They say you never get a second chance to make a first impression — and when it comes to your home, it doesn’t begin at the front door; it begins at the curb. Justin Goche, owner of Waconia Landscaping Company, says the shape, style, and texture of your front walk guide guests through a space that welcomes them into the home and sets the tone for everything that follows.
“As we look forward to spring, it’s good to have a plan in place,” Justin explains. He says a productive first step is to reflect on how your landscape looked last year and use that insight to strategize. The expert designers at Waconia Landscaping Company collaborate with clients to decide which areas to focus on, creating a space that reflects their personal style. But first, Justin says, it’s time to de-clutter. “Just as you plan to do spring cleaning inside your home, your yard and landscape should get the same treatment.” Cleaning up dead plants and leaf material in the beds and lawn, along with removing old, overgrown trees and shrubs, helps reduce maintenance and will set your yard up for a healthier growing season.
“When driving through a neighborhood, you’re likely drawn to homes with beautiful landscaping,” Justin shares. He notes that front-entry landscaping and maintenance have the biggest impact on a home's first impression and, when thoughtfully designed, help shape the house’s overall appeal. He goes on to say that layered plantings — starting with taller plants at the foundation and scaling down as you move out to the border of the beds — helps to craft and define the spaces, add color and seasonal interest, and really soften the rigidity of the structure. Hardscapes — like patios and walkways — and plantings, he points out, can be combined in numerous different ways to elevate the look of the home.
So, what can you do to bring your home from unnoticed to unforgettable? “Some of the biggest changes you can make are to replace old, overgrown plantings with new ones in the existing beds. Many plants and shrubs get “tired” over time, and simply swapping them out gives a fresh new vibe.” Refreshing your mulch and rock, he emphasizes, will also turn up the wow factor. “This year, I think we’ll start to see more vibrant colors and textures in landscapes and planters to make things really pop. Changing out massive mulch beds and installing more thoughtfully placed decorative rock is also a simple way to make your home’s exterior feel welcoming, inviting, and truly memorable.
Just as you plan to do spring cleaning inside your home, your yard and landscape should get the same treatment.