Curb Appeal - Front Yard Transformation in EGR

East Grand Rapids Home Before Landscape Transformation

Planning to sell your home soon? Don't just clean up that landscape. Transform it.

 

If your home landscape hasn't recently been updated, you should really consider replacing outdated plantings.  It makes sense to keep mature, well placed trees and shrubs, assuming they have not become too over grown to be effectively prune without constricting your options for transformation.  Proper pruning can turn healthy trees and shrubs into prime focal points. 

Here I added PJM Rhododendron, Endless Summer Hydrangeas, Chocolate Eupatorium, Huechera, Hanoke Grasses and Hostas - Color interest is assured through use of "evergreen" foliage of various colors, as well as steady flowering of different plants from season to season.

Once you have determined what trees and shrubs can remain with careful pruning, remove other worn out plants.  Make sure you have removed all roots from old plants without damaging desirable plant roots. 

Having removed old perennials, shrubs and trees, it will be necessary to add garden soil or compost to fill the vacant spaces.  Spread four inches of compost over the area you are renovating.  In small areas, mix the compost in using a shovel or garden fork and rake.  Large areas will need to be mixed using a tiller. Just don't damage tree roots in the process. Alternatively, mix compost into individual planting holes at a 1:1 ratio.

Ground cover such as the Periwinkle seen here can be very effective for large areas.  However, it needs to be used in moderation.  The above area lacked height and color variation making the overall look pretty boring.  Overgrown Yews had previously been removed from beneath the windows (good move) leaving only Pachysandra.  Dull.  Most ground cover overwhelms other perennials and shrubs, so if you plan to keep the ground cover, be sure the plants have enough space to become established and not be choked out.  Also, choose plants that sufficiently tall and whose leaves naturally emerge higher than the typical 6-10" height of Periwinkle and Pachysandra.

Here we have another "before" view of the home we transformed in EGR.

And here is the after view.  Notice the colorful display.  I removed the existing Pachysandra and Periwinkle to make room for new perennials, including 'Candy Hearts' Bleeding Heart, 'Brise D'anjou' Jacob's Ladder, Burgenia and a variety of Hostas.  Also included in this planting area: a weeping Japanese Maple and 'Endless Summer' Hydrangea, repeated from the other side of the house.

 

This gently curving path is NY Bluestone set in Slate chips.  Another walkway that stands out and creates a unique feature that makes the landscape a stunning masterpiece.

 

This home in EGR beat the market by selling in a matter of weeks, not months. 

 

Believe it or not, this house sold at the asking price. 

 

Major selling point:

CURB APPEAL.

 

For assistance in designing a unique landscape for your home or business, or help creating that CURB APPEAL for the house or business you need to sell

 

Call Brent @ (616) 328-3258.