Spring Home Improvement LINCOLN DAILY NEWS.com May 1, 2015 13
at the home as an asset that they need to
maintain and improve where possible.
One way to improve the value of a home
is to keep it nice looking on the outside. A
well-manicured landscape is eye catching
and leaves potential buyers with the
impression that the home is well-loved
and cared for. Those first impressions are
important.
Some consider that creating a great
landscape is going to take a lot of work and
a good amount of money. Before they’ve
even begun, they see it as a daunting task
that they are not prepared to undertake.
It doesn’t have to be that way. A great
landscape can be minimal with a few well-
chosen plants and a nicely mown lawn. Or,
it can be intricate with a variety of plants,
trees, shrubs, and a stellar focal point. The
main thing is to do what you are capable
of, and don’t create a hard-to-maintain
landscape if you don’t have the time to care
for it.
Sherrie Snyder, founder of Illinois Prairie
Wild Ones recently spoke at the Russel
Allen Garden Day in Lincoln. In her
opinion the best way to have a beautiful
and low maintenance landscape is to go
native. Snyder spoke about the wide
variety of Illinois native plants and offered
some suggestions on how to incorporate
them into the lawn.
One of the best advantages of natives is
that they are
accustomed
to the
climate.
Native
flora has
progressed
through the
centuries,
surviving
on its own
with the
sun, rain,
wind, heat,
and cold
that are a
natural part
of this region. Because of this, these plants
require very little extra care from the
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