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How Does Your Garden Grow?


Hooray! You have settled on your new home. You have survived the anxiety of the homebuying process. Now you have a home and a yard to care for! What to do?

Now that you're in a new home, don't just dig into the dirt. Take some time to plan your course of attack!


Post-move checklist for homeowners
  • Consider hiring a professional landscaper. This is particularly useful if you have just moved into an older home in areas like Bethesda or Chevy Chase with yards that have not been "groomed" in years or a new home in a newly developed communities with a minimum number of trees, shrubs and grass. You can hire a landscaper to visit your home and create a landscape plan for a fee, usually under $200, and then you can than proceed with the planting on your own.
  • Check out the property's view and study it from every angle. Are there any issues that you want to fix? Remember to observe your property from across the street, walking up the sidewalk, etc., so you can make every view a good one. Wait and watch. If your home had a previous owner, the landscape may need a bit of revamping, as opposed to a complete overhaul. It is probably best to wait a year (to cover all blooming seasons) before digging anything up in your new garden, as some people mistake plants that have died back for weeds and pull them in haste.
  • Consider factors such as amount and type (morning, afternoon, full) of sun an area receives, your favorite colors and shades of flowers, and whether there will be pets or wildlife in the area when planning your landscape design. Also, how do you plan to use your garden? Do you want a cut-flower garden, a kitchen garden or a butterfly garden?
  • Join a Garden Club! Share the pleasure of being outdoors.
Then be sure to enjoy the resulting beauty that will give you pleasure year after year! I love my garden - even in the winter because I know that spring and summer will be back soon.
Posted Tuesday Oct 11