Page 16 - 5-10-21

Page 16, RURAL-URBAN RECORD, May 10, 2021

What to know about
home after completing the project. the first growing season. However, the soil should never be
outdoor living spaces as the space allows. The proximity of neighbors may affect overly dry or wet. Most perennials do not need to be fertilized
· Space: An outdoor living space may only be as relaxing
heavily. A single application in the spring typically is all that’s
privacy levels, which can make it hard to enjoy movie night needed.
Home trends come and go. What was popular as recently outdoors or curl up to quietly read a good book. In addition, Care along the way can include deadheading spent flow-
as a decade ago may have lost some luster in the eyes of to- landscaping also may need to be addressed if drainage is an ers so that plants can use their energy on seed production
day’s home buyers. Though that’s historically been the case issue in the backyard. That can add to the cost, and drainage and reblooming. Perennials should be divided when they
in regard to real estate, outdoor living rooms are one relative- concerns may limit the materials homeowners can work with. grow large, every three to four years when the plants are
ly recent home trend that figures to have a longer shelf life, Outdoor living spaces are popular. Homeowners must not in bloom. Perennials produce fewer flowers or may look
especially in the aftermath of a global pandemic during which consider various factors before deciding if such spaces are sickly when the time has passed to divide them. Early spring
people were encouraged to stay home as much as possible. for them. often is a good time to divide perennials, advises The Farm-
Real estate professionals and organizations like the Na- er’s Almanac.
tional Association of Home Builders note the popularity of
outdoor living spaces among prospective home buyers, and How to care for perennials A thick layer of mulch can help perennials to overwinter
how that popularity has grown in recent years. Outdoor living successfully. Perennials planted in containers will need to
be transplanted into the garden before it gets cold because
rooms not only appeal to potential buyers, they also serve Perennials can add color and vibrancy to any garden. One most containers cannot thoroughly insulate perennial roots.
as a means for current homeowners to get more out of their of the more desirable components of perennials is that they Apart from these strategies, perennials pretty much take
properties. Homeowners mulling outdoor living space proj- come back year after year, meaning homeowners do not care of themselves. As long as sunlight requirements match
ects should consider various factors before deciding to go have to invest in a gardenful of new flowers every year. That plant needs, the perennials should thrive.
ahead with a project. can add up to considerable savings. Perennials often form
· Cost: The home renovation resource HomeAdvisor es- the foundation of beautiful gardens. Did you know?
timates that the average cost of an outdoor living space is Annuals only grow for one season, produce seeds and
around $7,600. That cost can easily go up depending on then die. However, perennials die back to the ground every
where homeowners live and the features they want to have in autumn and their roots survive the winter. So the plants re- -Spring-
their outdoor living spaces. For example, including a built-in emerge in the spring, according to The Farmer’s Almanac.
fire pit in an outdoor living space will cost more than purchas- Some perennials are short-lived, meaning they will come The official beginning of spring is a highly anticipated day
ing a stand-alone fire pit that can be picked up and moved. back a few consecutive years; others will last for decades. among people who can’t wait to put away their winter coats
But many homeowners feel a built-in fire pit makes an out- Though planted perennials require less maintenance than and soak up some warm sunlight. But the day of the spring
door living space even more special. annuals, they are not completely maintenance-free. Certain equinox is just as worthy of celebration for its uniqueness
· Return on investment: Return on investment is another care is needed to help perennials thrive, and that starts with as it is for its symbolic connection with the end of winter.
factor for homeowners to consider as they try to decide if the soil. In fact, soil is the single most important factor for According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, on the spring equi-
they should install outdoor living spaces and how to design growing healthy plants. Penn State Extension says most pe- nox, which is sometimes referred to as the “vernal equinox”
those areas. Much conflicting data about the ROI on outdoor rennials grow ideally in well drained, fertile soil with a pH of or the “March equinox,” the sun crosses the celestial equa-
kitchens can be found online, but many trusted real estate 6.0 to 7.0. In addition, organic matter can improve soil tex- tor going south to north. Equinoxes (there’s another one in
organizations report that such additions do not mesmerize ture and water-holding ability. September each year) are the only two times a year that
prospective buyers. Data from the American Institute of Ar- When including perennials in the garden, make sure you the sun rises due east and sets due west for everyone on
chitects indicates that outdoor kitchens are routinely ranked wait for the right time to plant them. The ideal time is during Earth. As the sun passes overhead on the equinox, the tilt of
among the least desirable home features, which means the spring or fall. Perennials come as container-grown pe- Earth is zero relative to the sun. That means that the planet’s
homeowners should not expect substantial ROI when selling rennials, which already have been established in the soil. axis neither points toward or away from the sun. Though it’s
their homes. But that built-in fire pit? Estimates from the Na- Bare-root perennials are just roots that are often packed in understandable why so many people appreciate the spring
tional Association of Realtors suggest fire features recover peat moss. In order to plant bare-root perennials, soak the equinox, which ushers in increasing sunlight hours and later
around 67 percent of homeowners’ initial investment. In ad- roots in water for several minutes before gently planting in sunsets, the day’s uniqueness makes it even more worthy of
dition, 83 percent of homeowners surveyed by the NAR who the ground, indicates the how-to resource Tip Bulletin. celebration. This year the spring equinox happens on Satur-
had installed fire features said they had a greater desire to be Perennials should be watered deeply, especially during day, March 20 at 5:37 a.m. EDT in the northern hemisphere.

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