Landscaping: A Good Investment

专业园景属性是快速转售的肯定票证。它给出了一个家庭遏制上诉，一种地方和价值。“这是你所看到的第一件事，”华盛顿州华盛顿州蜜月景观建筑Joan Honeyman说，第一印象可以增加20％到你家的价值，这是一个竞争于新厨房或浴室的返回的数字。

园林绿化基础知识
The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) recommends that homeowners invest 10 percent of the home’s value in landscaping. Landscape architecture goes beyond plantings, or softscaping, to include structural features like lighting, fences, garden paths, fire pits, swimming pools, and ponds.户外房, terraces, anddecksare also high-yield structural or hardscaping investments. A landscape architect can work with the client to generate a detailed plan. Typically, the homeowner then hires ageneral contractor, landscape contractor, or subcontractor to perform the installation.

Hiring a Pro
When hiring a landscape architect, go with a licensed professional. ASLA-certified architects give you a detailed plan that your contractor can follow and one that you, or your landscaping maintenance company, can manage. These four-year degreed professionals know about botany, horticulture, engineering, and design. They are also experts in property grading,soils, and irrigation. If you’re looking for a quick sketch and some basic advice, your local home and garden center has designers that can help. If you’re planning on installing permanent structures, look to a professional. Like all building projects, this is an investment in your property—so get the guidance of a professional before you begin.

评估和规划你的风景
的玩家rst step in landscape renovation is a property assessment. A qualified arborist can help distinguish betweendying treesand those that just need a bit of care and attention. “Homeowners will also want to look at what’s overgrown, what’s obscuring windows, what needs to be pruned or taken out,” says Honeyman. A certified landscape architect will help you choose which plants and flowers are best suited to your region and lifestyle.

Landscape architects generally look at key areas of enhancement. An on-grade patio, an above-grade deck, a front walk, complementary plantings in the front yard, andexterior lighting都是可取的。外部照明超越了安全性，可以使用上灯，下灯和树灯在夜间展示自然世界。

景观趋势
Possibly the hottest trend in landscape architecture—particularly in temperate climates—is the outdoor room or terrace extension. “We’re seeing a lot of family rooms with an adjacent outside terrace that marries the inside with the outside. We bring views into the house using fountains, a grove of trees, or arbors,” Honeyman says. Using building materials that complement the inside helps the spaces read fluently from one to the other.

The interest in landscaping and property enhancement is a natural extension of the boom in home renovation and improvement. Homeowners are paying more attention to the link between indoors and outdoors. “People are making a better connection to the environment and their outdoor space,” ASLA vice president Rob Tilson says. “They are investing more in the rear of their property.”

Beware of Landscaping Pitfalls
也许房主的最大错误是一种零碎的景观方式。房主开始项目，开始清除区域，放入植物的混合，并继续没有plan。结果是一个占地的植物和花园的议程，使物业成为杂乱的感觉。一位实施的专业景观设计提供了抛光的外观。在专业准备的计划之后，将在预定的预算范围内将房主带到一个美丽的财产。

Keep It Green
It is important to protect your landscaping investment and keep your property looking its very best. A landscape designer or landscaper can help you devise a schedule for upkeep and maintenance. Be honest with yourself—if you do not have the time or the inclination to maintain your exterior plantings, engage the regular services of a landscaping maintenance company. Also, make sure that you discuss maintenance with your landscape designer, who can specify low-maintenance vegetation if gardening and backyard puttering are not your thing.

Most of all, remember that everything doesn’t have to happen at once. Consider a five-year plan that has plantings maturing at varying rates and adds various features each year. This way you can remain within your budget—time-wise and cost-wise—while still progressing toward a complete landscape renovation.