Fast Facts: Outdoor Living Areas

** The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) recommends that homeowners invest 10 percent of their home’s value in landscaping. The effort should go beyond just plantings, or softscaping, to include structural features such as lighting, fences, garden paths, fire pits, swimming pools and ponds. Outdoor rooms, terraces and decks are high value-adding structural or hardscape investments. A landscape architect can work with the client to generate a detailed plan.

** If you’re looking to add value to your home by way of its exterior, consider these eight landscaping elements that have shown to increase property values:

Moving water features
Walkways
Arches, arbors and pergolas
Outdoor kitchen areas and barbecue pits
Landscape lighting
Patios and decks
Outdoor fireplaces or fire pits
Backyard retreats and gazebos

In addition to the potential return on investment, quality landscaping provides other benefits, including blocking noise and unpleasant views, lowering heating and cooling
costs, and reducing chemical usage on the property.

** When it comes to outdoor lighting, begin by defining your objectives, which vary from adding decorative elements to call attention to specific trees, shrubs or plants to enhancing home security by lighting dark areas of a home. If you have to prioritize your exterior lighting upgrades, start with the places closest to the house, where there is the greatest activity, advises Joe Rey-Barreau, education consultant for the American Lighting Association and an associate professor at the University of Kentucky’s School of Interior Design. Here are some of Rey-Barreau’s picks for common outdoor lighting projects:

Front, side or rear entrances.

Motion-sensor or photocell lighting outside the garage. Either two mounted lanterns on either side of the garage or a single fixture mounted above the garage door.

Lighting on steps, paths and driveways.

Spotlights that draw attention to a home’s architecture.

Spotlights or low-voltage mini-lights on decks, porches and patios.

Pools and fountains illuminated with underwater lighting to provide beauty and safety during evening entertaining or swimming.

** Florals and foliage are often part of exterior landscaping projects, and common perennials will beautify gardens without a lot of fuss. Here are some popular go-to plants that will return year after year:

Yarrow
Yarrow is a tall, feathery-leaved perennial; clusters of small blooms come in yellow, red and white.

Daylily
Daylily bulbs shoot up tall stems with narrow, pointed leaves and several large buds per stem; orange, pink, red and cream.

Salvia
Salvia is a low-maintenance perennial with spiky purple clusters of blooms that rise above deep green foliage.

Iris
The perennial iris is a tall, narrow flower with an elegant bloom; blue, purple, yellow, white and red.

Heuchera
Heuchera is a shade-loving perennial that can feature green or chocolate-colored leaves; blooms can be white or pink.

Ferns
Hundreds of varieties of perennial ferns thrive in conditions from bright sun to deep shade.

Peony
Peonies are small, hardy shrubs that flower in late spring to early summer; flowers are red, pink or white.

Hydrangea
Hydrangea shrubs are a classic favorite among many gardeners and available in several varieties; flowers are pink, blue, white and lime green.

Butterfly Bush
This plant features long, willowlike branches and shoots of small purple or pink flowers that are famous for attracting hummingbirds and butterflies.