Whether you are looking to add beauty to your home, garden, or business, landscaping is an investment that can make an incredible difference to the aesthetic appeal of your property. You can easily create a beautiful backyard oasis, or inspirational curb design whether you have a small home garden or a large city property. This short article will give you all the tips and tricks you need for your next landscaping project, and help you find the best landscaping elements, concrete bollards, tree elements and more.
Why Should I Invest In Landscaping?
Landscaping is more than just planting vegetation or adding bollards to an urban area, it often takes a lot more artistic vision and science to create the perfect design. Bringing natural beauty to an area is one of the best ways to improve the appearance of your home or business, and this can even improve the value of your property. Landscaping will transform an ordinary space into a beautiful living area through plants, paving, concrete bollards and other accessories.
Many landscaping projects occur in cities and urban areas that can otherwise be uninviting. Some projects focus on commercial buildings, giving them great curb appeal, increasing safety with concrete bollards, or creating rooftop gardens. Through landscaping, you can incorporate nature into the city, and get creative with concrete bollards and accessories for your home.
Top Benefits Of Landscaping
Landscaping incorporates both natural vegetation and man-made accessories to create a beautiful environment in urban spaces. This can have many positive effects, both for home value, safety, and the environment. The following are some of the top benefits of investing in landscaping.
Maintain and protect the environment
The lack of vegetation in large cities and urban areas can be very detrimental to the environment. There is an increasing amount of deforestation that occurs as we expand our urban areas, and this has extremely negative effects on our environment. Through landscaping, you can increase the amount of green space that can still thrive in a city. This provides a healthy environment for trees and plants and can help limit the environmental consequences of deforestation.
Landscaping can help improve air quality
Plants and vegetation are fundamental for the air we breathe. Plants clean the air, making them important assets in cities full of pollution, smoke, and carbon dioxide. When landscaping you increase the amount of vegetation found in cities, and this can help purify the air. Although, make sure you have a good landscaping plan if this is your main goal, as some plants work better than others, such as trees with larger leaves. It’s also important to consider your water availability and weather conditions before planting lots of greenery.
It can improve soil quality
Pollution is not exclusive to air pollution, and in cities and industrial areas with many factories, soil pollution can be a severe problem. Plants can help improve this as they help to purify the soil, by removing toxins and pollutants from the earth. This creates a cleaner environment to live in.
You can increase the value of your property
Investing in quality landscaping or landscaping elements like bollards can improve the value of your home, business or property. If you are a property owner you can significantly benefit from incorporating a landscape design into your property and maintaining the aesthetic appearance of your building.
When you are selling a property, landscaping and accessories can significantly increase your selling price. Adding permanent and long-lasting landscaping accessories such as concrete bollards, paving stones, or seating means your property will benefit from these improvements even after you have sold. Good landscaping also encourages neighbours and surrounding buildings to make improvements of their own, and your whole neighbourhood can increase in value.
Accessories add safety
Accessories can improve safety in your home or business. A well-maintained landscape design can protect your property by eliminating overgrown trees and reducing hiding spots. Concrete bollards can ensure unwanted vehicle access is prevented. Concrete bollards are extremely important in front of certain commercial buildings to protect pedestrians from traffic and vehicles. Other accessories which can help improve safety include:
Lights: Good lighting can make an area look very stylish, but it can also deter criminals by making the space open and visible. Lighting up dark corners is one of the best ways to improve the safety of your area.
Create fewer hiding spots: A more open landscaping design can reduce hiding spots. By avoiding large hedges, you can deter unwanted criminals or opportunists.
Use noisy gravel: Certain gravel makes a sound when you walk over it. Placing this on pathways or near windows can increase the chances of you hearing trespassers.
You can help save water
Landscaping and natural vegetation can benefit water management in your area. Water is not an endless resource, and many areas feel the effects of drought and water shortages due to climate change. Wetland-friendly landscaping holds water during drought, allowing a lot of the natural vegetation to survive times with less water. Certain landscape designs can improve water drainage and help control flooding. It also
You can improve your mental health
The spaces we live and work in have a strong effect on our mental health. Certain studies have shown that being surrounded by natural vegetation, plants, and beautiful scenery, can improve your mental health. Buildings that prioritise landscaping which is functional and incorporates plants can help create a space which can aid people’s mental health.
