Did anyone besides Anonymous happen to see this cartoon in the paper? The cartoon is by Hank Ketcham and is of Dennis the Menace. He kind of sums up my recent survey and I thought it appropriate for this blog.
I had added a survey asking people for their best reason for liking their gardens. You can view the results to your right only until tomorrow's post, then I will take it down and maybe add another survey or something else. Any suggestions?
I can tell you I personally like digging in the dirt but I also really do like my plants too. I wouldn't be digging in the dirt if it weren't for the plants. And I wouldn't have plants if I didn't have a design and layout. So, for me the first three answers were interconnected. The last one, asking who liked their gardens because of the value it adds to their homes, shows we are not in gardening for the value and we are truly die hard gardeners. Surely there are people who have gardens solely for the value it adds to their property, but they don't read this blog.
I can tell you I personally like digging in the dirt but I also really do like my plants too. I wouldn't be digging in the dirt if it weren't for the plants. And I wouldn't have plants if I didn't have a design and layout. So, for me the first three answers were interconnected. The last one, asking who liked their gardens because of the value it adds to their homes, shows we are not in gardening for the value and we are truly die hard gardeners. Surely there are people who have gardens solely for the value it adds to their property, but they don't read this blog.
Here in Montgomery County I am told by the assessor that if you have great curb appeal, your home is worth more. I agree, but ONLY if my home is on the market. The assessment should not be raised simply because I like to garden and my home looks nice. If anything, I think people who don't maintain their landscaping and homes should be penalized by having an additional tax added to their annual tax bill. People who take great pride in their homes and put in a lot of tender loving care into creating a nice landscape, should be rewarded with a tax rebate. What do you all think? Should landscaping, which is a real property asset, be included in the value of a home for assessment purposes?
Keep in mind, landscaping WILL no doubt change when the homeowner changes. How many times have one of us moved from a home and lovely garden only to return for a look around a few years later, or even a few months later, and find the landscaping destroyed? Does the assessed value then drop? Landscaping should not be included in assessment value, but certainly in the market price of a home. It is clear a nicely landscaped home will sell faster than a poorly landscaped one, but assessments are a totally different matter. Adding value to your assessment may dissuade homeowners from creating a nice landscape in order to avoid a higher tax rate (probably not diehard gardeners, but some would not bother if they knew they had to pay higher taxes). What do you think?
Keep in mind, landscaping WILL no doubt change when the homeowner changes. How many times have one of us moved from a home and lovely garden only to return for a look around a few years later, or even a few months later, and find the landscaping destroyed? Does the assessed value then drop? Landscaping should not be included in assessment value, but certainly in the market price of a home. It is clear a nicely landscaped home will sell faster than a poorly landscaped one, but assessments are a totally different matter. Adding value to your assessment may dissuade homeowners from creating a nice landscape in order to avoid a higher tax rate (probably not diehard gardeners, but some would not bother if they knew they had to pay higher taxes). What do you think?
Just my opinion.
I will do another post this afternoon of some beautiful pictures from 'down under'.
I will do another post this afternoon of some beautiful pictures from 'down under'.
in the garden....
