Lush Landscapes: How to Add Curb Appeal on a Budget
If you’d like to increase the attractiveness and curb appeal of your yard and landscape, there are a number of things you can do inexpensively. Many of these things actually don’t cost any money at all, and just require a little effort on your part.
Start by Cleaning
One of the least expensive things you can do to make your home and landscape look better is to clean everything. Window sills, windows, railings and porch ceilings all get dirty. Just cleaning the dirt off of the surfaces of your home and porch, and cleaning the windows will make your home much more attractive. Rent a power washier for the weekend and you’ll be able to clean a lot of things. Concrete porches and sidewalks will come clean with power washing, as will your home’s vinyl siding and shutters. Wash your driveway, and give it a fresh coat of sealant if needed.
Weeding and Pruning
A little gardening can go a long way towards giving your home some curb appeal. Even if you don’t purchase any new flowers, plants or trees, you can improve the appearance of the plants you already have by getting all your planting beds weeded, and pruning your plants and bushes. Also put down some fresh mulch to make planting beds look their best. Once your trees and bushes are trimmed and are no longer shaggy and overgrown, your whole yard will look better. You should also keep your lawn mowed, and keep everything neatly edged. Reseed and patch any bare or thinning spots in your lawn. These types of chores cost almost nothing, but if you have a little extra in your landscaping budget, a hanging basket, big pot of flowers or some window flower boxes can add a splash of color.
Lighting
A home always looks a little cozier with some attractive lighting. Use landscaping lights and other exterior lighting, plus some electric candles in the windows to give your home a warm appearance.
Inviting Porch
If you have a front porch, add a few pieces of comfortable furniture such as a rocking chair or bench, and maybe a small patio table or two. This will make your front porch look inviting, as well as provide you with a spot to sit and enjoy your yard. An attractive welcome mat is also a nice addition.
Fresh Paint
With just a little bit of paint, you can give your mailbox and house numbers a fresh new look. While you’re at it, give your front door, porch railings and exterior trim and shutters a fresh coat of paint if they are starting to look faded. Once you get your front door freshly painted, hang a new seasonal wreath on it as a finishing touch.
Once you have completed sprucing up your yard, complete the effect by making sure everything stays cleaned up. Put away any toys, keep trash out of sight, keep garden hoses under control and just clean up clutter in general. Put away all of your gardening supplies and tools, and your yard will look neat and tidy, as well as clean, manicured and colorful.
Online contributing editor for WallDecorandHomeAccents.com, Jessica Ackerman has over 20 years of design experience, from home decor accents to candle wall sconces online.
Three Wonderful Thanksgiving Day Flower Arrangements
Thanksgiving flowers are a wonderful way to brighten up your dining room during your Thanksgiving holiday dinner. Each year, we celebrate the glorious bounty of the autumn harvest with our family and friends. In the United States, Thanksgiving day is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November. In Canada, Thanksgiving is commemorated on the second Monday in October.
In both cases, Thanksgiving is a celebratory time of turkeys, stuffing, and pumpkin pie. A proper Thanksgiving Day feast would be incomplete without a beautiful, fresh bouquet of flowers or a floral Thanksgiving table centerpiece; a cornucopia of autumn colors in red, yellow and orange. The combination of deep autumn reds, oranges and yellows can be found in traditional Thanksgiving flowers, like chrysanthemums, sunflowers and gerberas. Other Thanksgiving flowers include carnations, solidago, monte casino and marigolds.
Thanksgiving Day flowers need not be limited to the dinner table, however. Autumn flowers such as Daisies, Lilacs, Daffodils, and Dahlias are a wonderful way to show friends and family that you are thinking of them during the Thanksgiving holiday season. When you send Thanksgiving flowers, you can be sure that the recipient will understand and appreciate your well-wishes.
Thanksgiving Day flowers that reflect the colors of Fall are generally thought to make the best flowers for Thanksgiving floral centerpieces. Some of our favorite autumn flowers include carnations, lilies, cattails, solidago, and poms. Thanksgiving flower baskets, with rich autumn colors of yellow, rust, purple and orange really capture the essence of this colorful season. The following are three of our favorite bouquets of fresh flowers or beautiful flowering plants to celebrate Thanksgiving Day:
Burst of Autumn is a soothing blend of yellow and orange blooms, arranged beautifully with oak and maple leaves. Autumn Lights is a glorious autumn centerpiece, bursting with fragrant carnations and daisies; a welcome addition to a Thanksgiving celebration. Fall Sunshine is a refreshing collection of purple and orange flowers, delivered in a delightful wicker basket.
A proper Thanksgiving Day feast would be incomplete without a beautiful, fresh bouquet of flowers or a floral Thanksgiving table centerpiece; a cornucopia of autumn colors in red, yellow and orange. This article explores three wonderful Thanksgiving Day flower arrangements.
Christina Nielson has had a life-long passion for flowers. When she is not playing in the garden, she works in the marketing department at Jackman’s Fresh Flowers; an award winning online flower delivery company specializing in Thanksgiving Day flowers. Feel free to call us at 1-800-778-9953 for any of your floral arrangement needs.
Fall Yard Cleanup
With fall fast approaching, it’s that time of year when we begin cleaning up our yards and preparing for the upcoming winter. To make fall cleanup work as fast and easy as possible, it can be helpful to break the work down into the different areas of your yard. The areas that most commonly need attention are trees and shrubs, the lawn, and vegetable or flower gardens.
Trees and shrubs often need to be trimmed back in the fall, though this will vary, depending on the type of plant. If you’re unsure when to trim your trees or bushes, consult a gardening book or online resource. When doing any kind of trimming or pruning, basic safety precautions are of primary importance. If your trees are taller than 10 or 15 feet, it’s best not to take the risk of doing the job yourself. Look for a qualified arborist who can do the work for you, and be sure to check out some references before hiring anyone to do the work. This can also be a good time to remove any old or dying trees, as well.
Lawns will need several kinds of care during the fall months. First, you’ll want to rake up all the fallen leaves and any other debris from shrub and tree trimming. There are many types of leaf bagging devices on the market today that can make this job easier, such as leaf bag holders or special tarps designed to collect leaves and other debris while you are raking. Once all the leaves are removed, it’s important to do one final mowing of the grass at the end of the year. Last but not least, a fall lawn application is also a good idea. Visit your local garden center or nursery for a recommendation of what type of product to use. When in doubt, a good all purpose fertilizer is usually fine.
The last area that will require some fall attention is your garden and planting areas. Your work here will vary depending on what types of plants you’re working with. In the case of annuals, especially annual vegetable plants, it’s best to remove the plants entirely at the end of the growing season. Some vegetables like tomatoes and potatoes, if left to rot in the cool fall weather, can transmit fungal diseases into the soil. These pests and fungi are often times capable of overwintering in the dirt, and can then cause problems with next year’s crops. Once annual plants are removed, now is a good time to till the soil and add any fertilizers such as organic matter or other soil amendments. Finish the area off by adding a thick layer of mulch.
If the planting area in question is full of perennial plants, you’ll probably want to consult a gardening book or website to see what maintenance, if any, is required. With most perennials, it’s best to leave the plants alone and let them die back naturally during the winter months. It is a good idea to apply a thick layer of mulch around the base of each plant, too. In the spring, the dry, dead foliage will be easy to remove, making way for renewed growth.
Fall yard cleanup does require some work on your part, but nothing too difficult. With the basic steps we’ve outlined above, you will be rewarded by a yard, lawn, and garden that will look better than ever next spring.
