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Add ‘wow’ factor with a few simple touches: Next level can be reached without breaking family budget

A hummingbird and bee pollinate a flower at the Veterans Therapeutic Gardens in Caldwell, Idaho, in August 2015. Homeowners can attract hummingbirds to their gardens with a multitude of flowering plants that include bleeding hearts, cardinal flower, impatiens and petunias. (Adam Eschbach/The Idaho Press-Tribune via AP, file)

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The flower beds are finished, the vegetables are growing, and yet something could be missing from the backyard landscape: That “wow” factor.

Adding a personal touch to the lawn and garden doesn’t have to be complicated or break the family budget. Homeowners can transform an ordinary looking landscape with some imagination, design, and perhaps the help of a local agriculture extension service, landscape professional or private nursery.

“A garden is really never finished,” said Jonathan M. Lehrer, chairman of the Department of Urban Horticulture and Design at Farmingdale State College on Long Island, New York. “Sometimes the most difficult thing is kind of taking that plunge and deciding you’re going to develop an area or start a project.”

Some ideas that gardeners can use to take yards to another level:

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A garden wall is shown at a home in Altadena, Calif., 2012. Landscape designer Katharine Pinney built a wall for a client from stone and concrete already on the site. Homeowners can transform an ordinary looking landscape with some imagination, design and perhaps the help of a local agriculture extension service, landscape professional or private nursery. (Katharine Pinney photo via AP)

The starting point

An arbor, pergola, lattice — even posts with netting wrapped around them — will grab attention, especially at a yard’s entrance. It also adds height where homeowners normally think only about length and width, Lehrer said.

Adding clematis, climbing roses or honeysuckle along them will provide long periods of blooms.

Arbors decorated with lights can also define garden rooms and set up views to the space beyond, said Katharine Pinney, a landscape designer in Los Angeles.

“Use them to lead your visitor through the garden,” Pinney said.

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The pathway to success

A path with mulch, gravel, brick, pavers or flagstone with edging will encourage a stroll.

Pinney said the simpler the path’s route, the better. But Lehrer suggests avoiding a straight, linear pathway.

“Trying to use more curves, twists and turns, that kind of adds the illusion of a longer length than it might be, that mystery of what might be around the next corner,” he said.

Pinney said the choice of pavers should reflect the architectural style of the house.

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Places to rest

Benches and tables are a must for homeowners wanting to make their yards a hangout. Having limited room shouldn’t be a deterrent.

Pinney said she designs numerous small gardens because the old bungalow neighborhoods in her area have narrow but deep lots.

“Dividing that narrow space into rooms makes the garden seem larger,” she said.

Pinney and Lehrer suggest building a fire pit, a cooking area, or a place for dining or simply to enjoy morning coffee.

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Get personal

Pinney suggests incorporating items that reflect the homeowner’s personality. One of her clients loved wine and held tastings with friends. Pinney said she planted wine grapes for the customer and used old wine bottles from restaurants to border a path.

Old brick from another customer’s 1920s bungalow was incorporated into the border of an outdoor groundcover “rug.”

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Agree to tree

Depending on the climate and sun requirements, consider planting small trees along the edges.

For northern climates, Lehrer strongly suggests the cornelian cherry dogwood. It has yellow flowers in the spring and red cherry-like fruit in late summer and early fall. The leaves turn red and orange in the fall, and as the tree ages, the outer bark peels, revealing a orange-brown color.

“It’s a four-season plant that is extremely tough,” he said.

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Winged friends

A big garden bonus is a visit from a butterfly or hummingbird. Plants that produce nectar and pollen can lure them in.

The 4-H Children’s Garden at Michigan State University includes a butterfly house that is open in the spring. Education coordinator Jessica Wright said attracting butterflies means having compatible plants for the caterpillars they begin as. These can include fennel, dill and milkweed. Other flowering plants can act as butterfly magnets.

Among the plants that attract hummingbirds are bleeding hearts, cardinal flower, impatiens and petunias. Both butterflies and hummingbirds are drawn to bee balm, butterfly bushes and zinnia. Birds and butterflies do require water, so consider adding feeders or a bird bath.

“The interaction with nature is the next level,” Wright said. “It’s great to see them enjoying your garden as well.”

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