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Hidden Costs of Landscaping
from: Lawn and Garden MagicA complete makeover of your home's landscape may not be possible because, if you choose to completely re-do your landscape, you will need to spend a great deal of money. There are surprising hidden costs in nearly any landscaping project, even some of the small ones. Therefore, It's important to be aware of the costs before you begin a project. You might discover the project's true cost is much higher than you expected and thus you may not be able to afford your landscape change when all of these costs are added up.
Perhaps the most hidden of landscaping costs has to do with features that require lighting and water. Many people think only of the cost of the equipment and the cost of installation, (which is minimal if self installed). What they fail to consider is what will need to be spent to pay for increased usage of energy and water. The cost of outdoor lighting can be reduced somewhat by using more energy efficient bulbs, or by confining the use of outdoor lighting only for special occasions. There is no reason for the lighting if you only use it so that the neighbors can admire your landscape, even at night. So reserve the use of outdoor lighting for times when you're entertaining people out of doors or when you're sitting in your yard at night and need the light.
Water features are also a double whammy, as they require energy and water. Using a feature that reuses its own water can cut down a little bit on your water usage (although there'll always be water lost to evaporation) and it's now possible to find some features that use less energy. However, if you must have a water feature and are afraid of the costs you'll incur, you can always choose a very small pond or waterfall.
Related to the issue of water features is paying for water use when you water the lawn. Setting up sprinklers on a timer will ensure that you don't have to rely on your memory to turn them off. It's important to note that most people water their lawns two or three times more then they need to. The average lawn actually receives about the same amount of water as a tropical rainforest, which isn't necessary. Watering each part of your lawn for 15 minutes two or three times a week (depending on climate) is usually sufficient if it's not new sod (which requires a good soak every day the first week). Additionally, it's a good idea to take into account the amount of extra water you will be using to help sod or a tree establish itself. This can add up to be quite a bit of extra water. If your city charges more once your usage reaches a certain point, it can be even more costly.
Also, you may be surprised how much money you'll spend if your soil is poor. Before getting excited about a particular plant, determine what kind of soil it needs in order to thrive because this will make a difference as to whether your plant lives or dies. The costs of adding fertilizer to sandy soil or gypsum to clay soil can really add up. This problem can be remedied, however, if you examine what plants grow natively in your region. By choosing plants that grow well in the soil you have, or in near conditions, you can save a great deal on soil amendment. Most local master gardeners will give you guidance on native plants for free, or for a very small fee.
Just as there are hidden costs most enterprises, landscaping also has hidden costs. The key is to be informed about the various consequences of your landscape choices, and to be careful in what you decide to do. While the up front costs may be reasonable, you may find that as you continue to enjoy your new landscape, the later costs may be more than your landscape is worth.
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