Look Back, Looking Forward
Another year has come to an end, and with it the traditional emerald elegance of Utah’s summer landscaping. Now that winter is here and the ground is covered in frost, we can spend some time thinking about how we want to upgrade our yard design once the ground thaws and the weather becomes manageable once again.
Back in February, we wrote about outdoor landscaping trends in 2021 and we had this to say: “Trees, shrubs, and other plants have always been common natural implements to a yard, but these days, homeowners are looking for a little more. Melding both the controlled and natural elements of your outdoor space can work to accommodate your needs as well as the needs of welcome wildlife such as backyard birds. Letting trees, bushes and plants grow just a little more freely can introduce a decorative tapestry of living things to your landscape.”
Let’s explore this idea a bit more by finding some of the benefits you can enjoy by making your property feel less like a yard and more like a garden.
An Arborist For Life
The first type of plant life we can talk about is trees, a subject we have always loved opining on. If you have looked out your window and thought that the yard looked a little bare, you may be in want of some trees to break up the horizon line and add some natural shade to your property. Happily, trees are extremely good for both your wallet and your mental health, to say nothing of the aesthetics of your landscaping.
As we’ve pointed out in the past, trees offer a few very unique benefits:
- A tree’s canopy can help keep the entire house cool, which helps you save energy and (ultimately) money.
- Trees have been scientifically proven to reduce stress, increase happiness, and preserve tranquility. The fact of the matter is that you are less sad when you’re near a tree.
- Trees provide natural lodging for all kinds of birds and small animals. These aren’t the pests that burrow under your home or infest your storm drain — these are the animals that connect your home with the natural world.
Once you’ve invested in some trees that you love, they will be a guardian of your home for generations, enjoyed by countless people yet to come.
Finding Your Green Thumb
Then there are the flowers. Cottonwood Landscapes loves to help you design a yard around your perfect garden, whether it be a French-styled, manicured plot, or an English-styled, free-form space. Flowers, you’ll find, capture many of the same benefits as trees, but in their own unique way. These benefits include:
- A positive impact on your mood. Just as trees can make you happier as you plant something and see it grow tall, flowers give you similar feelings of satisfaction by letting you cultivate them, on your knees with your own two hands. The power of doing.
- Flowers attract bees and other friendly insects. Not only will they keep away the bad bugs that can ruin your garden, but many of these helpful species are going extinct without more places to call home.
- Flowers don’t just make the air around your home smell good with their pungent, fruity smells; they literally clean the air around your home, too. The soil also benefits from their photosynthesis, making it easier to work with in the future.
As the snows begin to melt and your yard returns to you, take a look around and see how some fresh plants might transform your property. Feel free to contact us at Cottonwood Landscapes at any time and we will help you see your vision realized.
