Photo: House Beautiful

Whenever hedging is mentioned, people tend to think of the Leylandii, or Leyland cypress. It’s often the source of neighbourly disputes if it gets out of control, but this fast-growing evergreen has a lot going for it. Its dense foliage and resistance to extremes of temperature make it a versatile and popular choice for gardeners and landscapers all over the United States.

Here are 10 amazing reasons why you should plant a Leylandii hedge:

1. Fast growth rate

This rapid growth is the only potential downside to this tree, but it can be controlled. The Leylandii can grow three feet in a year, offering privacy and extra security in a relatively short period of time. It also makes wonderful privacy for a dreamy backyard getaway!

2. Low maintenance

Yes, Leylandii grows fast, but it doesn’t need much maintenance. These trees only need to be pruned once a year – maybe twice every few years – to maintain the desired height and shape.

Photo: Franki Durbin

3. High resistance

The Leyland cypress is very resistant to diseases and pests, which is one of the reasons it’s popular as a hedge and landscape plant.

4. It travels well

The Leylandii thrives in lots of different positions and soils. It can also tolerate strong winds and salty air, which means it’s ideal for coastal gardens.

5. Lots of variety

Leylandii plants come in a range of root types, shapes and heights. Find a good garden center that provides different tree heights like the Leyland cypress trees from thetreecenter.com. This way by buying a bigger tree, you can get to your ideal hedge size as quickly as possible.

Photo: House Beautiful

6. It provides shelter

The thick, all year round foliage of these trees makes for an amazing windbreak; it also helps to screen noise and filter out air pollution.

7. It provides a habitat for birds

The dense leaves also give wild birds a secure, warm home all year round, as well as attracting insects for them to eat.

8. They can be planted all year round

Pot-planted Leyland cypress can be planted at pretty much any time of the year, but it’s best to avoid frosty or very wet conditions to be on the safe side.

Photo: Houzz

9. They get to work immediately

Rootball Leylandii trees offer an instant hedge – admittedly it may take a year or two to get to the optimum height, but it’s a ready-made physical and psychological screen.

10. They start off small

This might seem like a contradiction to previous points, but tiny starter pots – with plants under 12 inches – are a cost-effective hedging solution for people on smaller budgets.

Hartman Baldwin Design

Most of us focus on only the interior decorating of our home, but you don’t want to be forgetting the outside garden, grass, shrubs, and flowers. A home is definitely not complete until the grass is lush, the flowers are blooming, and everything is neatly cut and trimmed in the front and back of the house. Here are some easy over-the-weekend landscaping projects that will make a HUGE difference to your home’s curb-appeal

Make Sure Your Soil is Good Quality

If you just purchased a new home, make sure the builders didn’t strip the good topsoil away. Test the quality of the soil – hardpan or glacial till means invest in new soil if you want to grow shrubs, plants, trees, and flowers. A great lawn needs (at least) a few inches of quality soil in order to nourish roots.  Pretty flowers will never thrive and trees won’t grow to full potential without good soil.

Pay Attention to the Size of Plants

Before purchasing a shrub or tree, pay attention to where you will be planting it. A nice small bush may look wonderful now, but it a few years it can grow to block a view, create large amounts of shade, and require tons of pruning or further landscaping. It may also start growing into the neighbor’s yard, so be mindful of placement and consider how large it will be when it has grown to full potential.

Arrange Plants Naturally

If you take a nature walk you will quickly see that plants are never perfectly aligned in a row in nature. Professionals mock homeowners who create perfect hedges and geometric shapes with plant life.  Try to mimic plants in natural sections and arrangements rather than attempt to make a perfect square, circle, rectangle, etc.

Take Your Time When Landscaping

Some landscapers are notorious for the mow, blow, and go technique, mowing the lawn, cutting with a trimmer, blowing debris from walkways, and quickly taking off to the next job.  Try to focus on taking your time and use your creativity to prune and form your bushes, flowerbeds, and lawn. Chainsaws and trimmers do damage to branches and bacteria, which can let in fungus, and insects into the wood.For bigger jobs it is better to use serrated pruning saws or clippers with bypass blades, while pruning shears by Fiskars are great for flowers and plants with smaller diameter stems and branches.”

Pick and Choose

Try to balance out when it’s time to call professional landscapers, as most of the work you can do yourself without any specific knowledge. If you really don’t have a green thumb, you should let the professionals do the landscaping. If you are on a budget consider hiring a professional as a consultant rather than a worker to give advice regarding what to do and the proper equipment to use.  Also, don’t go overboard with the flora and fauna; you may decide to improve the look of your garden with stone, gravel, and other types of landscaping.

Nothing Good Comes Easy

Be patient and diligent. Great gardens don’t grow overnight and require a lot of attention! A lush garden requires strict discipline, dedication and a lot of effort. Once you get the hang of it, you will surely learn to enjoy every minute of it!

Evens Architects, Los Angeles

A simple way to make your property stand out while adding to its resale value is to focus on raising its curb appeal. After all, first impressions are often lasting ones. The good news is that you don’t have to break the bank to raise your home’s curb appeal! We’ve gathered some easy ways – most of which you can do yourself to add instant and effective curb appeal to you home:

A Fresh Coat of Paint Goes a Long Way!

Denis Mayer Photography

There is nothing like a fresh coat of paint to bring a house to life. If you have good DIY skills, it is a project that will take a few weekends, or you can always hiring a painting company and have it done in a few days.

Before you start painting, remember that you need to give the exterior a proper wash, scrape, and sanding. It’s better to paint from top to bottom to prevent messy drips and missed spots. Select a couple of shades or a main color and highlight to make the house stand out. The average cost of repainting would range from $1,500 to $3,500, depending if it’s a DIY effort or done professionally.

Repair or Replace Your Garage door

 Rick O’Donnel Architect

A garage door can occupy as much as 30% of the face area of the house. An old door with dents will look jaded, even with a coat of paint. Old garage doors often let in drafts, thereby adding to your utility bills. When upgrading the garage door, keep in mind both aesthetics and functionality as the doors come in insulated or non-insulated variants. A new door would cost you $300 to $1,500, depending on size, finish, and insulation.

If you decide to just repair your current door, you’ll want to call in specialists such as Pro-Line Garage Door Service. Most times the repair job you simply can’t do yourself, and this 25-year-old family company specializes in all types of repairs with a one-on-one service. Keep in mind that you will want to do the garage repair before you paint your house.

Focus on Landscaping

Creative Environments, Pools and Spas 

A little bit of lawn care and a few flowers can make a remarkable transformation to your home. Plant some planters around your doors and line your driveway with flowers or beautiful shrubs. If you are looking to sell your home, remember that in the past investments of only $400-$500 in landscaping brought returns of four times the amount. So prune the trees and bushes, and add flowerbeds – it’s worth it!

Clean and Repair Your Roof

 Jeffrey Gordon Smith Landscape Architecture

Replace broken and missing shingles, and remove the dirt, moss, lichens, and algae that accumulate over time. This is a job best done by professionals and should cost you $600 to $800. For that small sum, the house will suddenly look younger and fresher.

Add Some Window Appeal

 RWA Architects

An easy way to improve curb appeal on a budget is with interior or exterior window treatments. This can range from adding shutters to painting or adding drapes and blinds. Adding window boxes with gorgeous colorful flowers also add a pop of color and coziness!