A lot can happen in your garden while sitting at your desk from 9 to 5. Tree branches overgrow to cover your roofing, fence sags, and irrigation pipes turn brittle. By Friday, you have a lot to accomplish over the weekend to restore your home’s beauty. Here are ten projects for a productive gardening weekend.
1. Plant New Features
Homeowners often plant trees to beautify the landscapes and provide shade. These are great benefits, but there are several less obvious benefits of trees. Trees offer social benefits around a home because they can reduce the stress of daily life.
Another reason you should visit a tree nursery and carry several trees to your home is for memorials or reminders. For instance, you can plant several trees to memorialize your loved one or commemorate a significant life event. Environmental psychologist Roger Ulrich also found that sick people recover fast when offered a view of trees. Who doesn’t need the healing touch of nature?
These benefits aren’t limited to individual levels. Trees offer communal benefits, such as screening unwanted views or noise from busy highways. They also complement the architectural design of buildings, beautifying the entire neighborhood. For this reason, plant a blend of beautiful trees like the rhododendron, silk cotton trees, or the southern live oak during your gardening weekend.
Planting new features also offers environmental benefits like improving the air quality by filtering out harmful dust and pollutants such as carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide. Trees reduce the amount of stormwater runoff, which causes erosion and pollution. What else? Plants offer economic benefits, such as reducing cooling costs in the summer by shading the home.
The plethora of benefits means one thing – you should take tree-planting projects with seriousness. Hiring a landscaping contractor will help with professional garden project planning. They ensure your investment yields the best results.
2. Install a Fence
Real estate advisors argue that a fence can add value to a home. Remodeling Costs contend that fencing can boost your home value by around 50%, with the returns projected to hit 70% if you invest in quality metal or stone fences. As such, you should include fence installation or maintenance in your gardening weekend project.
Home fencing increases your home privacy. You don’t want nosy neighbors, prying eyes, or passersby seeing through your windows or walking straight into your yard without your permission. A good fence also minimizes the chances of theft, as burglars cannot spot things easily from the road.
Is that all? No. A quality fence will protect your landscaping by reducing the speed of harsh winds and stormwater runoff. It safeguards the plants from damage and protects your home from dust and debris that can damage the windows and roofing.
Finally, a fence defines your space, saving you from unnecessary arguments with neighbors about where your lawn care ends and theirs starts. Since fencing is complex, you’ll need local fence companies to carry out the project for long-term benefits.
3. Upgrade Your Irrigation
An irrigation system is susceptible to damage from weather elements like the sun or excessive ice, making the pipes brittle and reducing efficiency. Upgrading these systems will minimize water loss and save you from high water bills. Moreover, swapping the older system for modern irrigation systems like drip irrigation saves water by ensuring every drop released is used optimally.
Integrating smart technology into your irrigation system will also improve your lawn care practice. Smart controllers can adjust watering schedules based on real-time weather data. They ensure your lawn receives the right amount of water at the right time, even when you’re busy with other activities.
Smart technology also involves controlling and monitoring your sprinkler system remotely via a smartphone or computer. It adds a layer of convenience, making your work easier. Modern irrigation systems will also improve the yard and home value. As such, include sprinkler system upgrade and maintenance in your gardening weekend project.
4. Trim Your Trees
Trees are essential to the yard because they offer shade and a sense of nature. However, if trees remain uncared for, they can cause more harm than benefit. Include tree trimming exercise in your gardening weekend project to ensure you retain the beauty and shade of your outdoor space.
Trimming retains the health of your trees because you’ll remove dead, diseased, and damaged branches. The spread of the disease can damage all the trees around the yard or cause diseases in family members. For better assessment and professional trimming, hire an arborist. These professionals have the equipment to carry out the exercises safely to prevent branches from falling on the roofing.
Proper trimming will improve the airflow around the branches and allow space for sunlight. Your trees will remain strong and resilient to withstand harsh weather or other environmental stressors. Besides tree health, pruning helps minimize property damage during strong winds, heavy rain, or snowstorms. During such scenarios, dead or weak branches can fall off, damaging the roofing, windows, or the home foundation.
Untrimmed trees can make your property look messy and unkempt. Pruning and trimming them will enhance the home’s beauty and improve the quality to attract potential buyers. According to the Arbor Day Foundation, well-maintained trees can increase home values from 3% to 15%. That said, some trees can add more value than others due to their natural beauty and care needs. Seek advice from the local tree service to know the varieties of trees to plant and their care practices.
5. Build a New Space
Adding a space around your home will improve the curb appeal, functionality, and quality of life. But you probably wonder which structure you can build to enhance your home’s visual appeal and functionality. Worry not; we’ve got you covered. For starters, consider building a deck, patio, or gazebo during your gardening weekend.
First, these structures help increase the property value. According to Angie’s List, the patio and deck can increase a home’s value by 30%. In particular, building porches in the front yard guarantees a curb appeal boost. What’s more, these structures increase the home space for hosting family members or guests.
Creating a new space will also enhance your privacy. If you’ve built in the open outskirts or have your property in an open area, build a patio or a deck to stay private during weekends or off days. However, you’ll need to hire professional patio builders to design your structure for optimum privacy.
A new space around the yard will improve the home’s functionality because you can enjoy varied activities. For example, you can enjoy a small wedding or family gathering with a balance of indoor and outdoor environments since these structures have minimal walls. Remember to communicate clearly with your patio or deck builder before putting up the structure so that it is designed according to your needs.
