The Benefits of Planting Trees & Landscaping
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, “The net cooling effect of a young, healthy tree is equivalent to 10 room-size air conditioners operating 20 hours a day.” The energy savings from properly placed trees around buildings and homes would be enough of a reason to plant a few, but there are many more benefits.
The life of a tree is an important one; trees alter the environment in which we live by moderating the climate, improving air quality, conserving water and harboring wildlife.
Landscaping and planting trees around your home not only makes it look more appealing, it also may help your finances in the long run. There are several benefits that come from a nicely landscaped home.
Beautiful landscapes improve a property’s resale value substantially. A study by the American Nursery and Landscape Association found that beautiful landscapes can increase property value by seven to 14 percent and can accelerate the sale of a home by five to six weeks. Moreover, experts believe that homeowners can recover as much as 100 percent of the money they invested in cultivating landscapes when they sell their homes at higher values.
Landscaping can cause more energy efficiency. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, carefully positioned trees can cut as much as 25% off a household’s energy consumption for heating and cooling. Additionally, well-designed landscapes provide enough energy savings to return the initial landscaping investment in eight years. Landscaping can help decrease heat buildup in the home by blocking and absorbing the sun’s energy in the summer, while trees and hedges can be used as windbreaks to shield a house from wind chill during the winter.
Blooming landscapes enhance a property’s aesthetic value and create a desirable living environment. Captivating landscapes provide a shelter of serenity and calm against an outside world that is subdued by noise and haste. You spend a good part of the day running around. Don’t you want to come home to a solacing house framed by sturdy trees, colorful blooms, and cozy deck chairs and nestled within welcoming landscapes that smell of freshly cut grass? Landscapes that celebrate the beauty of nature in all its vibrant hues comfort the soul and reinvigorate the senses. Deciduous trees, sprouting blossoms, and hardy perennials in lush landscapes offer a glimpse of rejuvenation.
Some other benefits of trees and landscaping include;
• absorbing and blocking sunlight
• controls water and erosion
• hedges block sun, obstruct winds, control noise, & help insulate nearby homes
• quieter neighborhoods
“Someone’s sitting in the shade today because
someone planted a tree a long time ago.”
Warren Buffett
