First stop in understanding landscaping was to read  article ‘Home Landscaping Ideas, and the Real Estate Market’: http://landscaping.about.com/cs/designexamples1/a/home_landscape.htm    This is a very detailed article from lawns, to tree types, to added value to the property.  Additional links go to landscaping ideas.   A good initial question when looking at the bucks to sink into landscaping:  “How long do I plan to live in this property?”