6. Add Landscaping Materials
Wise men have opined that gardens result from a collaboration between art and nature, and all gardening is landscape painting. But what does this mean? Fundamentally, you should prioritize landscaping your home because it brings the best out of you and nature.
Landscaping materials create boundaries, define areas, and add visual interest. These materials also contrast with soft landscaping elements like plants and grass. When carrying out your gardening weekend project, add landscaping materials as part of the yard maintenance and improvement practice. For instance, adding fertile soil improves the quality of the plants and reduces soil erosion.
Start by mulching to retain the soil moisture. It helps keep the soil moist during summer, reducing the water bills. Additionally, mulch prevents soil erosion by covering the topsoil during harsh winds or rainy seasons. While some mulching materials can be a hiding place for pests, mulch blowing services prove beneficial. Professionals will help you choose the most suitable mulching materials.
Don’t restrict yourself to the soil – consider out-of-the-box solutions. For instance, crushed concrete levels the yard well to avoid erosion. Additionally, they can interlock patio blocks and pavers when building. Fieldstones, lime rocks, and granite are also suitable for landscaping design. You can use them to build or repair your natural-looking retaining walls. Moreover, they can create beautiful tree rings and fill erosion-prone areas.
7. Purchase New Equipment
While garden setup and some maintenance practices need professionals, you can perform other simple maintenance tasks. Various garden equipment will help you maintain your yard promptly and save you maintenance costs. Essential tools like spades, trowels, and pruning shears will help you complete tasks quickly. Gardening and landscaping tools enhance efficiency in gardening tasks. For instance, a wheelbarrow makes it easier to transport heavy materials across the garden, while a garden fork digs and turns the soil easily.
Purchasing these items for your gardening weekend projects will also enhance the precision and accuracy of your work. Gardening requires precision, especially in pruning, trimming, and transplanting. So, these specialized tools will ensure accurate cuts, precise shaping, and delicate handling of plants.
What’s more? Good gardening equipment offers versatility and adaptability. Essentially, gardening tools are available to cater to different gardening needs and challenges. From basic hand tools like sickles to advanced machinery like lawnmowers, all can offer versatility and adaptability to suit various tasks. Moreover, having these tools can unleash your creativity and design skills. The equipment cost varies – with high-end equipment like riding a lawn mover costing over $5000 as per Home Guide.
8. Construct a Garden Pathway
Garden pathways make a big difference in enhancing the home’s curb appeal and functionality. These design hardscapes provide easy navigation around the house. For instance, you can easily walk to the fence line or around the garden during rainy seasons.
Pathways can transform your home into an inviting and enjoyable space. According to Angie’s List, garden pathways can increase a home’s value by 20%. Additionally, they can attract potential buyers because everyone loves a home with good curb appeal and easy navigation.
Garden walkaways also offer safety. Safety is paramount when it comes to navigating outdoor spaces. These hardscape designs provide designated routes for foot traffic to keep people from walking on your grass and potentially hazardous areas. Moreover, they offer accessibility for people with mobility challenges. For instance, if you have a disabled family member, they make the home safer for them to navigate.
However, garden pathway construction isn’t a simple activity you will carry out during your gardening weekend. So, you’ll need a professional to plan carefully and advise you on the best materials for constructing a quality pathway. Afterward, you can perform simple pathway maintenance, like cleaning.
9. Build a Compost Bin
Composting is a controlled, aerobic process that converts organic materials into nutrient-rich manure or mulch. Microorganisms feed on the materials added to the compost pile during the composting process. Without a compost bin, you risk developing a dump site in one part of your yard, which is unsightly and a health-threatening creation.
Building a compost bin around your home is a productive project you can carry out during a gardening weekend. A compost bin will reduce waste, save garbage collection costs, and positively impact the environment by turning garden waste and kitchen scraps into manure for gardening. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, composting requires minimal effort, equipment, expense, and expertise. Additionally, it can be fun because you’ll save money by producing free, high-quality soil amendment compost.
There are two simple home composting options: backyard composting and Vermicomposting (worm composting). Backyard composting involves properly balancing nitrogen-rich and carbon-rich materials, water, and oxygen. Usually, the best materials for this compost include fruit and vegetable scraps, dry leaves, plant stalks and twigs, coffee grounds and paper filters, and untreated wood chips.
The worm composting takes up little space and can be done indoors or outdoors. The materials are also simple and inexpensive. You only need a container or bin, bedding material, worms, and food scraps. If your worm bin is appropriately maintained, it should not emit odors or attract pests indoors.
10. Install Rain Barrels
Rain barrels can help you capture water from a roof during rainy seasons and hold it for later use. Water harvesting can reduce your water bills during summer when you need to water lawns, gardens, or indoor plants due to reduced moisture. Fortunately, water harvesting with barrels is cheaper because you only have to purchase barrels once.
Collecting roof runoff in rain barrels will reduce water flow around the home. Reducing the water flow will save your yard from soil erosion and the pathways from damage. Moreover, it can save your home foundation from weakening due to floods.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, different rain barrels are designed to handle the rain amounts in particular regions. A typical rain barrel can capture 50 to 60 gallons of water, but stores also have larger sizes. Consult professionals for better advice before purchasing rain barrels.
The weekend is perfect for relaxing and boosting family union. But you can make it better with home care practices. When performing these maintenances, you’d want to carry out tasks with long-term benefits. Consider the above projects for your gardening weekend to transform your home.