All the Benefits of Landscaping a Garden
As we get closer to summer, it’s likely that you’re looking forward to spending time in the garden again. Of course, it’s more enjoyable when your outdoor space is looking good. For many of us, that means there’s a bit of work to do first.
One way you can create the ideal outdoor space is to get your garden landscaped. Garden landscaping is often thought of as something that’s reserved for the formal gardens of stately homes. But there’s far more to landscaping a garden than these large scale designs. In fact, it can bring benefits to even the smallest of spaces. So, let’s take a look at what landscaping is and its main advantages.
What is landscaping?
Garden landscaping is when you plan and implement a design to improve the look and feel of your outside spaces. It involves a lot of different elements including hardscaping and planting, which all work together to create something that’s aesthetically pleasing. The wayyour garden is landscaped will depend on what you’re after. It might be purely to create a cohesive look but it could also be to improve the health of your garden, to make it easier to maintain, or to increase its usability.
But what does all this cost? Well, that’s hard to say as the size of your garden, how much needs changing and what you want in it, will affect the price. For instance, laying a patio typically costs from £70 per m² while laying turf costs from £10 per m². The size and style of your garden also affects the ongoing maintenance costs. So, you might find gardener prices vary between £30 and £50 per visit.
Now you know the basics, you might be wondering what does landscaping give you in return for this kind of outlay? Below are some of the main benefits.
Improves sloping gardens
Sloping gardens aren’t just hard to maintain, they’re simply not practical for using and growing things in. No one likes pushing a lawn mower uphill and outdoor dining is even more of a challenge.
Landscaping this type of garden will make the space more usable. This might be done bylevelling the whole area or by installing tiers where seating, planting and lawns can be created to suit your needs.
Boosts visual interest
Landscaping can also help if you have the opposite problem and your garden is too flat. A flat garden often looks uninteresting. So, landscaping your garden is a good way to introduce height and variation.
This might be achieved by adding different levels, or through the use of trees, hedges andarchitectural plants or by using clever screening. Whatever the method, your landscape gardener will work with you to create something that suits you and your space.
Adds privacy
Most of us don’t live rurally, so our gardens can struggle with privacy. Landscape gardening can help to screen your space from neighbours and other intrusions such as schools, parks, railway lines and unsightly buildings.
Again, this type of landscaping might utilise trees and tall plants as well as other screening techniques such as fences and pergolas. Using an expert to design the space properly can help to avoid planning breaches and can maximise privacy without blocking the sunlight.
Increases greenery
A small garden can benefit from landscaping just as much as a large one. And one of the big things landscaping can do for a small space is to increase the amount of greenery.
When growing space is limited, adapting your garden landscape to include features such as vertical gardens and roof gardens or structures such as obelisks and arches, can boost the sense of space and overall appeal.
Reduces maintenance
Having your garden landscaped for low maintenance will vastly reduce the amount of time and energy it takes to keep the space looking good. This is priceless for busy families and for people who simply can’t manage.
The new landscaping might make use of hardscaping such as patios or plants that need less in the way of feeding, watering and pruning. Or it might be the installation of raised beds and wide paths to help make gardening easier.
Makes better use of your space
Sometimes, despite the amount of space, a garden can feel cluttered or awkward to use. And again, this is something that landscaping can improve. While landscaping can’t give you more space, it can make the space you have more usable. Typically this will involve assessing your needs first, then redesigning your garden to meet them.
In practical terms, this might be done by zoning your garden for different activities or by laying or moving a lawn and patio to create better spaces to play and relax. But it could also mean reshaping a large lawn to accommodate other features such as an outdoor kitchen. It really depends on what you want to use your garden for.
Increases your home’s value
Finally, an attractive, well-maintained garden is thought to add a whopping 20% to the value of your home. So, landscaping your garden can help to protect your biggest asset.
One of the main benefits of landscaping a garden is it improves the aesthetics, so it’s a way to make your home appealing to buyers. This might be done by adding sought-after features or simply refreshing the design.