Curb Appeal Using Curbs

[missmanors]

Curbs don't have to be like those we see along our streets. They can be a great decorative element in a yard, with the added benefit of keeping grass out of a flower bed, or to keep water draining into a safe area, instead of into a basement or other place that we'd like to see stay dry.

One homeowner wanted to have a landscape that used curbs in order to have a nice clean definition between his lawn, garden and driveway. He couldn't find anyone that could help him achieve this with a look that appealed to him, so he started his own little business using curbs that are decorative and also useful.

John Schwarzkopf felt that if he needed curb appeal in his yard that was not just functional, but also decorative, then others may want that look and functionality also. Now his lawn is kind of a showroom for his little business.

He has several garden patches, each of which are edged or ringed with a decorative curb. The curbs control erosion and also keeps the grass from the lawn from creeping into the gardens.

The curbs can also help with water run-off and to control drainage in a wet climate, which can be beneficial when selling a home. The curbs can divert water away from the house, draining it in a safe area.

According to the American Society of Landscape Architects, landscaping can add as much as 20% to the value of a home, and homeowners should consider investing as much as 10% of their home's value in the landscaping.

Schwarzkopf said that at first, he thought that curbing would be too expensive, but after looking at concrete blocks (at about $3.00 per foot), which still allows for grass and weeds to grow between the blocks, the curbing is cost efficient without the hassle of grass and weeds. The cost for curbing starts at about $5.00 per foot, with different shapes to choose from, patterns and colors are also available. (Of course, this affects the price).

Schwarzkopf says that a homeowner gets a lot of visual appeal for not a huge amount of money, and that the decorative curbing has a lifetime of at least 10-15 years, depending on the location and usage.

The curbing has polymers mixed in to provide some flexibility and sets up in about 20 minutes. It's solidly set within 24 hours.

The curbing can also be enhanced with rope lighting added along the edges, which can provide some dramatic effects after dark. Other wiring can be added in as well, such as invisible dog fencing, or even speaker wires. Schwarzkopf says that if you pair that with speakers that are disguised as rocks, you can have a yard that's wired for sound.

[badmomma]

That sounds very nice indeed. I would like to see some examples of his work if you could. I don't think this is a real option for me as we have a horse shoe drive that has an extension up to our pole barn. That would be just to much curb.
It might however be a good idea for the area where we have a mobile home. I can see some use over there. I had not really considered curbing as we live in the country but it would add a certain something to my yard that isn't seen around here to often.

[flippinout]

Here is a picture of the curbs being installed and also a picture of the way it looks at night with the lighting installed.






Pictures are from The Chronicle

And this is something I am going to try in my front yard next spring, I think it would be very pretty with lights added and plus you could probably even paint the curbing if you like.

[missmanors]

I can think of quite a few yards in my little neighborhood that would benefit from curbs. We are on a slope here, and there is a lot of water run-off during the storm seasons, and there is a little creek behind some of the properties. I'm sure that some curbing could drain some of the excess water into the creek, instead of into the yards of others.