Many Portsmouth rental property owners like you want to do their job well by making the rental more environmentally friendly. A tiny aspect you can change is to create a pollinator-friendly yard. Developing yards that are attractive and easy to maintain is a best practice for rental property landscaping. However, you or your tenant also should consider making your property’s yard pollinator-friendly. It’s worth pondering on this idea for many reasons. It’s not only a positive investment in the environment, but it can add value to your property as well. When done correctly, having a pollinator-friendly yard may even be a strategic way to entice 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 good for our ecosystem. Without them, we would not have various fruits, nuts, and seeds that most of us eat and relish. But with just small updates to your rental’s landscaping, you can definitely impact pollinator populations in your area.
Plant With Variety
One thing you can do first to encourage pollinators to visit your rental home’s yard is to use a wide variety of plants in your landscaping. You should pick plants that will bloom from early spring to late fall at separate times. In most places, you should be able to obtain 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 providing many benefits to your landscaping plants, a lot of people also enjoy watching these pollinators feed. To entice even more pollinators to your yard, you could also place a dish of ripe fruit or water mixed with sea salt. Butterflies are usually attracted to these items.
Rethink the Lawn
For many rental homes, a healthy green lawn is a major part of the landscaping. By making some simple changes, you can also support pollinators with your lawn. To state an example, allowing the grass to grow a bit taller (about 3 inches) and develop seed heads will not only retain moisture in the soil but also 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 will 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 usual practice for a lot of property owners. But no matter what kind of insect you intend to kill, you could also be getting rid of beneficial pollinators. If you must use a spray to manage harmful insects or other issues, consider selecting the ones that are more environmentally friendly. A couple of oils and soaps can ward off pests without killing off pollinators. Cornmeal will sometimes kill 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 and your tenant should be aware of what updates will be made, who will do the work, and who will pay for the improvements. In the event that your tenant wants you to pay for the plants and other elements, it still may be a good investment and worth saying yes to since it could add value to your property or make it more attractive to future tenants.
Designing a pollinator-friendly yard for your rental that will also boost your property values is certainly achievable. But it may be a challenge to know what certain updates will add to your property’s appeal. For answers and advice about this and any other questions you may have about managing your property, you may want to think of turning to expert Portsmouth property managers. To know about all of the excellent services that Real Property Management Seacoast New Hampshire has to offer – including landscaping advice – contact us online today!
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