By Sharon Cohoon, Sunset senior garden writer
Fashion magazines sometimes evaluate the worth of a clothes purchase by cost per use. A pair of well-made classic black slacks that fits you perfectly are worth investing in, for instance, because you'll wear them regularly for years. And a trendy top might not be, even if it was cheap, because it will be out of fashion in a season. So, if you divide the number of times you wear each piece by the price, the more expensive piece was actually the better buy.
Why do I bring this up? Because investing in your garden works the same way. Redoing your landscape, versus just jazzing it up with a little seasonal color, is unquestionably more expensive. Which is why most of us keep talking ourselves out of making the investment. But the results are a lot more dramatic, and they can transform not just your garden but how you feel about the world.
Take a look, for example, at the Montecito front courtyard shown below, which is on page 42 of our May issue in the California editions. Then skim down to the befores and see what this entry used to look like.
Picture yourself walking through both spaces at the start and close of each day. Which space would make you happier? And think about how many times that's going to happen. Calculate the expense on a cost per use basis, and suddenly the investment doesn't seem extravagant at all.
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