5 Ideas to Revamp Your Landscaping This Spring

Few things make as big of a difference on your home’s exterior as your landscaping. Whether it’s your front or back yard, your landscape design helps improve your home’s curb appeal, makes your home a more enjoyable place to be, and is a great opportunity to get creative. In need of some landscape design inspiration? Here are a few ways to give your landscape a new look this spring.

Ornamental Grasses

Whether they’re used in small amounts, such as in planters placed throughout your yard, or grouped together in large bunches, ornamental grasses can make a very dramatic impact on your landscape design. Ornamental grasses tend to be pretty low maintenance and there’s a multitude of ways you can use it around the yard. Some types of taller grasses, like reed or switch grass, can be planted together to help add privacy to your yard. Many people like using ornamental grasses to define borders of walkways or flowerbeds. They can be planted in flowerbeds to add dimension or serve as an accent. Or you could try planting some in individual pots to arrange on your deck or patio. Let your imagination run wild!

Water Features

Whether it’s something small and simple like an urn or something bigger like a water wall, water features have become one of the most popular landscaping features over the past few years. Not only do they add visual interest to your yard, the sound of the water can also be very relaxing to listen to. Since they use recirculated water, water features aren’t as high maintenance as swimming pools are. And since they come in so many different styles, it’s easy to find an option that works for your yard and your budget. Take a look at this guide to water features by Houzz to get some inspiration.

Lighting

Help your landscaping stand out after the sun has gone down by adding exterior lighting. Lampposts and wall-mounted lights are excellent choices, but smaller lights can be placed in flowerbeds to bring attention to your plants and flowers or to line walkways. In addition to helping bring attention to your yard, they help you and your visitors stay safe by preventing trips and falls.

Planters

If you don’t have much room to plant flowers and other plants, that doesn’t mean you’re out of options for landscaping. Large planters full of flowers or plants look great when placed on decks and patios. They also look great when placed amongst things that have been planted in the ground. While there are many different styles of pots and other planters which can be found at garden supply stores, you can also think outside the box by using things like old wooden pallets to make a planter, or find a unique vintage planter at a flea market.

Native Plants

Trying to plan which types of plants and flowers you want to have in your yard? Consider using plants that are native to your area. Not only do native plants look great, they require less time, effort, and money to care for than non-native plants. According to one study cited by HouseLogic, it costs $3,000 to maintain one acre of native plants for 20 years but $20,000 to maintain an acre of non-native plants for the same amount of time.

Why Vinyl Windows Hold Up Against the Competition

Replacing windows isn’t a home improvement project homeowners deal with very frequently. When the time comes to replace them, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with all the options out there. Vinyl replacement windows are one of the most popular types of windows on the market, but what makes them such a popular choice?

Affordability

By far, one of the biggest advantages vinyl windows have to offer is their price. Vinyl replacement windows are much more budget friendly than wood or fiberglass windows, but you still receive a very high quality product that can last for decades.

Low Maintenance

The amount of time you need to spend taking care of your windows all comes down to which type of windows you choose get. Vinyl windows require very little effort to care for. You will never need to paint vinyl windows and they can easily be cleaned with ordinary soap and water. Wood windows, on the other hand, are not only considerably more expensive, they need a lot more upkeep. Since they’re made of wood, they need to be painted or stained regularly to protect them from the elements. Painting and staining windows is very time consuming and can be very frustrating. Since vinyl windows won’t be damaged by water the way wood windows can be, you also won’t have to worry about things like wood rot.

Energy Efficiency

Energy efficiency is another major reason why so many people choose vinyl replacement windows. Living a more eco-friendly lifestyle is a big priority for a lot of people and replacing your windows is a way to help reduce your home’s heating and cooling bills. Vinyl does not conduct heat, so it’s a much better insulator than aluminum windows. According to Energy.gov, replacing your existing windows with Energy Star certified windows can help you save between 7% and 15% on your home’s annual energy bills.

Versatility

Vinyl windows are extremely versatile. They’re available in many different styles, from double hung windows to casement, bay, and picture windows. Vinyl windows can also be made to fit more unusual shapes of windows, like circles, half-circles, and more. You’ll also have plenty of options to choose from as far as color goes, so it’s very easy to find something which compliments your home’s exterior. They can even come with a faux wood finish to emulate the look of wood windows.

Long Lifespan

High quality vinyl windows can easily last for decades. While many different factors contribute to the lifespan of a window, vinyl windows typically last for an average of 20 to 40 years. With a lifespan like that, along with the other benefits like low maintenance and their affordability, it’s easy to see why vinyl windows are such a popular choice with homeowners.