A family’s house and grounds should provide them with a source of pride, a retreat for relaxation, a place for entertaining friends, and a refuge from work day pressures.
Many families fail to consider the long-range and psychological ways in which their homes will enrich or impoverish their lives. They fail to budget for grading (cuts and fills of soil), driveways, patios, walls, screen fences, lawns, trees, shrubs, and professional services. The average cost for developing land is between 10 to 20 percent of the cost of the house and lot. These figures do not include a large installation such as a swimming pool.
A new house with concrete stepping blocks for walks, loose gravel for a drive, and four junipers (one for each corner of the house) does not create a landscape. In fact, it appears as though the owner has run out of funds.
The ideal situation is to plan the house and grounds together whether you are purchasing a site, purchasing a house on undeveloped land, or renovating an older existing house and grounds.
You can hire a landscape designer to plant and install the landscape or you can do it yourself. One of the educational seminars at the Harvey County Home and Garden Show will discuss “Basic Landscape Design” just for the homeowner! This program will be on Sunday, March 12, 2017 at the Armory, 400 Grandview, in Newton at 3:00 pm. Many other educational seminars are scheduled as well as kid events, door prizes, home and garden vendors! Mi Mama’s Recipes will have great food available as well! See you on March 11 and 12!
Visit http://www.harveycountyhomeandgarden.com for more info.
Aline Bandeira
Office Professional
K-State Research and Extension, Harvey County
Courthouse, PO Box 583, Newton, KS 67114-0583
Phone: 316-284-6930
Fax: 316-283-6183
