As the days get longer and warmer, our attention naturally turns toward spring and summer activities, but this is also an ideal time to spruce up your properties exterior with the help of a landscaper. The way in which we landscape our properties has undergone a big shift in the last several years, for a number of reasons. Many homeowners simply don’t have the time to devote to maintaining a yard the way they have done in the past and tighter water restrictions have made it more difficult and expensive to maintain an expansive lawn and as a result, homeowners have begun to reconsider the ways in which they design their yards and gardens. These are a few of our favourite landscaping trends for drier climates…
- Xeriscaping, is a term that was unfamiliar to most twenty years ago, but nowadays most people at least understand that it refers to gardening/landscaping that drastically reduces or sometimes even eliminates the need for irrigation and watering. Xeriscaping, also known as smartscaping makes use of “appropriate plant design,” which means using plants native to the soil. Such grasses, shrubs and plants have a history with the area, and are naturally adjusted to the climate. Therefore, these will thrive more easily and require considerably less maintenance and water.
- Hardscaping– Browsing through any home and garden magazine these days we can see the increased popularity of stone patios, rock pathways and outdoor BBQ areas. These things aren’t necessarily restricted to back yards either. More and more of these features are making their way into the fronts of homes.
If you are contemplating sprucing up your properties landscaping or garden design, these are some elements to take into consideration. How much time will you have to dedicate to your lawn and garden? And if your own time is limited, do you have the finances to hire a professional to take over the job? What kind of water restrictions are you looking at in your neighbourhood? Finally, what are your own aesthetic preferences? Do you like looking out your window at a green, rolling lawn, or does the idea of a less traditional-looking yard hold more appeal?
Once you have the answers to questions like these, you will have a much better idea on how to proceed with your landscape sprucing project. Perhaps it’s a task you look forward to undertaking yourself, but if not, know that at the Grey Army we have professional landscapers available and ready to help you reach your garden goals.