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Curb Appeal

Are you getting ready to sell your home? Are you ready to buy a new home? I know a few folks who have been looking for the past few months.  One thing I have found that stands out for new home buyers is photos of what the yard looks like in Spring and Summer. The best one was a proud home owner who actually took the time to draw a map of their yard complete with the names of the trees and perennials that would be popping up in the Spring and Summer.

This is such a big help to the new owners. At the garden center we tend to advise people to go through all 4 seasons before they make big changes in existing landscapes. Of course some folks know what they want right away but sometimes this means that beautiful established perennials end up disappearing.

If you have just purchased a home and can’t wait to get out in the garden to put your own unique stamp on it but you’re not sure just what that might be, we’d love to help!  Take a little time before you make the trip out to the garden center to prepare for your visit.  Take photos of your house and yard to bring with you and save photos from the web of trees and shrubs you love so we can get an idea of what you’re looking for. You will also want to be ready with answers to some questions we might ask.  Plants, like people, thrive in the right conditions, so take time to notice where the sun comes up and goes down and how much sun and shade you get in specific spots. We might want to know if you’re trying to block off a neighbor. Or just how fast you want a tree to grow.  What kind of garden do you love? Soft sways and circles or straight, formal lines?  How much time do you think you will be able to spend in the garden?

Remember, gardening is great exercise plus a stress reducer. It is also a wonderful way to spend time with your whole family. Bring out the children or grandchildren and have them help pick up the sticks that fell from branches this winter. Give them a rake to pull out those pesky old leaves that got stuck in the bushes. If you’re getting your home ready to sell and have older children, let them help you with a map of your gardens. Pull out some family photos and look carefully at your landscape so you can identify the major details you put into your home. We get so many new homeowners that show up each Spring with photos of plants in their yards with no idea what they are. Drawing a map is just one more way to help sell your home.

Happy house hunting (or selling)!

by Stephanie Fleming, Behnke’s Vice President

Stephanie Fleming was raised at Behnke’s Nurseries in Beltsville. Her Mom, Sonja, was one of Albert & Rose Behnke’s four children. She was weeding from the moment she could walk and hiding as soon as she was old enough to run, so many weeds, so little time. Although she quickly learned how to pull out a perennial and get taken off of weed pulling duty.

This Post Has 2 Comments

  1. Love the “curb” …… so “not measured with a ruler, yet perfectly staggered and happily carrying your eye from one place to another – who ever did it, they can practice on my triste curbs in front of the house.
    🙂 ch

  2. Glad you liked this photo! I love the gentle curves also. At home we use a garden hose and lay it out like we want the flower bed to flow. Then use spray paint to outline the area
    Have fun!
    Stepphanie

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