Kansas City is finally warming up after a brutal winter and I am ready to get outdoors for any reason. Many people have spent time fixing up the insides of their houses during the Covid pandemic but one thing that is often overlooked in home improvement is landscaping!! While landscaping sounds like a monumental task that requires you to hire a professional there are a lot of DIY projects that will add a little color to your exterior. Small gardens with low maintenance plants can add a lot of curb appeal to your home increasing the ability to attract not only pollinators but also better buyers and renters.
Think of your yard as additional room or even rooms outside of your house. If you play or eat outside think of those areas as additional living rooms or dining rooms. As such you probably want to decorate those area like you do the indoors. They are ‘public spaces’-in that your neighbors can see them, unlike our indoor spaces which I am often times grateful no one can see!!
Planting shrubs, trees, flowering plants and ground cover not only reduce the amount of yard you need to mow and reduce the need for weed eating, but also tell your neighbors you care about the street you live on. You might live in an area where it seems no one cares about their yards but do not be discouraged. It doesn’t matter what neighborhood you live in or how unsightly your neighbor’s yards. Just plant a little creeping phlox around your mailbox and watch as your neighbors start to take an interest in their own outdoor projects. You would be surprised at the benefits of little curb appeal. Beauty attracts beauty and it may even make you a happier person!
Another thing to consider is whether or not plants are native to Kansas and Missouri. You do not want to introduce an invasive species of plant the spreads uncontrolled across you property. The whole idea is to keep it beautiful and low maintenance. Plants native to the area are more likely to thrive and perhaps achieve the goal of low maintenance landscaping. There are all sorts of grasses native to Kansas that can be planted as a substitute to popular ornamental grasses. Keep in mind different nurseries will carry different plants based on popularity. Big box stores will most likely carry whatever is profitable without regard to what is best for your yard. I’m looking at you overgrown-out-of-control hardy pampas!! Take a look at some of the links below to learn more about how you can spruce up your landscape on a budget.
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