Landscaping lessons

Landscaping is of great importance and you could bring in the experts to design your house. Also, it helps to choose your site well.

Our land prices are shooting up and land is getting scarcer. The price of a corner-site in our country is much higher than other countries as witnessed in open auctions and also during sale of such sites by individuals. For some owners, owning such a corner-site is a matter of pride and convenience with no one on one side of the site at least. “One less troublesome nosy neighbour,” is what might prompt an owner in investing in a corner-site. It is the “owner’s pride” that determines the value of the corner site, always in short supply.

But the situation is different in some other countries. In the USA where land is available in hundreds of acres for housing, the value of a corner site is slightly less than others.
The reason is that a corner site is exposed to traffic on the street adjacent to the proposed house. There could be traffic and the children could face a hazard while crossing the street, or while playing, though this is considered a small risk, as drivers are careful while driving in residential zones.

However, there is noise and pollution to some extent, though the houses are mostly centrally air-conditioned with the walls made soundproof. A point worth noting is that most houses in the US do not have any fencing especially in the front, though some sort of make-shift fencing with wooden planks could be built at the back. Most people adhere to this rule with rare exceptions.

We, in our country, tend to cut down most trees, if standing on a site before construction could commence. On the other hand, the builder and the owner of the plot in the US would go all out to save trees. In fact, the value of the plot goes up if there are trees, which add to the aesthetic value as well provide shade and clean air.

Moreover, birds too can nest in such trees much to the delight of the children. Houses are constructed around the trees. Only those trees have to go if they interfere with the main construction, albeit reluctantly. We too have such examples of saving trees with construction around these. For example, some trees are allowed to grow inside the house, mainly within the portico or verandah taking care to provide space for the tree to grown without restrictions. For instance, a coconut tree could have its trunk inside the house located instead of cutting it down.

Landscaping is of great importance to the house-owner who plans it well in advance by consulting experts in gardening and landscaping.

Plants which are attractive and flowering are carefully chosen. Some counties in the US do not encourage householders to grow fruit trees as these might attract insects, pests and emit a strong smell. However, small kitchen gardens are alright. Having a nice green lawn is the norm, which is carefully planned and provision made to have automatic sprinklers, which could be programmed in advance, on a weekly schedule. Most of the time, the owner takes pride in maintaining the lawn and garden personally. The rule is that all householders would have to keep their lawn in order and see that these are mowed regularly, mostly on weekends.

The idea is that a house that has a poorly maintained lawn and garden brings a bad name not only to itself but devalues the neighbourhood and so the neighbourhood does not condone such lapses. The last thing a house owner wants is a neighbour’s request mow the lawn.