You may be wondering whether to introduce a new array of flowers, shrubs and trees into your garden. In this short article, you’ll find out some of the benefits of including plants inside and around your property.
The benefits of planting flowers in your garden
Incorporating fresh flowers into the design of the interior of your property will bring a number of benefits. The most prominent benefits of having fresh flowers inside your house include:
- Atmosphere – Flowers can turn a dull colored room into a vibrant one. The fragrances of fresh flowers will also further enhance your living space.
- Mood – Leading on from above, not only do flowers contribute to a pleasant aroma and colors, but they also have a mood lifting and relaxing effect. A study conducted at Washington State University found that participants displayed increased friendliness and happiness around a natural environment.
Planting flowers outdoors in your garden also has benefits; Flowers will add lively color to an all-green garden, thus improving the overall appearance of the garden.
The vibrant colors and fragrances of the flowers will attract various insects, most importantly bees. Having a garden which allows bees to thrive will benefit the species and your garden – they will help in pollinating other plants around your garden and the surrounding area.
The benefits of planting shrubs and bushes
Planted outdoors, shrubs and bushes can provide a host of benefits to your property.
One notable benefit is planting deciduous shrubs in line with windows that receive morning or evening sunlight – During the summer months, the foliage will block out the sun’s rays and during the winter will allow warming light in, thus reducing your cooling/heating bills.
Shrubs and bushes are also great for covering large areas, which when completely grown will reduce the amount of weeding required in your garden.
Further to this, taller shrubs are an excellent solution to providing a border or adding natural privacy to your garden. Or if you have an unsightly object such as a large drain pipe, a shrub will provide good covering.
Shrubs and bushes are great soil enhancers. In areas with poor drainage, various types of bushes can improve water irrigation, which in turn benefits other more fragile plants nearby.
Varieties which have berries or flowers will also attract wildlife into your garden, such as bees, birds and many other fauna.
Small shrubs and bushes can benefit the interior of your property.
The leaves will improve interior air quality by removing pollutants and dust particles, thus freshening up your living space. Examples of plants which can be kept indoors and improve air quality are Areca Palm, Lady Palm, Bamboo Palm, Dracaena and the Peace Lilly.
The benefits of planting trees in your garden
Similar to the use of shrubs, trees can benefit your property by reducing your heating/cooling bills:
In the summer months, the canopy of trees will provide natural air conditioning – if the canopy shades your house.
In the winter months, if you have planted evergreen trees which face incoming weather, they can reduce the effects of wind-cooling on your property, thus reducing the heat loss and in turn your heating bills.
Trees will also improve soil quality – if you live in an area with frequent rainstorms, medium to large trees will help in reducing the effects of flooding and soil erosion/runoff.
One of the major benefits of planting trees with large canopies is their effect on cleaning the air. Trees will remove pollution, harmful chemicals and particles from the air whilst releasing clean, fresh oxygen.
Not only do trees provide a habitat for a large variety of wildlife whilst they are alive; when they fall, the rotting branches will provide new habitats for a whole host of insects and small fauna.
Final thoughts
Not only do flowers, shrubs and trees improve the aesthetics of your property and provide a habitat for an abundance of wildlife, when the overall design is taken into consideration, the value of your property is likely to slightly increase.
It is estimated that when you list your property for sale, a landscaped, well maintained garden can increase the value between 5% and 20%.
Incorporating numerous plants in and around your property is also beneficial to your health. A study from a university in Texas found that participants were less stressed and more relaxed after being around trees for 5 minutes.
Further to this, planting trees and other plants around your property will help in curbing the effects of climate change – One fully grown tree consumes just over half of the CO2 an average person produces each year.
N.b. If you do intend to plant trees which will grow to over 20ft tall, you should be aware that the root system can grow extremely large. For this reason we would not recommend planting trees too close to the foundations of your property – the roots could disturb your foundations or the tree could fall and damage your home.
