A yard full of healthy trees not only looks beautiful, but it can also help you keep your home more comfortable. Trees help cool homes in summer and block harsh sun, which could cause furniture by the windows to fade. According to the Arbor Day Foundation, if your home has trees in the right spots, you could save nearly 20% to 50% on your heating bill, and in the summer, you could cut back on your air conditioning use by up to 30%. Here are some more tips!

Match Tree Growth to Compass Direction

You'll want fast-growing trees with relatively wide canopies on the south and west sides of your home. The fast growth helps increase the shade you have on those sides in a shorter amount of time (it can still take a few years for the trees to grow to their full heights). If your yard currently has older, spindlier trees that don't really provide much shade, call a tree removal company to have them taken out. Remember to arrange for the stumps to be removed, too.

Speak to Garden Center Employees

You know those garden center employees who ask if you need help when you just want to browse on your own? Start talking to them instead of waving them away. Ask them about good trees to plant in the area or if they know of resources for seedlings if the garden center doesn't sell trees. Find out about how the added shade from trees could affect what grasses and flowers you plant, too. Another great place to call is a tree removal company; ask them about which trees are considered invasive in the region.

Call 811 Before Digging

Surely you've seen the warnings to call your utility company before you do any digging, but in case you haven't, here's your official notice. Don't dig in your yard until you've confirmed where utility lines run under the ground. If you dig before you check, you could sever a gas line, bust open a water main, or cause similar damage to another utility line. In the U.S., all you have to do is call 811 to begin the process of locating the lines.

Whether you're buying some seedlings from a nursery or asking a tree removal company to take out some older trees, the preparation process for planting trees can seem complicated. It's not, though, and you just have to take it step by step. Eventually, the yard will be ready for its new trees. Contact BLH Tree Service LLC today.