If you are like many Alpharetta rental property owners, you make it a point to develop your rental to be more environmentally friendly. A tiny aspect you can change is to create a pollinator-friendly yard. Making attractive yards that are easy to maintain is a good practice for rental property landscaping. However, you or your tenant could also consider making your property’s yard pollinator-friendly. It’s a project worth taking into consideration for many reasons. It’s not only a helpful investment in the environment, but it may also add value to your property. When done right, creating a pollinator-friendly yard may even be a nice way to draw in environmentally conscious tenants.
Although you may not necessarily be a passionate gardener, you may have heard that pollinators like butterflies, bees, hummingbirds, and other flying insects are quickly declining. These pollinators are essential to our ecosystem. Without them, we would not have various fruits, nuts, and seeds that most of us eat and love. But with just some changes to your rental’s landscaping, you can significantly impact pollinator populations in your land.
Plant With Variety
Using a wide variety of plants in your landscaping is one of the first things you can do first to encourage pollinators to visit your rental home’s yard. You should choose plants that will bloom from early spring to late fall at different times. In most locations, you should be able to get native plant varieties that are both easy to care for and quick to attract pollinators.
Add a Feeder
Hanging a nectar feeder in your rental home’s yard is another simple strategy to attract hummingbirds and butterflies. Apart from the many benefits these pollinators give to your landscaping plants, a lot of people also enjoy watching them feed. To attract even more pollinators to your yard, you could also place a dish of ripe fruit or water mixed with sea salt. Butterflies are very attracted to these items.
Rethink the Lawn
For many rental homes, a blooming green lawn is a key part of the landscaping. You can also support pollinators with your lawn by creating some simple changes. An example would be allowing the grass to grow a bit taller (about 3 inches) and develop seed heads that will retain moisture in the soil and entice pollinators to your yard. You could also consider merging some low-growing plants with your grass, such as white clover or violets. These non-invasive plants may be able to boost local pollinator populations without damaging the health of your lawn.
Use Alternatives to Pesticides
Spraying the lawn or other plants with pesticides is a common practice for a lot of property owners. But no matter what kind of insect you intend to kill, you could also be wiping out beneficial pollinators. If you must use a spray to manage harmful insects or other issues, consider using the more environmentally friendly ones. A couple of oils and soaps can attack pests without killing off pollinators. Cornmeal will at times fend off troublesome ant colonies, while garlic, pepper, and even beer can keep certain biting insects at bay.
If your tenant wants to add pollinator-friendly items to your rental yard, you might consider allowing them to do it. Of course, you would want to make sure that you and your tenant know what updates will be made, who will do the work, and who will pay for the improvements. If your tenant wants you to cover the expense of the plants and other elements, it may still be a good investment and worth saying yes to since it could add value to your property or make it further attractive to future tenants.
Designing a pollinator-friendly yard for your rental that will also boost your property values is a possibility for sure. But knowing exactly what updates will add to your property’s appeal may be a challenge. You may want to consider consulting expert Alpharetta property managers for answers and advice about this and any other queries you may have about managing your property. To learn about all of the excellent services Real Property Management Executives Greater Atlanta offers – including landscaping advice – contact us online today!
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