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 One way to improve the value of a home is to keep it nice looking
on the outside. A well-manicured landscape is eye catching and
leaves potential buyers with the impression that the home is
well-loved and cared for. Those first impressions are important.
Some consider that creating a great landscape is going to take a lot
of work and a good amount of money. Before they’ve even begun, they
see it as a daunting task that they are not prepared to undertake.
It doesn’t have to be that way. A great landscape can be minimal
with a few well-chosen plants and a nicely mown lawn. Or, it can be
intricate with a variety of plants, trees, shrubs, and a stellar
focal point. The main thing is to do what you are capable of, and
don’t create a hard-to-maintain landscape if you don’t have the time
to care for it.
Sherrie Snyder, founder of Illinois Prairie Wild Ones recently spoke
at the Russel Allen Garden Day in Lincoln. In her opinion the best
way to have a beautiful and low maintenance landscape is to go
native. Snyder spoke about the wide variety of Illinois native
plants and offered some suggestions on how to incorporate them into
the lawn.
 One of the best advantages of natives is that they are accustomed to
the climate. Native flora has progressed through the centuries,
surviving on its own with the sun, rain, wind, heat, and cold that
are a natural part of this region. Because of this, these plants
require very little extra care from the gardener. The important part
of raising them successfully is to get them in the sun if that is
what they love or the shade if that is where they thrive.
Plants that love the sun include Pale Purple Coneflower, Aromatic
Aster, and Prairie Phlox, just to name a few. Shade lovers include a
variety of natural ferns, Columbine, and Fire Pinks.
Another great part about Natives is that by and large these will be
perennial plants. Perennials come back each season on their own.
Once they are established in the lawn, a lot of the work is done.
When budget is a concern, this means you can buy a few plants each
year and over time create the landscape you love.
Snyder says the best thing to do is study and plan before you buy
that first native plant. Check out your lawn at various times of day
to see where the sun is. If a spot gets six or more hours of direct
sunlight per day, that is considered “full sun.” Four to six hours
per day is partial sun, Two to four hours of sunlight per day is
partial shade, and less than two hours per day of direct sunlight is
considered full shade.
Also, you should know your lawn’s water habits. Study your lawn for
high and low spots. When it rains, look and see if there are areas
that don’t drain well and water pools, and then plan around those
areas, or purchase plants that don’t mind having “wet feet.”
Before you buy, do your homework on the plants themselves. The
internet offers a tremendous amount of information right at the
fingertips. Information you will want to know is: How tall will the
plant grow? What type of sun does it like and can it tolerate
extreme wet (for your low spot) or extreme dry? If it is a flowering
plant, how long and at what time of year will it bloom? Will it
spread? Some plants are ground cover, and will spread and multiply
on their own. This can be a great asset to the landscape, but if you
want a bed that stays about the same size year after year, then
ground cover plants will require more work on your part.
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Next draw your plan on paper. This does not have to be a sophisticated drawing,
just a general idea of what you would like your lawn to look like when
everything is finished.
A couple of tips to follow: Gentle curves in the flower beds make a lawn seem
friendlier than beds with sharp corners. In addition, curving beds are easier to
mow around and will require less hand trimming. Be aware of what is attracted to
the plant. For example, if a plant attracts honeybees, it might be better to
utilize it in an area not close to sidewalks or doors.
As you draw out your plan, decide if you want a flat-sided bed or round. A
flat-sided bed will have the tallest plants in the back with shorter plants
stair-stepping down in front of them. A round bed will have the tallest plants
in the center with shorter plants placed all around them. Flat side beds are
great to put against a fence or a plain wall of the home. Round beds are great
for placing in the center of the lawn where they will look well-proportioned
from all sides.
And finally, does your landscape need a focal point? The focal point is going to
be the singular area where the eye is first drawn when gazing on the lawn. That
focal point may be one of your flower beds. It could be an ornamental tree, or
it could be an accessory or lawn ornament, or even a large stone or boulder.
Whatever it might be, it is important to keep the focal point in proportion to
the rest of the landscape.
In a small lawn, a gazing ball or birdbath with flowers planted around it may be
all you need. A small stone with your house number engraved on it can also be a
suitable focal point for a small yard. One suggestion there might be to set the
stone and plant creeping phlox around it.
Boulders or large stones can fit nicely in a larger lawn, but be aware of the
size and placement. You want the focal point to complement the lawn, not over
take it.
And the last point to consider, when you’re designing your landscape with the
idea that someday your home will be for sale, you might be wise to keep it a
little more generic. Well placed, easy care plants and tasteful lawn
decorations, if they are going to stay, will help the potential buyer see that
they can maintain the lawn without having to do a lot of work themselves.
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