If you want to improve the appearance of your property, but don't have a lot of money to spend on landscaping, then you may want to focus your efforts on foundation plants. These are the shrubs and flowers you plant along the foundation of your home. These plants add color and help your home blend in with its natural surroundings. Here are a few tips for landscaping around your home's foundation.
Choose Plants That Bloom At Different Times
To get the most out of your plant beds, try to choose varieties of plants that bloom at different times of the year. That way, you'll always have a nice touch of color around your home. Also, consider how the plants will look in the late fall and winter when they have lost all their blooms and died back. Choosing a variety of plants helps ensure you'll have some form of attractive plants all year to liven up the landscape. Just be sure to choose plants that have similar requirements when it comes to water and sunlight needs.
Consider Building Wide Beds
Foundation plants don't have to be a single row of short, green shrubs. Your beds will be more attractive if you build them wide enough to add several layers of plants. This allows you to mix plants of different heights and appearances. Instead of building a bed with a straight edge, you can build one with a curved edge with flowers planted along the curve for a flowing effect. Put tall plants near your house and small, bright flowers toward the front edge of the bed. By making the bed wider than usual, you can install more plants and create a prettier landscape.
Make Sure Rain Will Drain Away From Your House
When you install beds to hold your plants, make sure you don't create a dam that holds water against your foundation during a heavy rain. As you dig the beds and add the plants and edging, keep an eye on the slope you create so water can still drain away from the house rather than draining back toward the foundation. You'll avoid future problems with a wet basement if you install the plant beds with proper drainage in mind.
Consult A Landscaper For Ideas
Creating a beautiful landscape around your house can be challenging. You need to understand the life cycle of the plants you choose as well as their light and water requirements. You also need to envision how each plant will mature and how it will look during all seasons of the year. Since the plants hug the foundation of your home, you want them to be an attractive, welcoming feature for your guests. However, you also want plants that are easy to maintain. You can save the trouble of planting the wrong plants and having some of them die off, or cause problems such as growing too high, by consulting a landscaper before you being the job. A landscaping expert can help you choose the right plants and even arrange them in the best way to make your plant beds the focal point of your property.
