Spring/Summer Landscaping Ideas For College Housing Property Managers

By Elana Goodwin on May 19, 2016

One of the things people most look forward to about spring and summer is seeing their yards full of plants, flowers, and other features that symbolize warm weather. College students are no different, which is why landscaping a college housing property for spring and summer is important.

However, depending on your space and layout, landscaping your rental may offer more challenges than a typical house; so here are some landscaping ideas to consider implementing at your college housing property.

Photo Credit: countrywoodsapts.com

1. Flowers. Planting flowers in the early spring around your housing properties will make your rental feel and look homier and more colorful. You can plant various annuals and perennials around the property so the whole place really embodies spring and summer. Depending on the setup of your property and amount of grass, you may want to consider putting flower boxes in to keep it more organized and controlled, or adding a small fenced-in area that you’ll plant flowers in.

You can also create more layers and a fuller-looking flower bed by planting some in planters and pots and others in the ground around the property. If deer are a problem in your area, choose flowers that deer don’t find tasty and people still find pretty, like butterfly weed, globe thistle, butterfly bush, or purple cornflower.

2. Trees. No matter the size or shape of your housing property, you can always plant another tree to add some greenery and life to your college rental. There are a number of different kinds of trees you can choose from depending on the overall size of the space and your climate.

Whether you have more limited space or a larger yard area, some trees you should consider planting include the Japanese maple or umbrella pine, a dwarf or semi-dwarf Crape Myrtle, or a flowering dogwood. Each of these trees, depending on how many trunks you select, can be either fairly small or grow quite big and they all have leaves that change colors or produce flowers so you’ll also add some color to your property in addition to a nice tree.

If you have more room for a larger tree, you may want to go bigger as it will produce shade, which will be a nice feature your college student residents can take advantage of by studying or hanging out under the tree on the property during the spring, summer and autumn months.

3. Benches/Tables. If you have a larger housing property, a great and easy landscaping idea to carry out this summer is to “plant” some benches and/or a few picnic tables. College students like to hang out outside when the weather is nice and it’s easier and more convenient to do so with work if you have a bench or table for them to sit on.

If you’re going the benches route, face the benches toward a garden or the street so whoever sits on them will have something to look at and face. If you decide to put a few picnic tables with benches on the property, make sure they’re sturdy and durable, and located on solid and flat ground.

If you want to go the extra mile, you can also look into putting in a grill outside by the picnic tables so your tenants can easily throw a barbecue and really take advantage of and fully use the outdoor tables and space.

4. Herbs. Another great landscaping idea that can be executed in a few different ways is planting herbs. You can plant one designated herb garden on your housing property so residents can visit and pick some to use and enjoy, or you can build some window boxes and plant herbs in them.

If you’re going to go the window boxes route, it’ll require more initial effort but you can then leave the maintenance more up to the renters and they can each have a mini-herb garden to pick from. Whichever you decide, consider planting commonly used herbs like basil, mint, chives, rosemary, parsley, thyme and oregano.

5. Vegetables. If you want to give back to your tenants, look into planting a vegetable garden that your renters can enjoy. Fence off part of a grassy area at the property, bring in some mulch, and plant various veggies like cucumbers, zucchini, tomatoes and more.

Start out by planting the seeds inside and then transferring them to the prepared garden area once summer’s underway so your tenants can enjoy a season of fresh veggies. Make sure the garden is in a spot that will get plenty of sunlight and is out of the way enough that non-tenants won’t come in and pick all the veggies for themselves!

Use these tips and ideas to inspire your landscaping plans this spring/summer — no matter what you choose to do landscaping-wise with your property, it’ll look more cared for and ready for the season, which your college student tenants will appreciate.

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