The frost has arrived.
You are thankful that you spent last Sunday taking care of the last of the fall yard work. You cut out the two lilac buses from the front door. You mowed the yard short one more time, as well as picking up the latest leaves that had fallen from the trees. And while there were many ways that you would have enjoyed spending your Sunday, the fact that you woke up this morning to a thick layer of frost and 22 degrees is an indicator that you made the right decision.
Some people live to work outside and do yard work, while others see this time as a dreaded chore. Either way, it is difficult to deny the importance of landscaping at the visual and financial value that it adds to a property. From outdoor kitchen installations to patio designs, the way a home looks and function on the outside enhances a family’s enjoyment of their property. And while many home owners want to take care of all of their yard work and outdoor upgrades themselves, an increasing number of Americans hire landscape design services and other contractors to make sure that the outside appearance of their home is the very best that it can be.
When Was the Last Time That You Spent Time Upgrading Your Landscaping and Other Outdoor Spaces?
Whether you are making the decision to add new plants to the landscaping space in front of your home or you are making the decision to invest in an outdoor kitchen or theater space, these improvements to the beauty of your property serve a double purpose by adding value as well. From patio installations to water features, the areas that you create in your outdoor spaces allow you to continue increase the value of your home. Because they are both expensive to install and add such value, it should come as no surprise that a growing number of home owners contract out many of these outdoor services.
Consider some of these statistics about these popular offerings that landscape design services offer to their clients:

• Over 50% of home owners who are upgrading their outdoor spaces spend six or more hours there every week. The top three uses for these spaces include relaxing, gardening, and entertaining.
• Unless you keep your bushes and shrubs trimmed on a regular basis you can be faced with overgrown and unruly plants, and in some cases plants that need to be removed.
• The majority, in fact 64%, of home owners upgrading their outdoor spaces are addressing their backyard.
• Designers allow their clients plenty of planning time in the process of making their changes. And while clients have this option, many home owners simply rely on the suggestions.
• Other than plants and shrubs, many home owners also ad new trees to their yard as well.
• One of the top three features requested by new homebuyers are patios, according to the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association.
• Research indicates that andscaping can increase a home?s resale value by 14%.






• Back yards an increasingly popular location where families spend their time. In fact, these spaces serve as neighborhood gatherings and family get togethers.
• Estimates indicate that landscape design services continue to be a popular home improvement expense. In fact, 67% of Americans agree that professional landscaping would allow them to have a nicer yard, according to a recent survey by Harris Poll for the National Association of Landscape Professionals.
• As many as 90% of real estate agents recommend that home owners invest in landscaping before putting their home on the market.
• Until you are willing to spend time in your yard, you might be better off contracting your landscape design services.
• The average American spends four hours a week taking care of their lawn. This amounts to an average of 208 hours a year, or more than 8 days.
• Yard improvements continue to be important. In fact, 83% of Americans think having a yard is important and 90% of those with a yard think it is important that their outdoor spaces are also well-maintained.

If you are looking to increase the OUTDOOR BEAUTY of your space, working with a professional landscape company might be a good idea. It may be frosty today, but it is never too early to start making plans for spring.