When I drive through a neighborhood, I can’t help but admire landscaping that looks good.
Maybe it’s a shady spot, and I envy the way they were able to create a lush, colorful space in such challenging growth conditions. Or maybe it’s the mixture of hues and textures they used in the front yard that seem to complement the house perfectly. I’ve even stopped to take pictures of places I like so I can steal an idea or two for my yard. Whatever the special outdoor touches a home has, you can see it instantly, and it greatly improves the allure of the entire property.
And I’m not the only one who feels this way. A new study from Harris commissioned by the National Association of Landscape Professionals finds 83 percent of Americans think having a yard is important, and 90 percent of those with yards feel maintaining them is important. Regionally, those who live in the South (85 percent) or Midwest (87 percent) are a little bit more likely to say maintained landscapes are important than those who live in the Northeast (79 percent).
Not only does one’s own home landscape matter, but 71 percent of U.S. homeowners think having neighbors with well-maintained yards is important. And a whopping 91 percent of Americans say they want to live in an area where they can see or walk to nice landscaping.
Here’s where your work comes into play. A majority of Americans (67 percent) say professional landscapers could help them have nicer landscapes, and 47 percent wish they could hire landscape professionals to make this happen.
Next time you’re driving down a neighborhood street and notice a great landscape, ask them about it. Or if you see a landscape that could use some help next door to one you maintain, stop in and see if they would like to talk about some ideas or need any assistance. Most homeowners are too busy to really spend the time they’d like on their landscapes, and you could be doing them a tremendous favor by taking some of the work off of their hands — the landscape work, but also the work of finding a great professional with which to partner.
