A well-maintained yard is the best way to shower a house with love, aside from kissing the doorstep or spray-painting sonnets on its walls. Show your home where your heart is with today's Groupon: for $249, you get $500 worth of landscape-design services from Adam's Pristine Acres.

The arbor experts at Adam's Pristine Acres, which has more than 20 years of maple-manicuring experience and membership in the International Society of Arboriculture and the Tree Care Industry Association, work exclusively with Iris Design Associates to transform lackluster landscapes into verdant wonderlands. To begin, homeowners meet with a backyard-bedazzling expert to discuss exterior-design goals and draw up blueprints. After a thorough site analysis and budget consultation, clients receive a PDF file of the final master plans. With a landscape architect’s assistance, shade-loving hydrangeas can crouch beneath the protective branches of white pines and red maples while a pachysandra ground cover replaces Lego turf. Adam's Pristine Acres can flag pathways with flagstones or coax fish stuck up a tree back into their natural habitat with the soothing sounds of a water feature. To ensure that plans meet with expectations, one revision is included with the consultation, although larger lots and plans with 3D renderings, elevations, or that include significant structural elements may incur additional costs.

Autumn and winter can be optimal tree-planting seasons, as woody perennials tend to sleep soundly through colder weather and won’t be disturbed by warm, chatty soil. Early planning also allows quicker aesthetic returns, with bloomable fall bulbs and perennials planted in anticipation of bursts of spring color. Adding a fire pit or outdoor fireplace can extend enjoyment well into chilly climes, as well as providing a fortified base of operations during snowman attacks.