Quality landscaping can add value to a home and increase it chances of being sold -- especially in today's difficult market. But a yard makeover is not cheap. That's why it's important to know what features are worth the money. And you can also conserve water and cut costs with waterwise landscaping that incorporates drought-tolerant plants and cuts down on the size of a water-thirsty lawn.
Here are eight examples of inspiring yard renovations, with before and after photos. We cover everything from small city courtyards to expansive estates. Some of the projects feature waterwise landscaping. Yes, the last example is quite expensive. But perhaps it will give you some extra ideas for your own yard. The slide show begins with the navigation bar to your right:
By Cameron Huddleston
NORTH KINGSTOWN, RHODE ISLAND
Cost of Project: $20,000
Landscape Company: Landscape Elements, Pawcatuck, Conn.
BEFORE: The front entrance needed more definition to anchor the house to the site, says landscape architect Elena Pascarella. Her challenge: find plants that would withstand heat as well as deer that wander the area. The lot also had drainage issues.
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NORTH KINGSTOWN, RHODE ISLAND
Cost of Project: $20,000
Landscape Company: Landscape Elements, Pawcatuck, Conn.
AFTER: Pascarella eliminated the one-dimensional look of the planting beds by expanding them and adding trees. The result: a more visually interesting front yard. She provided drought-, disease-, insect-, AND deer-resistant plants.
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CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA
Cost of Project: $15,000
Landscape Company: HLA, Inc., Charleston, S.C.
BEFORE: The owners of this townhouse wanted a fast, affordable makeover of their small courtyard to increase the value and salability of the residence. HLA designed and finished the job in 10 days.
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CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA
Cost of Project: $15,000
Landscape Company: HLA, Inc., Charleston, S.C.
AFTER: Note the inviting garden, designed with relatively inexpensive materials and techniques. A new trellis provides filtered shade, as well as a covered (with Plexiglass) path from garage to home. A simple stone path with plantings typically found in downtown Charleston gardens creates a pleasant visual and a comfortable seating area. The fountain adds the finishing touch. A do-it-yourselfer could create this landscape for half the price, says HLA Vice President David Lycke.
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OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA
Cost of Project: $65,000
Landscape Company: Shades of Green Landscape Architecture, Sausalito, Cal.
BEFORE: Landscape architects Ive Haugeland and Tyler Fishman Manchuck faced challenges galore with this small, split-level garden. Not only was the existing patio worn down and the stairs to the upper portion of the yard dilapidated, but also there was that huge concrete wall. The homeowners wanted a family-friendly, low-maintenance area.
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OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA
Cost of Project: $65,000
Landscape Company: Shades of Green Landscape Architecture, Sausalito, Cal.
AFTER: The designers turned the eyesore wall into a cool architectural element by painting it red. They installed bluestone and concrete pavers in a striped pattern, added a wall fountain and custom-made furniture from concrete and reclaimed wood. The upper portion of the yard is now a kids area with a climbing wall and rubber tiles on the ground. The landscaping is kept simple with bamboo.
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BROOKLYN HEIGHTS, NEW YORK
Cost of Project: $75,000
Landscape Company: dlandstudio, Brooklyn, N.Y.
BEFORE: This small backyard garden was rundown and overgrown with vines. The challenge was to create an inviting space in a small area. Landscape architect Susannah Drake also wanted it to reflect the surrounding street grid.
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BROOKLYN HEIGHTS, NEW YORK
Cost of Project: $75,000
Landscape Company: dlandstudio, Brooklyn, N.Y.
AFTER: The property is bounded by Henry Street, which runs north/south, and Joralemon Street, which runs through the neighborhood on an angle. Drake organized the design so that the vegetation responded to the Joralemon Street axis and the architectural elements mirror the north/south grid of the city. The effect adds a sense of movement to the small space.
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IRVINGTON, NEW YORK
Cost of Project: $45,000 (fire pit area); $175,000 total
Landscape Company: Artemis Landscape Architects, Brookfield, Conn.
