Hardscape Features Boost Home Value

A successful Iowa dog breeder, Jake Kruse has also worked as a landscaper with K&E Landscapes since 2002. In addition to his work as a dog breeder, Jake Kruse designs and creates landscaping features such as retaining walls, patios, and decorative concrete curbs.

Installing hardscape designs as part of outdoor remodels can be a valuable investment for homeowners, according to a report from the National Association of Realtors and the National Association of Landscape Professionals. Whether homeowners are planning to stay in the house or sell, the Remodeling Impact Report concludes that adding retaining walls, patios, or other hardscape features adds value to the home.

In many areas, hardscape features can protect a home from damage. A retaining wall, for example, prevents damage to landscaping (or the home itself) in the case of extreme rain. Seat walls can add further protection from the elements, along with privacy and aesthetic appeal. Hardscape elements such as patios and paver walkways provide an opportunity to install energy-efficient lighting, which increases safety and adds ambiance.

Principles of Landscaping Design

An accomplished dog breeder, Jake Kruse is an experienced landscaper who draws upon more than two decades of professional experience. Since founding K&E Landscapes in 2002, he has served as the owner and president of the Salem, Iowa based firm. Jake Kruse has expertise in various areas of landscaping including landscaping design.

Landscaping design involves arranging different land features to achieve both practicality and aesthetic beauty. Whether you’re planning to research for ideas or come up with your own customized landscaping design, achieving the best design should be guided by the following principles.

A House is a Key Part of a Garden

A house in most cases is the most dominant structure in any garden. This means all your landscaping ideas, designs and plans should start and end with the house. The best approach is to always work from the house as you move outwards.

Incorporate Color

Color is an important landscaping element as it brings a dimension of life into a space. Find a way to creatively use warm colors and cool colors to achieve the desired effect. Warm colors such as orange and red make objects appear closer, while cooler colors such as green and blue are favored for creating perspectives as they draw attention away from you.

Unity

Unity aims to create repetition and consistency of a landscaping design. Repeating various elements such as décor and plants is aimed at bringing unity in a landscape design. Consistency creates unity by fusing together different landscaping elements in order to come up with a theme.

Long-Term Planning for Successful

Based in southeast Iowa, Jake Kruse is a longtime dog breeder and landscaping business owner who heads K & E Landscapes, Inc., where he provides client-focused residential and commercial services. Jake Kruse works closely with homeowners to understand their concepts and ideas and make informed recommendations on planting and hardscapes.

A key consideration when planning any design is to think carefully about how it will evolve in future years. When it comes to trees and large shrubs, growing is a year-round process and some species are known for sending down extensive root systems. Unfortunately, these may be on a gradual collision course with underground utilities, including septic tanks and plumbing systems. To avoid this, consider trees that form shallow root systems, such as cherry and dogwood.

Another common issue is planting before hardscaping features have been fully conceptualized and integrated. This can result in major uprooting and replanting, as vegetation needs to be reconfigured to conform with permanent features such as stepping stones, retaining walls, and patios. Always ensure that the hardscape is installed before shrubs, trees, and flowers are set in the earth so that you can precisely calibrate what vegetation can be comfortably accommodated.

Natural Ways of Preventing Deer

Jake Kruse is a longtime Southeast Iowa dog breeder who operates K&E Landscapes, Inc., and provides a full range of commercial and residential solutions. One area of extensive knowledge for Jake Kruse is strategies for deer-proofing the lawn and garden.

It is a fact of life that deer are attracted to plants and flowers, particularly in the spring, as blossoms appear and vegetables take off. Preferred plants include dogwood, roses, and English ivy. One nontoxic way to prevent deer from entering one’s property is through the use of sprayed repellents with pungent aromas, such as eggs, garlic, and even soap and water. An effective taste-based repellent is chili pepper, which can be sprayed on blossoms and leaves.

Another option is to select herbs and flowers that generate strong scents deer find unappetizing. Among these are lavender, marigolds, and sage, which can be strategically placed near foliage that deer would otherwise go for, including yew, azaleas, and pansies. There are also a number of plants that present a bitter flavor, including ferns, yarrow, and poppies.

Another option is to cultivate thick hedges of plants such as red cedar, mountain laurel, and boxwood. Acting as a physical barrier, they also prevent deer from peering into the garden and gaining a view of plants they might be attracted to.