Waves of gardeners have come in this week asking what variety of pink blooming

trees are showing off this spring. Two spectacular trees glowed in visions of pink this week.  Both are excellent choices for the area with little to no bug issues and super hardy.

Prescott Redbud – this western native adapts well to our mountain soils.  Once established it requires little if any care.  The heart shaped leaves are stunning, but the flowers set this tree apart. Rosy pink blooms mature to lavender pink in spring. The 15 foot umbrella shape is the perfect accent for anywhere in the landscape. This truly unusual tree is used as an ornamental accent, in raised beds, or as a firewise plant with moderate water use.  Available only in early spring and in full living color.

Purple Thunder Plum – This blooming beauty shows off like no other and without the mess.  Fragrant pink flowers are in bloom followed by vivid foliage which unfolds as ruby red that give way to profuse purple the rest of the season.  At just under 20 feet this local bloomer is a better Prescott tree than most. This easy to maintain, low water use tree also tolerates deer and rabbits for a showy specimen that boarders on extravagant.

Improving the look of your yard is a relatively inexpensive way to increase the value of your home. You can plant a perennial border in a weekend for color and interest all season. A simple stone walkway makes your house more accessible from the yard and an attractive fence adds a welcoming touch.

A recently released study shows that there is a positive link between the quality of a home’s landscaping and the amount that the homeowners receive for the property at the time of sale. The Horticultural Research Institute funded the study that was conducted by a professor at Clemson University.

By analyzing more than 200 home sales the research found that properties with landscapes judged to be “excellent”  realized a sale price 6 -7% higher than equivalent properties with landscapes judged to be “good.” Landscapes rated as “good” brought 4-5% percent more at sale than those found to be “average.”

The study concluded that the individual benefits of improved landscaping, such as increased aesthetics, buffers from noise and views, climate control through shade and windbreaks, did not increase the value of property directly. Instead, the benefits were realized at a later time when the property was sold. Just like other home improvements such as adding air conditioning or an additional bathroom, homeowners who enhance the landscaping of their properties can immediately enjoy the advantages of the improvement and can later expect to recoup a large percentage of the investment through an increased sale price.

Top 8 Values to Plants in your Yard

My goal was to mimic David Letterman and come up with a top ten, but I don’t have a staff of writers coming up with this stuff.  I was stumped after 8, but I’m sure there are more.

#1 – The Gallop Organization found that landscaping can add between 7 and 15 percent to a homes value.

#2 – Money Magazine found that landscaping can bring a recovery value of 100 to 200 percent at selling time. Kitchen remodeling brings a 75 to 125 percent recovery rate, bathroom remodeling a 20 to 120 percent recovery rate, and addition of a swimming pool a 20 to 50 percent recovery rate.

#3 – Locally I appraising larger trees for insurance claims.  A mature tree can often have an appraised value of between $1,000 and $10,000.  A larger tree can easily reach the upper figures of this range.

#4 –  Landscaping can reduce air conditioning costs by up to 50 percent, by shading the windows and walls of your home.

#5 – Trees can reduce bothersome noise by up to 50 percent and can mask unwanted noises with the pleasant sounds of birds, or the wind rustling through the trees.

#6 – In the heat of summer trees can reduce temperatures by as much as nine degrees Fahrenheit.

#7 – A single urban tree can provide more than $270 yearly in air conditioning, pollution fighting, erosion and storm water control, and wildlife shelter benefits.

#8 – Top reasons people garden: To be outdoors (44%); to be around beautiful things (42%); relax and escape the pressures of everyday life (39%); stay active and get exercise (35%).

Go out there and enjoy this falls gardening season.  You’ll not only enjoy the beauty of your work, the fresh air of the outdoors, draw closer to nature and the relaxation that follows, but you may just very well be money ahead when you sell your home.

Until next week, I’ll see you in the garden center.