BEFORE: The homeowners wanted their outdoor living area to feel like a retreat, despite the lot's small size -- 20,000 square feet. Local regulations limit the amount of paved and hard surfaces that can be installed based on the property's size. So much of the living area had to be created on lawn, rather than porches and patios.
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IRVINGTON, NEW YORK
Cost of Project: $45,000 (fire pit area); $175,000 total
Landscape Company: Artemis Landscape Architects, Brookfield, Conn.
AFTER: Landscape architect Tara Goldberg designed a gathering area with a fire pit in the center of a nautilus created with bluestone. The area also has a long natural stone wall that provides extra seating, creates two lawn levels and provides curves that soften the rectangular lot. Goldberg also redesigned an existing deck and added a small spa with a waterfall (not pictured).
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KANSAS CITY, KANSAS
Cost of Project: $200,000
Landscape Company: Highland Outdoor, Olathe, Kan.
BEFORE: The owners of this ranch-style house wanted a landscape to complement a new home they were building on the existing foundation. The homeowner wanted the front yard to have curb appeal and ample parking for family events. For the backyard, a private oasis for entertaining.
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KANSAS CITY, KANSAS
Cost of Project: $200,000
Landscape Company: Highland Outdoor, Olathe, Kan.
AFTER: The landscape architects designed and built an indoor swimming pool, koi pond, outdoor kitchen and golf-cart garage (the property abuts a golf course). Highland Outdoor also installed landscaping and lighting to accent the design elements. Each stone was hand chipped to create an old-world look. The bricks used for the driveway (not pictured) were reclaimed from a torn-out street in a Kansas City suburb. All irrigation, lighting and water elements are linked to the home's automation system and can be controlled by remote control.
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COLUMBUS, OHIO
Cost of Project: $250,000
Landscape Company: MSI, Columbus, Ohio
BEFORE: This home north of the city sits on a six-acre wooded lot on a public lake. The homeowners wanted a pool and terrace that could accommodate many guests. But the owners didn't want the area to look empty when they weren't entertaining. The main challenge was to build the pool at an elevation to allow its water and the lake water to look as if they connected.
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COLUMBUS, OHIO
Cost of Project: $250,000
Landscape Company: MSI, Columbus, Ohio
AFTER: MSI usually doesn't take on residential projects -- only fun ones, says project manager Kyle Albert. The design team created a resort-style pool with a negative edge so the pool and lake look like one body of water. They also built a porcelain tile terrace and fire pit to accommodate entertaining and everyday living.
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BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA
Cost of Project: $600,000
Landscape Company: Larry Weaner Landscape Design Associates, Glenside, Pa.
BEFORE: The last four slides show a dream project for most weekend landscapers. But the ideas are worth a look. The homeowners wanted nature to dominate their 165 acres. In particular, they asked the designer to create a wildlife habitat that would attract a wide variety of birds. The landscaped areas also needed to be designed so they would blend in with the natural surroundings.
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BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA
Cost of Project: $600,000
Landscape Company: Larry Weaner Landscape Design Associates, Glenside, Pa.
AFTER: Landscape architect Larry Weaner designed the wall and plantings in the front lawn to reflect the construction materials of the house as well as the hedgerow grid that defines much of the property. Meant to look natural, the plants actually are highly arranged. Weaner used native, disease-resistant flowers, shrubs and trees that provide a variety of color.
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BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA
Cost of Project: $600,000
Landscape Company: Larry Weaner Landscape Design Associates, Glenside, Pa.
BEFORE: This project was so large that we decided to include images of the backyard, too. The homeowners wanted 35 acres of meadow planted before construction on the house was completed. They didn't want hardscape features, such as their pool, to compete with the views of the meadow.
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BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA
Cost of Project: $600,000
Landscape Company: Larry Weaner Landscape Design Associates, Glenside, Pa.
AFTER: Beginning with the meadow plantings, Weaner created a dramatic, natural landscape over a three-year period. The pool was built lower than the terrace at the rear of the house so that it didn't obstruct views of the meadow. For the meadow, dense ground-layer plants were used to inhibit weeds and water evaporation -- so little maintenance is needed.
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