Landscaping Ideas: How to Embrace Your Lawn and Garden

Living in a neighborhood where you do not have to worry about taking care of the sidewalk, except for paying half the bill when the city gets it repaired, is a rather ideal situation. But, this particular arrangement is not something that every homeowner gets to enjoy as some of them are responsible for all costs. It is also their complete responsibility to hire a company to handle the sidewalk repairs. This can be rather stressful, especially if you are a first-time homeowner, so it is a good idea to avoid this problem again. You cannot stop every complication, but there are a few things you can do with the landscaping.

Grow Plants for Soaking Up Water

One thing that can cause damage to sidewalk is water exposure. Water that seeps into the cracks can destroy the foundation underneath, which will speed up the cracking process. Also, the act of water freezing and thawing out can increase the chance of the sidewalk cracking. An ideal solution is to grow plants around the area where the sidewalk is located that will soak up water whenever it comes. These plants can include ground covers such as ostrich fern or lady fern to shrubs like the inkberry.

Remove Problematic Trees

A mature tree in the front yard is often a highly desirable feature. It can provide shade, increase the value of the home, and give your house a unique look compared to adjacent properties. However, no tree is worth paying $5 to $9 per square foot to pour concrete to repair a sidewalk, which will cost even more when you consider the removal of the broken sidewalk chunks. Trees like willows and hybrid poplars will always cause root problems, so it is best to remove them.

Plant Beneficial Trees

It may be a scary thought to grow trees to replace the ones you have removed. But, you should not hesitate to do so, as long as you know that the trees you are planting will not cause future issues. The most crucial thing is to avoid trees with roots that grow unwieldy and will eventually damage the sidewalk. Trees that will soak up a lot of water or ones that provide an immense amount of shade are beneficial. The reason shady trees are good is that their thick canopy will reduce the water that hits the sidewalk. This can make it a little easier to avoid water penetration and problems with freezing and thawing.

Getting creative with landscaping is a great way to protect your sidewalk after having it repaired. Talk to a landscaper, like Estate Landscape, for more help.