Landscaping Accessories
Landscaping means planting trees and vegetation, but in urban spaces, it is often much more than that. Often creating the perfect landscape also includes a lot of elements like bollards to ensure the area is both beautiful and functional. The following accessories all benefit homes and public spaces, and can effectively improve your landscaping design.
Concrete Bollards: This is a great public space or commercial building accessory. Concrete bollards can create a secure parking space, they can control traffic, and add a sense of safety and security. Bollards are also durable and easy to maintain.
Paving: Incorporating paving into your landscaping design is a fantastic way to upgrade your home entrance. It makes your driveway look neat and sophisticated, and ensures cars and visitors stick to paved pathways. This will protect your garden and grass from being trampled on.
Seating: Adding seating to your landscape design is a wonderful way to make your space both inviting and functional. Outdoor seating allows you to spend time in your garden, enjoying the outdoors and fresh air. Seating areas in communal spaces and businesses can serve as a great break area for staff and clients.
Tree Elements: Tree elements are built around trees to protect them from damage. Cars and pedestrians can easily damage growing trees, but this can be prevented with the right tree element design. Luckily, it doesn’t have to ruin the look of your design, and tree elements can be created out of wood, steel and concrete edging to enhance your landscape design.
Curbs: Adding concrete curbs to your landscape design will ensure it looks neat and professional. It will keep your ground cover in place, and prevent stone and mulch from spreading into your grass. It can also separate a flower bed from paving, preventing the root system of trees and vegetation from lifting your paving over time.
Bins: Nobody enjoys the look of bins, but they are necessary to keep your space free of litter. Concrete or steel bins are highly durable and long-lasting, and they are much more aesthetically pleasing than plastic bins.
Great Landscaping Tips For Getting The Job Done
Whether you are a new homeowner or looking to make improvements on the property you already have, landscaping is a great place to start. Although, it often takes time, budgeting, and everyday maintenance to make it a long-lasting investment. The following are some great tips to keep in mind before getting started.
Plan and budget accurately
When it comes to landscaping, planning and making an accurate budget is the most important step. You need to ensure your landscape design is well thought through and fits your budget. It is recommended that you calculate the cost of maintaining your landscape design annually into your budget, choosing plants and materials that are convenient and long-lasting.
For example, choosing elements such as bollards or steel seating will ensure you have little maintenance costs later on. Choosing plants that suit your climate and water availability will also ensure your landscape design looks beautiful all year round.
Keep these in mind when planning your landscaping maintenance:
- Do I need bollards, paving, or seating?
- Which plants and shrubs need to be watered regularly?
- Which trees need pruning?
- Do plants and flower beds need special fertilizer?
Consider a professional landscape company
Even when you are on a budget, hiring a professional landscaper can save you money in the long run. If you consult a landscaper when planning your design they can help you budget accordingly and make the best long-term decisions. Getting a landscaper to help maintain your area regularly can ensure nothing gets too overgrown, saving costs on large maintenance projects later on.
Think about your needs and wants
Every space has different needs, when landscaping at home think about needing a play area, or entertainment area. At an office or workspace, you may need an area for outdoor lunch breaks, or somewhere for clients to wait comfortably. This could mean you need to install pathways, concrete bollards, and permanent seating. Coming up with a few ideas before consulting with a professional landscaper can help you get creative and get the most out of your consultation.
Make small changes to start with
It is possible to do a complete makeover in a few days, but this can often be very costly and can take up a lot of time. Starting with small areas can still improve the aesthetics of your property, without the commitment of a large project. This also allows you to develop your plan and design as you go along, and you’re sure to enjoy the process.
StreetScape Concrete Bollards And Landscaping Elements
At StreetScape, we manufacture only the best quality landscaping elements and bollards to make any urban space inviting and beautiful. All elements and concrete bollards are made locally in Cape Town using only high-grade materials to ensure all elements are long-lasting and durable. We supply a range of products in unique designs which include:
- Concrete bollards
- Bins
- Seating
- Kerbing
- Wall coping
- Planters
- Signage
- Tree elements
- Aggregate paving
- Steps
Why settle for a bland urban landscape when you can have so much more? StreetScape can give you the accessories, concrete bollards and elements needed to create a welcoming and vibrant outdoor space in your city or town. Our entire range of elements and concrete bollards will bring life to your next landscaping project.