Add Curb Appeal With Landscape Design
Spring is here and Property Improvement Enterprises crews are in the process of completing a couple of large houses where landscaping will be a key component. Property landscape architecture will add to their curb appeal, as well as, our sustainability efforts. Here are a couple of key factors that go into the design and planning process:
Function
Environmental soundness
Visual enjoyment
Cost
The first factor is a function which aligns with our sustainability mission. We are designing a Rain Garden to manage stormwater runoff for the Bethesda property. Since it is a 1000 sqft addition the new roof size doubles the size of the existing roof. Instead of sending the water down the driveway into storm drains or into a dry well, we decided to feed a rain garden. It helps treat pollutants carried in stormwater by filtering them out.
By selecting native plants we can ensure that the plants thrive and perform well with respect to filtering the stormwater providing the expected environmental benefits.. We have chosen a few from the recommendations of The Alliance for the Bay. The plants need to be compatible with the zones they are being placed into for example Black-Eyed Susans need to be in the dry zone while Winterberry shrubs can be in the ponding zones.
Visual Enjoyment should combine a variety of colors that bloom different times of the year, as well as, different height plants to provide texture. For example, the Black-Eyed Susans and Forsythia are bright yellow in early spring and provide height to the backside of the rain garden. In the center where the water may pond and retain the most moisture, we have chosen the red WinterBerry.
Finally, depending on your budget most of these varieties can be purchased in different size buckets anywhere from 1 to 3 gallon. The cost for each plan ranges from $5-7 for a root package online but it will take some time for the plants to grow. Or at any local garden center, you can pick up buckets from $20-50 depending on the size you want to start within your gardens. Check back in next month to see what some of the Property Improvement Enterprises completed landscaping projects.
