Tips on Curb Appeal for St Petersburg and Tampa Bay residents
By Rick Orr - agronomist, blogger
How's your curb appeal?
Curb Appeal? Try these ideas to get started making your house inviting to potential buyers.
Even Weeds look Good Mowed
Mowing can really change the appearance of the home. And mowing as high as the mower will go is best. The high mowing height will encourage the desirable species to dominate the lawn producing a better appearance. Consider hiring a lawn mowing service on a weekly basis to keep the lawn manicured and instruct them to mow as high as the mower will go.
Mulch is like a Fresh Coat of Paint
Mulch is cheap and it gives a landscape a freshly painted look. Use Roundup as a pretreatment before mulching to ensure months of good looking mulch. When mulching beds, extend the mulch area 12 to 24” beyond the planted beds canopy or the drip line. This “air gap” between lawn and shrubs provides for a great accent and can sharpen the image of any landscape. Also, bare areas under trees will look better covered with a circle of decorative mulch 3’ to 10’ in diameter.
Tidy up Trees and Shrubs
The best landscapes look natural and inviting. Tidy up unruly shrubs by shearing into natural shapes – not poodle dogs or boxy looking shapes. Trees that provide shade and invite people to sit under them are very appealing. Prune trees and palms by removing only the dead and dying limbs of fronds. DO NOT trim palms so that only 2 or 3 fronds are left or prune a large tree into a poodle dog tree – this is frightening to most people.
Invest in Water
The number one way to turn a landscape into a lush landscape is water. Money spent on repairing and maintaining an irrigation system is money spent on curb appeal.
Landscape Renovation is a Process and it takes Time
If you are thinking of selling in the future – say a year from now – start renovating your landscape now. Lawns and shrubs can easily be restored to their original beauty in a year with good care and maintenance. Consider hiring a good lawn spraying company to help with the fertility and pest control.
You can learn more tips on landscaping, lawn spraying, turf care and other related topics on Rick’s site www.iloveturf.com . Be sure to tune in to Turf Radio as well as check out Rick’s latest Featured Blog Posts and Articles.
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