The Golden State: Where & How to Live, Secure, Visit, Enjoy and Thrive in California

Improve Your Home Landscaping

In each division there are things to strive for—and to avoid. In your front, or public area, for example, plan for a minimum of care. Select flowers and shrubs that will help you present an attractive face to the passerby at all times without any undue fussing on your part, so that when you can't manage to give as much time as you would like to your grounds, the front of your house will still be presentable. In your service area, plan for off-street parking; for deliveries that can be made without intrusion on the privacy of your lawn or terrace; for a drying yard that won't be seen from the street. For your private area, use the largest part of your plot; take advantage of existing trees and the shade afforded by your house and garage for lounging spots. Have seats in pleasant corners and screen off the children's play areas from the rest of the garden.

Needless to say, landscaping can be a never-ending adventure, a pastime that is as gratifying as it is beautifying, for the creation and care of flowers and trees, vines and shrubs, lawns and fences, brings luxury to the home, happiness to the family, and pleasure to all who behold the beauty of a "well-dressed" house.

Designing and Planning

FOR the most attractive and beneficial use of your grounds, you will want to include in your plans most of the features outlined in this chapter. Such essentials as a good lawn, thriving shade trees and paths and walks are usually taken for granted, yet often they are the most difficult to acquire, and may absorb a major part of your initial effort and budget. On the other hand, such a project as an outdoor living room, with its cooking and entertaining facilities, may have been overlooked in the past because it sounded too difficult to achieve. And yet such seemingly difficult features can add tremendously to your enjoyment and may, depending on what type you choose, be obtained with relatively little effort and cost!