Adding charm to your landscaping always adds value to your home. My husband’s company has moved us around the country 3 times in the last 10 years not to mention I am a Marine Corps kid and know a few things about how to move. I’ve watched my parents have to sell a house in a hurry and my husband and I have been under that same pressure. The goal of course, is to sell for as much money as possible and as quickly as possible. One guaranteed way to do that is to have a blue ribbon house starting with your curb appeal. Here are some cheap and unbeatable ways to add charm and value.
1) Edge your flower beds with real stone . We have done this in every house usually for free. Find a new construction site in your area and during the day when there is someone working in the on-site management trailer, ask them nicely if you could load up the back of a pick-up-truck (or minivan) with one or two loads of loose football sized stones. Let them know this is for your home garden. If they turn you down because of safety issues, ask if you could come by on a Sunday afternoon (when all the “digger" trucks are parked). This has worked for us more than once. Make sure you beds have curved lines as opposed to straight edges. This looks better. Trust me.
2) Add an arch. Either over a gate or a bench. I bought one at a major craft store chain at the end of summer (when it was on clearance) for $17. It was green metal and I had to put it together myself. I also spray painted it with a dark oiled bronze paint. We also cemented it in about a foot deep using a level. This guarantees it won’t blow over into your neighbor’s yard and that it will look level and professional. I grew an evergreen blooming vine up one side called Carolina Jesamine which grows rapidly and blooms yellow in early Spring. On the other side of the arch, I grew a climbing rose so that I would have blooms from March – Oct and because the Jesamine is an evergreen, there would be some thing green and climbing all year round.
3) Create an outside seating area . Find a shaded corner of your yard and add a bench. I have done this in two houses. The first house I found two picnic benches for free at the end of a yard sale. Apparently someone else bought only the picnic table. The seller had painted the benches pink. Go figure, nobody wanted to buy two pink picnic benches… except me. I was happy to take them off her hands for FREE. I of course painted them dark green and sanded the edges for a shabby garden look. They fit perfectly against the fence around my patio. I placed large oversized potted plants on either side and they added not only charm but functionality to my landscaping. I have also purchased a concrete bench at a flee market for under $20 and placed it under a tree next to a birdbath. Benches are a great way to add charm and functionality.
4) Add a bird bath . Bird baths are not that expensive. You can usually pick one up from a garden supply center for under $100 during the peak season and on discount at the end of the summer. I once made one out of a concrete pedestal that I bought at a craft store (with a coupon) that I used as the base. I then bought a large planter saucer base to set on top as the dish part.. I always use my bird baths as an excuse to plant gobs of cottage like perennials around the base. I usually encircle my bird baths with bulbs, iris, lambs ear, and or hostas.
5) Label your flower beds. This is a trick I learned from a house that my husband and I LOVED when we were house hunting during one of our many corporate moves. This owner had purchased little copper plant labels and hand written the common names on them and spiked them down into her flower beds. You don’t need to be a very knowledgeable gardener to do this. You can also find some inexpensive plant labels on-line from either a garden source or possibly from e-bay. You can just use common flower names. Save the original potted plant labels to cheat if you can’t remember the names of the plants. This tip adds loads of charm to your landscaping as well as providing a gift for the next owner.
» left by Anonymous (334 days 5 hours ago.)
Great article. I have a question, hope someone knows: under 'Add an Archway', she mentions spray-painting it with an oiled metal bronze paint. Where do you get that kind of paint? I am looking for an oiled metal bronze spray paint. Who are the manufacturers and what kind of store can I purchase it? Thanks! Respond to this comment
» left by Kathy Kline Danner from Franklin, TN (326 days 14 hours ago.)
Hi there! Thank you for your comment/question.. I have done this at two different houses and used two different colors. I used Rustoleum brand spray paint. The first time, I used a satin finish dark brown paint for the "oiled bronze" look but it was just dark brown paint. The second time I used satin finish Black and it matches my black metal fence. The orginal arch is a kit that you put together and comes in a green metal. I have found the kit at Michaels both times and in two different cities. It is in the wedding section. Once I bought it for $30 and another time, I bought it with a coupon for only $17. My husband and I cemented it into the ground using a level and it looks great. The black version looks like a $200 + rod iron arch. Good luck and enJOY!
- Kathy Danner Respond to this comment
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