Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Copy Link
Spruce up your Space this Spring
With spring upon us and gardening on the top of our minds lets discuss 5 simple landscaping ideas to spruce up your space this spring before you rush out and use your 20% off plants at Mailliards Landing Nursery coupon during the month of April. Don’t have one but want one? Request yours here!
- Do you have a side yard that doesn’t get much sun? You probably find yourself feeling defeated when you are constantly left with patchy grass intermingled with mud when you were shooting for a lush green lawn. This is a sight for sore eyes, but this defeated feeling can be instantly cured with landscaping material such as pea gravel, sand, or steppingstones. A smooth, full look in this type of area is appealing to the eye and can give your yard a polished look that is not only simple to create but is also easy to maintain. Pro tip! Spruce it up with some potted seasonal flowers to brighten the space when you feel necessary.
- Determine your yards focal point. This is typically one big item. It can be a tree, a shrub, or a hardscape item like an arch, bench, or sculpture. Perhaps your yard already has one? If so, work with it to enhance eyes towards that focal point. If you don’t have one, Mailliards has a plethora of plants, shrubs and hardscape ideas to get your yard from 0 to 100 in no time!
- Create a flower bed. When choosing plants, lean on the expertise of garden store staff (they typically have a plethora of knowledge in this area). Then experiment with plants that work well in that location based on the level of sun, shade, and soil quality.
- PRO TIP: Choose native plants! These are plants that grow naturally in your area, are economical, and super easy to care for because they flourish with little to no help and are still enjoyable to look at.
- Add fresh mulch to flower and garden beds. Keep in mind that dark new mulch not only protects your plants, but it prevents weed growth and creates a fresh clean look for your yard.
Let your creativity flow. Post a picture to your social when you are done and tag us in it. We would love to see your finished product!
Instagram: @windermere_whidbey_island
Facebook: @WindermereWhidbeyIsland
If you are considering buying or selling and would like to dive deeper into this subject, we would be happy to schedule a consult with you at your home to show you even more low-cost tips and tricks for maximizing your sale price! Call us today at 360.675.5953 or email us at whidbeycommunications@windermere.com.
If you liked this article you might also like: Best ways to increase curb appeal for under $100 this Spring.
Benefits of Plants in the Home
Some have used the hashtag #CubicleFlorist in their descriptions of me. Yes, I will admit my earlier days in the Real Estate industry things got out of hand quickly – my cubicle basically had its own ozone! What I could not convince my wife to let me keep in the home, I very quietly and unceremoniously forced upon my office-mates. From traditional lilies and orchids, to carnivorous varieties (bogs!) and everything in between. At one point I assumed the role of “Office Plant Manager” and was bestowed upon a 9-year-old Ficus tree, nursed back to life a Peruvian Nerve Plant, started a bonsai collection, and had a pothos almost eat my computer. Yes, things escalated quickly.
While I am unsure where my passion for plants came from (the only ones who don’t kill everything they touch in my family are my brother Seth and my Grandmother!) I am certain about one thing: Plants Maketh The Home. Aside from the variety of health benefits associated with live plants in the home, they bring a sort of comfortableness – a touch of softness that transforms the rigidity of a house into a home, a living space. Scroll through any Pinterest or Instagram feed on house plants and you’ll get the idea – sterile spaces subtly (and elegantly!) pop with color, freshness, and a calming sense of peace. Grounded. Home. Even the pots or crates that hold these plants take on a meaning of their own and can be used to accent room colors, codify décor, or solidify a sense of continuity throughout a space. Scroll through our real estate photos and you will see decorative plants in almost every listing photo!
Many articles have been written over the years on the benefits of plants in the home. What they have all left out? You. All things in our lives are merely extensions of ourselves – plants play an integral part in defining and showcasing our personality. Think about it: the candles you buy, the soaps or fragrances you use, the solvents you clean with…all these smells and advertisements have lemons, lavender, pine, vanilla, cinnamon…
Fresh Basil plants in the kitchen? Check.
Pine bonsais for therapy in the home office? Check.
Plumeria in the sunroom? Check.
Venus Fly Traps in the kids room? Check.
As we celebrate World Environment Day, it’s important to underline here that all this begins with You – expressively showcasing You by the warmth and life you bring into your home as a reflection of the environment around you. We as a Human Race are joined together, all of us in this life, and apart from all the rest of the chaos – the noise – there is one place on this great Earth that shelters us, comforts us, provides us sanctuary: Your Home.
Call to action today? Fill your home with Joy – fill it with houseplants! (*Not checking with your significant other first may be hazardous to your health.)
Joyfully,
You Might Also Like:
Get the Buck Out of My Yard
Making a Memorable Home
