It was another exhausting and lengthy drive to and from the school.
The timing of the snow storms this winter have been frustrating. When it does not even start snowing until 2:00 am or 3:00 am it is difficult to clear the streets before the morning commute of getting kids to school and workers getting into their jobs. When no more than two inches of snow have fallen by 5:30 am, few schools get cancelled. As a result, you again find yourself exhausted as you return from dropping your daughter off at high school.
In an attempt to ignore the fact that it is still the first week of February and you could have many more exhausting drives this winter, you decide to focus on something entirely different. With a stack of landscaping magazines on the table and a notebook where you clip and file your favorite ideas, you decide to ignore the sidewalks and driveway that should probably be sco4oped, and instead focus on making some plans for your future landscaping projects. As you cross your fingers and hope that the forecasted afternoon sun really makes an appearance and melts away most of the snow, you begin to dream about what your yard will look like in a few months.
What Are Your Landscaping Plans for Your Home or Business?
It is easy to become frustrated with the wind, the cold, and the snow of winter once the do it yourself television shows start focusing on planning for new landscaping design or building a retaining wall. It is equally frustrating to have to spend more time outside scooping off the driveway and clearing the sidewalk when you know that the warmer months of summer are several weeks away. The die hard landscapers, however, never really quit planning or dreaming. Landscape design can be addictive, and even on the coldest of winter days you will likely find some avid gardener making plans for next year’s improvements and additions.
In fact, it is often a good idea to have your ideas and goals in mind in time for the arrival of seed catalogs in the mailbox, and before the local companies start replenishing their stocks. In Texas, for instance, Plano landscaping stores may carry some products ear round, but the newest shipments for the spring plantings begin arriving as soon as the threat of a morning frost disappears. Up north in a state like Nebraska, no landscaping products are available until the later weeks of April. Once they arrive, however, the best and most popular choices disappear first.
Consider some of these facts and figures about the landscaping industry and the benefits that these outdoor improvements can make to your property:
- 83% of Americans think having a yard is important.
- 90% of those with a yard think it is important that it is also carefully maintained.
- 90% of real estate agents indicate that they encourage homeowners to invest in landscaping before they get ready to list a house for sale.
- Landscaping can decrease the amount of time a home is on the market, sometimes by as much as six weeks.
- 97% of real estate agents recommend landscaping as one of the top five home improvements. In many cases, these same real estate agents indicate that a homeowner can expect a 215% return on investment for landscaping improvements.
- 50% of all homeowners who are upgrading their outdoor spaces spend six or more hours in that space every week The most popular uses outdoor spaces include activities like relaxing, gardening, and entertaining.
- 56% of homeowners are budgeting $10,000 or more for their current or upcoming outdoor projects where professionals are involved.
- 66% of homeowners indicate that they actually spent $10,000 of more on recent projects.
- Shade from trees on a home lot can reduce air conditioning costs by 25% or more during the summer. In the winter, the shielding trees provide against wind can reduce heating costs by 10%.
- A single tree can remove 26 pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere a year. This is equivalent to eliminating 11,000 miles of car emissions. Landscape plants, including shrubs and turf, serve to remove smoke, dust, and other pollutants from the air.
Are you ready to make your landscaping plans?