Many people will choose whether or not to purchase a home based on how the yard is landscaped. A beautiful house with a dead and brown front lawn is hardly as appealing as one that is fresh and full of foliage. Whether you are just moving into a house that needs a makeover, or are trying to sell your house and think some green grass will do it good, here are some tips to help you landscape your house for less! If you are considering whether or not it is worth it to landscape, it probably is. Adding some pretty trees and flowers to your front yard can increase the value of your home by up to 15 percent. People love to see gardens, ivy, and manicured lawns when they come to check out your house.

Before you buy all of your plants, you need to take time to get to know what will grow best in your area. Hot and dry areas will sustain certain plants better than a humid, rainy atmosphere will. If you choose plants that are native to your area and work well in the soil and weather conditions that your home provides, then you will have a better chance of creating a landscape that doesn't have to be replaced. To figure out the right plants for you, you can look online. You can also find plant books at a library. Talking to a salesman at a nursery may not be the best idea- these people are working to sell you the nicest plants they can. They may mislead you or pressure to buy a plant that is high maintenance.

Avoid imported or exotic plants unless you are certain that they will flourish in your environment. Normally imported plants are a lot more expensive, and take a lot of time to sustain. You will also need to determine whether you would like annuals or perennials. Annuals bloom and die within the course of a year. You will need to replace them after they have lived their year of life, but there are plenty of annuals to choose from and they are usually cheaper. Perennials, on the other hand, will last year after year, providing that you do your part to keep them healthy. These will cost you a bit more up front but if you don't have to keep buying new flowers year after year, they may eventually save you money.

When you are purchasing these plants, remember that they will grow and expand over time. Don't plant too many close together or your landscaping will become jumbled in years to come. Make sure that you locate the nurseries with the best deals when you are looking for plants. One source says that your landscaping costs should total 5 to 10 percent of the value of your home. If you value the cost of each plant wisely, this can be a great investment strategy. If you decide to order your shrubberies, factor in the cost of shipping. It is usually very costly to transport live plants from place to place. If you are patient and have enough time, the cheapest way to create a beautiful yard is by planting your trees, shrubs, and flowers from seeds.

Once you have decided which plants to invest in and carefully determined where you will place them, you will need to keep the landscape up. A lawn without a sprinkler system or flowers that are not nourished will do you more harm than happiness. Make sure to take time to care for these items. You will need to mow your lawn weekly and water your plants, or install a sprinkler system that will water them for you. If you work hard, you may end up with a picture-perfect landscaped home that is worth more than it used to be.