Designing your Landscape: 10 Tips
When designing your landscape for your property there are a few tips that can help you get the most from your space. The first thing you need to do is make a list of the landscape elements that you want to incorporate, like trees, flower beds, waterfalls, and shrubbery, so you can incorporate these things in your final design plan.
1. Year-Round Appeal
You want to plant items that will bloom at different times of the year. You also want to incorporate some evergreens into your landscape so that even in the winter months you have some green. Planting evergreen plants next to the corners of a structure helps to soften the vertical lines and makes the structure more welcoming.
2. Use a Paved Path to Connect Elements
If there are certain areas of your landscape that you will use often such as a pool, a patio, or a play area, then you are going to beat a path through the grass walking frequently from one area to another.
3. Create Natural Looking Features
When you are creating a water feature like a waterfall or fountain you want to consider using stones or rocks that look natural in the environment.
4. Utilize Outdoor Lighting
Outdoor lighting can be used to highlight walkways and areas of interest in your landscape. You can use a large variety of lighting styles to illuminate paths and to showcase a point of interest in your landscape.
The lighting will not only make the landscape prettier after dark, but it will also make it safer to maneuver and it deters unwanted guests.
5. Plant Variety
You want your landscape to be composed of a wide variety of plants. You want different colored flowers that bloom at different times. Do not just consider the flowers the plant produces. You also want to plant a variety of leaf colors, and textures to create an aesthetically pleasing area all year round.
6. Retaining Walls
Retaining walls are designed to help keep soil in one place and allow drainage to be proper for space. Your retaining wall does not have to be a drab concrete structure that you try to hide behind shrubs.
Use natural stone, multi-colored bricks, or pavers to create unique retaining walls that add interest while they serve their purpose.
7. Create Seating
Study the landscape and see what areas you can add some seating like a bench. These seating areas will provide you with a place to rest while you enjoy the beauty of the surroundings.
8. Soften Lines by Creating Curves
You can add a unique look to your landscape and make it more welcoming by creating curves instead of straight lines. You can make curved edges on your paths, curves on your retaining walls, or curves around your flower beds.
9. Build a Berm
A berm is a small mound that you can cover with rocks or flowers. You can place a large rock in the middle of the berm and then put mulch on the rest of it to make the edges of the berm stand out.
10. Create Property Borders
Plant tall plants or shrubs around the property and create a visual property line or border. These plants will help to define the area. We hope this blog post has helped you in your efforts to design your landscape!