilies

Crinum lilies are an excellent choice for drought-prone areas, requiring little to no fertilizer and thriving in hot, humid summers. Their fragrant flowers and large bulbs make them a robust addition to any garden. Crinums prefer at least five hours of sunlight daily and are well-suited to coastal or tropical climates, though some varieties can adapt to northern regions with proper care.

Create a Deer-Resistant Garden

To protect your garden from deer, select plants that are less appealing to these animals. Perennials such as butterfly weed, butterfly bush, globe thistle, and purple coneflower are effective choices for deterring deer and can add beauty and diversity to your landscape. For more gardening insights, visit Gardener's World.

Interesting Landscaping Stats and Trends

While the above tips provide a solid foundation for landscaping, there are some intriguing statistics and trends in the industry that are often overlooked:

• According to the National Association of Landscape Professionals, 74% of Americans believe it is important to spend time outside in their yards.
• Despite the popularity of outdoor spaces, a Houzz study found that only 56% of homeowners updated their landscaping in 2019, suggesting a significant opportunity for landscape improvements.
• The same study revealed that the top three outdoor projects among homeowners were beds and borders (47%), shrubs (29%), and perennials (28%).
• A trend gaining momentum is the use of native plants, which support local ecosystems and require less maintenance. The American Society of Landscape Architects reported that native plants are among the top design elements for 2021.

By incorporating these practical landscaping tips and considering the latest trends, you can create a beautiful and sustainable outdoor space that enhances your home and lifestyle.