The Golden State: Where & How to Live, Secure, Visit, Enjoy and Thrive in California
15 Basic Ways To Landscape Your Homepage
For year-round ground cover (evergreen strawberry, ivy geranium, Algerian and English ivy, vinca, pachysandra), figure on about 10 cents for each plant. Climbing vines (roses, bittersweet, wisteria, clematis, five-leaved akebia, some types of ivy) will quickly soften building contours and add decoration at an average cost of $1 per unit. For adding distinction and shade to your front law n as well as to blend merging horizontal and vertical lines, plan on one or two shade trees (maple, oak, elm, linden, honey locust, sweet gum) at $2 for a six-foot whip. Hedge plants to line a walk or set off an entrance and strengthen house corners (privet, bar-berrv, boxwood) average five cents for each plant. One pound of mixed grass seed will cover about 150 square feet and costs around Si-75 per pound, depending on the mixtures of grass used. The best mixes of grass frequently contain several of the fol-lowing varieties: Fescue, Kentucky blue grass, bents, dichondra or white clover.
Costt of typical plantings are: A, Shade tree $1$; B, Smaller flowering tree about $ 7.50 C, Decorative evergreens of medium height $4 each; I), Ground bugging shrubs at $1 each; E, Shrub (flowering) $1.50; F, Ground cover at about 25c a plant.
Building materials are similarly inexpensive when you do the installing. For example, buy the lumber for fencing directly from your local lumberman and a five-foot high board fence will cost about $1 per lineal, or running, foot. A low wood seat wall would increase the estimate to about $l.50 per lineal foot. By mail order you can obtain a wide variety of fence styles which are easily assembled at home. Cost is nominal and is by the section; i.e., each section, averaging seven to 10 feet in length, includes both posts and fence rails or paling. A simple ranch-type, three-rail fence of rustic wood will cost you about $3.50 a section by mail. All fences are sold unfinished and may be easily painted or stained to harmonize with your home.
Patio surfaces of brick-on-sand can be figured by using a basic cost of 20 cents per square foot. If you're planning a gravel service yard it will cost about 15 cents a square foot to install. The cost for incidentals, such as concrete stepping stones, is negligible. Most popular size squares (10 to 14 inch) are sold in both white and colors at from 19 to 29 cents each. White hexagons in the 12 by 12 and 14 by 14 inch size cost 22 and 28 cents each.
By following the basic rules of planning outlined in this book you can easily trim many dollars off your landscaping budget. In addition, the satisfaction of framing a home to please yourself is doubled when the cost is cut in half by your own skill and foresight.
