When it’s time to sell your home, one of the most important things you can do is boost its curb appeal.

According to the National Association of Realtors, curb appeal sells 49 percent of all homes. To help you build curb appeal from the ground up, TruGreen and Jason Cameron, licensed contractor and TV host, have teamed up to give you some simple, doable tips to improve your lawn and landscape.

Water correctly

Improper watering can seriously mar your home’s curb appeal. Check the working condition of sprinkler heads and water lines to make sure they’re working properly. To ensure your manual or automated watering system covers the landscape efficiently, set a 1-inch deep empty food can in the middle of your lawn so you can measure the depth of water collected each watering cycle. In addition:

• Don’t overwater. Watering too much can result in shallow plant roots, weed growth, storm water runoff, and the possibility of disease and fungus development. Adjust your watering schedule depending on rainfall, grass and soil type. Trees and shrubs need longer, less frequent watering than plants with shallower roots.
• The best time to water is early morning, between 4 and 7 a.m. This helps reduce evaporation, since the sun is low, winds are usually calmer and temperatures cooler. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, watering in midday results in the loss of as much as 30 percent of your water. Always be mindful of local water restrictions.
• Take advantage of rain. Let nature water your landscape as much as possible. Rain barrels are a great way to harvest rain for watering your plants later on – and save you money on your water bill.

Complement with color

Consider your home’s exterior when selecting flowering plant combinations for plant beds, window boxes or front porch planters. Any color combination works well against the backdrop of a white house. Red or pink blooms tend to complement a yellow house best.

Here are some other colorful tips to keep in mind:

• For a calming effect, use cooler colors such as blue, green and purple. They blend into the landscape for a peaceful look.
• Bold colors add excitement to the landscape. Warm yellows, oranges and reds make the garden lively. Yellow reflects more light than other colors, so yellow flowers will get noticed first.
• Not all color needs to come from flowers. Foliage can significantly enhance your landscape, so look for colorful grasses and plants such as silvery lamb’s ear, variegated hostas and Japanese painted ferns.

Grass versus weeds

No matter your weed problems, a lawn care approach that works in one region doesn’t necessarily work in another. According to Dr. Ben Hamza, TruGreen expert and director of technical operations, TruGreen will design a custom plan to provide your yard exactly what it needs.

“We offer customized lawn care designed specifically to meet your lawn’s needs throughout the year based on climate, grass type, soil condition and usage. And we back it up with our Healthy Lawn Guarantee,” Hamza said.

To get more tips, and to watch Jason Cameron in seasonal webisodes on

curb appeal on behalf of TruGreen, visit www.trugreen.com.

– Courtesy of Family Features