Curb Appeal or Face Lift?
– By Brandon Gelderman
Get Started! Decide what to tackle first.
Does the front of your property need a cleaning or a
landscape design to function properly and look welcoming
to your visitors? Is the entrance safe with a smooth transition
from the driveway to the front door, and is the pathway lit
up at night?
Seven steps to add curb appeal for yourself, neighbours,
visitors, and provide a face lift during the process.
1. Walk around the front of your property and look for
visible problems. Take notes on what you see. Plan a time
to fix the items you are able to do on your own and hire
a company to fix only problems you cannot look after
yourself. It will save you time, money and your sanity.
2. Look for voids that need to be filled: Sand in your
walkways, dead plants that need to be replaced in the
garden and noticeable bare spots. Add soil for any area’s
that animals could have dug over the winter. Cover your
exposed foundation wall with a stone facing veneer or a
low-growing evergreen plant with enough space to walk
between.
The War Amps
Leave a Lasting Gift
3. Pressure wash your house, including the siding, windows,
trim, front door, railings, concrete and wood etc. Scrub
with a sponge any areas, if necessary.
4. Add layers of plants in decorative pots near the entry ways
with seasonal planting. Yellow and red are good colours to
place near steps to show the visitor there is a transition in
the landscape. Window boxes add depth to the house and
perennials along boarders help with the layering effect.
5. Clearly define edges. Gardens need to have a very clear
defined edge – either with stone curbing or a 4-8” distance
from the lawn to the dirt in a V shape. Introducing colour
to the edge for different times of year could be done with
annuals or bulbs.
6. Hide utilities and the service area. Every property has
a service area that requires daily, weekly and monthly
maintenance. A daily task is watering your plants, and
once you are done watering you need to have a hanger for
your hose. A weekly task example is taking your garbage
to the curb for pick up. Find a place close to the door and
hide it with a wood or metal screen or a row of plants, and
assure it will be easily accessible. Monthly service could be
access to your air conditioner, gas or hydro meter. Placing
a decorative screen or plants around the air conditioner
Audrey
You can continue the
legacy of “amputees
helping amputees” with
a charitable bequest or gift
in your will. With your help,
The War Amps will continue
to meet its commitments to
children like Audrey – and
all amputees – long into
the future.
For information about leaving a gift in your will,
please contact us.
The War Amps
1 800 363-4067
[email protected]
waramps.ca
Charitable Registration No.: 13196 9628 RR0001
10th year anniversary! ~ Spring 2016
15