A new government scheme is encouraging large scale house builders such as Barratt, David Wilson and Persimmon to plant more green space in an effort to enhance living environments for new householders. This includes the strategic placing of metal planters, specifically those made using galvanised steel, trees and other forms of living ‘greenery.’
Metal planters are ideal for adding an attractive finish to a building project, read on for more details.
The ‘green’ agenda fits into one of the criteria of the government’s ‘Building For Life 12’ (BfL12) initiative which states that the design of new homes and their neighbourhoods should be as “attractive, functional and sustainable as possible.”
In February this year, five of the first developments in England were accredited under the scheme, which is backed by the Home Builders Federation and is the result of collaboration between house builders, councils, architects, planners and academics. The ‘12’ stands for the number of criteria which makes housing schemes “good places to live.”
As such, putting in painted steel planters and other green options to new build developments doesn’t just mean that house builders are pleasing the government and the Home Builders Federation by abiding by their rules. No, the developers are also improving their own chances of making a sale by ensuring the houses are attractive to look at (or, in terms of house developer jargon, “boosting kerb appeal”).
Meanwhile landscaping in new housing estates has other benefits too such as:
+Increasing the value of a property
In a world of concrete, greenery with living shrubs and plants doesn’t just enhance the environment but also adds to the selling price of the property when a family is looking to move on. That’s because a touch of greenery will make a property or development more attractive to look at and encourage people to spend time there.
+Doesn’t take a lot of time to maintain
In our increasingly hectic lives these days many people can’t afford the time to maintain a garden, or pay for the services of a gardener, but they could manage a few hours tending to a small patio, balcony or terraced garden. House builders are becoming increasingly aware of this and as a result the use of planters, in particular large cubes or tapered pots for new housing estates is growing in popularity.
+Planters are a flexible option
Unlike having to chop down a tree or unearth a huge bush, new homeowners who don’t like the terrace or patio arrangement they’ve inherited can simply unearth the current shrubs or flowers in the planters and put in their own, move the planters around or even replace them with planter designs of their own choice.
And you don’t have to feel restricted to just placing planters on the balcony, terrace or patio either. Other areas where a touch of greenery does no harm and can in fact enhance existing features by adding drama (or disguise unwanted features) include:
+Entrances – two planters either side of a front door can add a regal touch
+Walls – lined along a wall a group of identical planters mirroring each other can look extremely effective and even make the wall look longer
+Indoors – container pots inside a dull unused fireplace can really brighten up a room and add character
For more ideas on how planters can enhance your landscaping project take a look today through our collection via the gallery to obtain some inspiration!
