It’s Time, Once Again, To Think About Your Landscape

We have been extremely lucky this past winter, with the least amount of snow falling locally as well as the longest wait (Feb 1st) for snowfall in 150 years, which barely measured 0.4 inches according to The Weather Channel.

On the other hand, California and other areas out west had the 2nd highest record snowfalls in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of 56.4 feet, the 6th snowiest on record dating back to 1869. It has completely eliminated the severe drought that has plagued California and other surrounding states and locations.

The surprising thing was that I saw crocuses and other small flowers blooming in February which I had never experienced in the past. This led me to think about the exterior of my own home and plan what I would be planting this spring. Out on Long Island, the growers began delivering their Trees, Shrubs, and annuals to nurseries and big box stores. It seems most definitely that we had an early spring. So it would behoove you to get out and begin checking out your own landscaping and see how you could spruce it up and add some color and value. If you are going to do a major overhaul, then the first thing you must do is determine what your budget is and what types of trees, shrubs, and flowers you want to purchase as well as where you are going to plant them.

The most critical area to focus on is your front area and main walkway, where everyone will be walking into your home. Whether you are considering selling now or in the future, this will always be a crucial area to plant colorful and a diverse variety of flowers.

Many will consider impatiens, which are your standard most pop-

BY PHILIP A. RAICES

ular type of annuals only surviving for one season. They are also excellent around flower beds in and around to the left and right of your front door. Other types are petunias in planters, coleus, and begonias. In addition, you might consider some biennials which are self-seeders (not to be confused with perennials), such as foxglove, hollyhock, pansy, black-eyed Susan, sweet William, Queen Anne’s lace, honesty, forget-me-not, Canterbury bells and several varieties of evening primrose. They say, “you don’t get a 2nd chance at a first impression.” So adding color to the front of your home becomes tantamount to curb appeal.

There are many applications that you can download into your cell that can assist you in picking out various types of trees, shrubs, and flowers when you are out at your local nurseries. Even taking a trip way out on Long Island for the day, where many of the growers are, could save you some serious money and provide you with a lot of choices and a fun day.

My former career, as a landscape designer, and certified and licensed lawn, tree, shrub, and lawn applicator has provided many benefits in guiding my current and past real estate clients by sharing my knowledge and advice. The name of my former company was Lawn Gro Lawn Care. We also had an irrigation division as well as a carpet cleaning service, so if we dirtied anyone’s carpeting or interior, we had that covered! I know that some of you who read my weekly real estate/busi- ness column realized that you were my customers in the past. I thank you for contacting me and I truly enjoyed our conversations together, reminiscing and assisting you today with your questions about what to plant. If you weren’t my past customers and want some advice, always feel free to contact me.

In a recent report by the National Association of Realtors (NAR), 99% of our participating members said that they believe the curb appeal of your home is the first point of contact in attracting purchasers. The photos and virtual tours of one’s home can make or break whether or not a prospective buyer may or may not want to see your home. So when considering putting your home on the market, first look at your exterior landscape as if you were the buyer and try to be objective in determining whether or not you believe the landscape would motivate you to want to consider viewing let alone buy the home. When buyers do a drive-by in advance of making an appointment, your exterior will either attract or detract from making your home stand out above the others in the area. Your home needs to be as attractive as possible, outside as well as inside and will require planning and budgeting. But the investment and the end result will be an increase in value and your satisfaction and a more positive impression to your future potential purchasers.

Philip A. Raices is the owner/Broker of Turn Key Real Estate at 3 Grace Ave Suite 180 in Great Neck. He has 40 years