Published on : Fri, 01 Apr 2005 00:00GMT
by : Andy Clarke

If you have invested in a suburban house with a small patch of land around it, there’s no better way to increase its value than gardening. Never mind if you don’t know the difference between a ‘gladiola’ and a ‘bougainvillea’, and if you think a ‘rake’ and ‘hoe’ are something used by the railways. Pick up a DIY book on gardening and get started right away. Who knows you could even turn out as good as celebrity gardener Diarmuid Gavin. And the best part is - by next year, your house will attract more buyers and for a higher price than you expect.

While solid oak floors, an expensive ultra-modern kitchen, and designer interiors may sway a few individuals, it is your garden that will have the final say about your property.

A well-tended garden will be more effective in selling your property than a glib-talking salesman because when people think about buying a house, they invariably try to imagine themselves enjoying the environment that you have created. They would also be happy they don’t have to invest extra to develop a garden. So go ahead and get ready for a flower show that will floor the next buyer that comes along. Here are a few tips to assist you go in your gardening venture:

1) A smaller patio: Build it in such a way that it catches the evening sun (at the end of the garden may be a good choice). The idea is: when you return home from a hard day at work, the patio is the most inviting place for winding down with a drink.

2) Repeat planting: Instead of having countless species of flora, get a manageable number and mark out patches where you can repeat groups of the same plant.

3) Packets of seeds: Pick up all the catalogues and packets that you can manage. The most popular ones are Unwins, Fothergills and Suttons. You could even choose some annual plants that can be sown directly into the ground. In April as the soil warms up these will grow to a beautiful bloom by next year.

4) Over-sized pots: a few of these with trees in them can give it a professional touch and also look attractive.

5) Color purple: Try this and you will be amazed at its stunning effect. Paint the fences and all background walls of your garden with an aubergine purple. It will enhance the contents – the flora and the pots, of your garden like nothing else will. A definite must.

6) Kitchen manure: Develop compost using all your organic kitchen and garden waste. You will have the additional pleasure of thumbing your nose at snobbish neighbors who scoff at the idea of playing with mud and manure.

7) Go natural/go organic: keep out pesticides and fungicides.

Finally, serve yourself a shot of the finest whiskey, on the rocks and bring out that garden chair. You have earned this paradise and will hate to sell it.