A landscape that includes grass, shrubs and trees adds interest to your home. It also provides numerous environmental, social and mental health benefits.
A well-manicured lawn and beautiful landscaping is the first thing prospective buyers notice about your property. This can increase your home’s value and lead to a faster sale. For professional help, contact Prime Cut Lawn and Landscaping.
People love green spaces – whether it’s their local park, their children’s playground or their own back garden. Spending time in nature has been proven to reduce stress, increase happiness and improve wellbeing. Landscapers help to keep these public and private green spaces in good condition, ensuring that they remain healthy and appealing places for people to visit.
It’s not often mentioned, but green spaces play a huge role in preserving biodiversity. As human society has developed, massive swathes of the natural world have been destroyed, and biodiversity is suffering as a result. The work of landscapers helps to combat this by encouraging the growth of native plants and creating a rich ecosystem that can thrive.
The presence of green spaces also plays a crucial role in reducing the urban heat island effect. By absorbing heat and releasing it into the air, vegetation can lower the temperature of surrounding buildings and roads by up to 17’C. This can drastically cut energy costs, while also reducing air conditioning usage.
Plants and trees can also absorb noise pollution, and dense forestry can act as a buffer against noise from nearby streets and businesses. Finally, wetlands and other water bodies can cleanse partially-treated wastewater and provide vital habitat for aquatic wildlife.
Landscaping also helps to protect homes from damage. If left unattended, roots and tree trunks can crack foundations and cause leaks; but if landscapers regularly trim and manage plants and trees, they can prevent damage and maintain a healthy balance between Mother Nature and the home itself.
Many businesses are choosing to use green spaces to showcase their commitment to the environment. This can boost brand awareness and attract a new demographic of customers who are looking to support eco-friendly companies. Sustainable landscaping practices also help to reduce business expenses, making it an excellent investment for any organisation.
Keeping up with the maintenance of gardens and public spaces isn’t easy, especially when it comes to dealing with the elements. This is why having a professional landscaper on hand to help with everything from planting and fertilisation to pest control and pruning is essential.
Improves Mental Health
Gardening is one of the most therapeutic activities you can do, according to several studies. Not only does it offer a great way to connect with nature, but gardening can also reduce stress, increase memory, improve depression and boost happiness levels. In addition, it is a great form of exercise and helps you feel good because it increases endorphins and decreases cortisol.
In fact, one study found that people who live in areas with more green spaces have lower stress levels and healthier cortisol patterns than those who live in more urbanized areas. The researchers believe that this is because being surrounded by nature and spending time in the gardens and parks has a positive impact on people’s mental health.
The same researchers have found that incorporating the benefits of gardening and nature into urban design can have an even greater impact on residents’ well-being. They plan to integrate mental health into the InVEST software tool used by city planners and other decision-makers, so that they can anticipate how much benefit a specific natural feature like trees or a park will provide to the community.
This new metric, called a “mental health ecosystem service,” would be added to the existing services such as water purification and flood risk reduction that landscape architects have long been asked to consider when developing an area. The researchers hope that the inclusion of this metric will lead to more urban planners and developers including the presence of green space and horticultural therapy in their designs.
If you’re a property manager or landlord, you can help your tenants reap these mental health benefits by providing them with access to lush landscaping on your property. The addition of trees, shrubs and flowers will not only add to the curb appeal of your property but it will also improve air quality, reduce noise pollution, and help with temperature regulation.
If you love working outdoors and enjoy growing plants, landscaping may be the perfect career for you! The industry offers a variety of career paths, including designers, technicians, supervisors, managers and sales professionals. To learn more about how you can get involved, click here.
Increases Property Value
Landscaping has many benefits that increase your property value, including curb appeal and a beautiful garden. A well-kept landscape is a great way to attract potential buyers and make your home or business more attractive to those looking for a new place to live or work.
According to a study by Husqvarna, homes with lush gardens have higher market values than those without. The survey split a group of 5,000 homeowners into two and showed them pictures of houses that had been professionally landscaped and those that were not. The participants guessed that the house with the nice garden would be worth 11% more than the one without the landscaping.
The type of landscaping that increases your property value most includes the use of native plants and natural features, which are easier to maintain than traditional turf grass, flower beds, and other exotic plantings. Using native plants also reduces the amount of water required to keep the soil healthy and the plants thriving. These benefits can be particularly valuable in times of drought.
Adding a patio, deck, or walkways to your outdoor space can also be very beneficial in terms of increasing your property value. These features will provide an inviting area for guests to enjoy the outdoors and allow for outdoor living and entertaining.
In addition to adding visual appeal, a well-designed and maintained landscaping can help decrease the time your home spends on the market by enhancing its curb appeal. A home with a beautiful front yard and backyard is more appealing to buyers than an unfinished or overgrown property, making it a great investment.
A professional landscaping company will be able to create a plan that meets your specific needs and is both functional and visually appealing. They will consider the location and type of weather in your area when designing your landscape, which is important for a successful outcome. Ultimately, this will allow you to increase your property value while enjoying the benefits of a beautiful garden for years to come. For example, planting trees and other shrubs that can provide shade in the summer will lower air temperatures and therefore lessen your need for cooling which saves you money on energy bills.
Enhances Outdoor Living Spaces
A well-designed outdoor space adds a functional living area to your property, increasing the total usable square footage of your home. These spaces can be used for relaxing, entertaining, and connecting with nature. Many homeowners find that their landscape serves as a sanctuary that encourages relaxation and socialization with family and friends. This helps to reduce stress and improve overall mental health.
Transforming your landscape adds aesthetic appeal to your property while also improving its resale value. When you choose to work with a professional landscaper, they can create a plan for your project that breaks it down into manageable sections. This will prevent you from becoming overwhelmed by the number of projects on your to-do list and help you achieve the look that you want for your home over time.
One of the most important elements in a landscaping design is color. Warm colors, like reds and yellows, create excitement and draw the eye towards focal points. Cool colors, on the other hand, are calming and evoke feelings of peace and tranquility. Landscape designers use these colors to create a specific mood for your landscaping.
In addition to incorporating a variety of plant species, you can also incorporate hardscape features into your landscape design to provide visual interest and functionality. Pathways and patios are great ways to define different areas of your yard. They can also provide a durable surface for walking and reduce erosion on sloped terrain.
Water features like ponds and waterfalls add a sense of luxury to your landscaping and can serve as focal points. The sound of flowing water creates a soothing ambiance that promotes relaxation and tranquility.
Incorporating a fire pit or outdoor kitchen into your landscape is another way to increase the amount of time you can spend outdoors in the summer. These spaces offer the opportunity to socialize with friends and family while enjoying delicious foods and drinks outside. With the rise of remote work, outdoor workspaces are becoming increasingly popular with homeowners. They are designed to offer a comfortable and productive environment with power outlets, shaded seating, and strong Wi-Fi signals.