Lawns and Gardens
How to Really Make Your House Stand Out
By
Dec 21, 2005, 23:34

(ARA) – Do you live on a street where all the houses look the same and feel like you need to do something to set your place apart from the rest? Once the snow clears and the temperatures warm up, get out and do something about it!
Unless your house is an architectural masterpiece, it could benefit from some thoughtful plantings to soften the edges and help it blend with the surroundings. Once spring arrives, there will be thousands of different varieties of trees, shrubs and flowers available that alone, or in combination, will help you really make a statement.

A good place to start will be by choosing shrubs to plant right in front of the house. If you’re looking for a low-maintenance evergreen, a good shrub to go with is holly. Hydrangeas and rhododendrons are popular options if you’re looking to add some color. Once the shrubs are in place, you can complement them with such spring beauties as pansies, petunias, daisies and marigolds.

You may also want to consider putting a fence in your yard, or replacing an old chain link fence with something a little nicer looking. When it comes to fencing, invest in a system that will complement your garden and home, not distract from its beauty.

“A lot of people go with chain link fencing because it’s the most affordable option out there, but it’s not very attractive,” says Bruce Schwartz of Jerith Manufacturing Company in Philadelphia. “You can improve the aesthetic value of your home by spending a little bit extra for ornamental fencing.”

Rick Longerbeam of Summit Point, W. Va., says he wouldn’t have done it any other way. “I wanted a system that was durable, structurally sound and attractive,” he says. “Chain-link just didn’t fit into the equation.”

The system he decided to go with is Jerith’s Patriot Ornamental Wire Fencing system. This fence is priced just slightly more than vinyl-coated chain link, but much lower than other ornamental fences. The retail price of the material starts at less than $17 per foot for a four foot tall fence.

It features visually appealing mesh patterns and horizontal rails for a truly ornamental appearance. “My fence has been a show-stopper ever since I put it up,” says Longerbeam. “People stop and ask about it pretty much any time they see me out in the yard.”

The system has a variety of appearances “You can get mesh that’s close together and very difficult to climb, or far apart to create a picket-fence look,” points out Schwartz.

Installation is easy too. The panels come pre-assembled in 4, 5 and 6-foot tall pieces. All the installer has to do is dig holes for the posts, set them in concrete, then attach the panels to them.

If you already have a chain link fence in your yard, and are considering replacing it, you’ll soon be able to upgrade it to a Jerith fencing system without spending a lot of money. This spring, the company will begin offering an installation method that allows the Patriot Fence to use your existing chain link posts, saving the cost of purchasing and installing new posts. This will reduce the cost of the fence to just $12 or so per foot.

Jerith fencing is not sold in home improvement stores. You need to order it from a fencing contractor. To learn more about one of the oldest and largest manufacturers of ornamental fences in North America, or to order a catalog, log on to www.jerith.com. Courtesy of ARA Content

© Copyright by EveningsNews.com