Easy Landscaping Tips for New Homeowners

In the first year of homeownership, many homeowners are too busy unpacking and making home improvements to focus much on upgrading their home's landscaping. If you're a new Northeast Calgary homeowner who would like to keep your new home looking nice but you don't have much time for making major landscaping changes, these tips can help.

Don't Be Afraid to Prune (or Remove!)

Old shrubs can start to look scraggly or overgrown with time. Pruning shrubs rejuvinates them. Once the leaves grow back, they look almost new. Most plants need to be pruned in spring or fall. Homeowners who aren't sure when to prune their shrubs can check with a local nursery to find out when is the best time.

Plant Annuals for Low Maintenance Beauty

Annual plants and flowers, as opposed to perennials, live one season, and then they die. They're very focused on reproducing, so they tend to be prolific growers even without attention from homeowners. Many types of annuals will produce attractive clusters of colorful flowers throughout the summer.

For low-maintenance beauty, homeowners can plant annuals in their garden beds. When choosing annuals, it's important to note which flowers need shade and which prefer sun, and then to plant them accordingly.

Forget about Fertilizing, Keep Up With Watering

Lawns and garden beds start to look very dry in summer if they're not watered. Most lawns and gardens will survive if they're not fertilized, but will die without water. Homeowners who are trying to keep their lawn looking nice must at least water their lawns and flowers at least twice per week, and more often when temperatures rise. A built-in sprinkler system can help with this, but if one is not available, a sprinkler attached to a hose will suffice.

Make Plans for the Future

Many homeowners save their big landscaping project for the second or third year of homeownership, when they've settled into their property a little bit. If you're a new homeowner who would like to improve your homes curb appeal in years to come, make plans early. Doing this will enable you to start gathering supplies in the off-season when gardening supplies go on clearance.

Doing this will make it easier to improve your landscaping when the time comes. If you're a homeowner who would like to know more about improving curb appeal and what you can do to make your home look good to buyers, contact a real estate agent. Your real estate professional can give you suggestions that can help you sell your house when the time comes.