Posted on: March 12, 2007
Pretty, Pretty Pathway
Landscaping sets the tone for your home. From stones, to plants, to torches, here's how to make yours exciting and inviting.
By Darcel Rockett
CTW Features
Curb appeal is more than putting out the welcome mat on your doorstep. It’s about creating an inviting pathway into your sanctuary.
Aldo Burcheri, head landscape designer at Christy Webber Landscapes in Chicago, oversees the landscaping at Navy Pier and O’Hare International and Midway Airports, in addition to working with residential clients. He suggests these simple improvements that will make landscapers, home association members and complete strangers beat a path to your door to commend you on your presentation.
• Landscaping can add a look of lushness. Prune shrubs, then plant. Trees surrounded by fresh mulch create focal points, tall shrubs can frame and accent interesting features of your house and yard, while low plants and groundcover tie everything together. Brightly colored flowers in the foreground and along the pathway can make a yard look lively. If the yard itself needs revitalizing, fertilize, de-thatch or aerate to get it looking great. To maintain the look, edge sidewalks and remove vegetation growing between concrete sections and bricks. Once the green is set, accent pieces like Adirondack chairs, birdbaths, fences, a front-yard garden or potted plants on the porch can be incorporated for more effect. Make sure that patio furniture, if in front, is in good shape.
• Let there be light. Allow your pathway to shine in the evening as well as during the day by installing lights alongside the walkway to your door. Home improvement centers carry a variety of low-voltage lighting kits that are easy to install.
• Painting the exterior of the house, or even the front door or trim on the windows, can enhance appearance. If the paint is peeling or cracking, scrape it off and apply fresh paint. Remember the front door is one of the first things guests see when they come to visit, so if you feel that your door does not hold up to scrutiny, consider replacing it. If painting is out of reach, wash the siding of the house.
• Speaking of washing, scrubbing windows can add sparkle just as much as cleaning other items in the front of your house. Sweep the walkway frequently, polish the front-door handle, stow away unnecessary garden implements and tools, pressure-wash a dingy porch, trim tree limbs that are near or touching the roof.
• Remember, you can punch up your path by changing the material of your walkway from brick to stone and in doing so you can set the tone of your home’s style. You also can find creative ways to display the street number of your house, like displaying it in your flowerbed. Getting a new mailbox can even add more wow.
“You can achieve dramatic results on a realistic budget if you know where to invest your dollars,” says Burcheri.
