Hanging bougainvillea, statuesque poplar firs, blooming cypress, and well-manicured boxwoods…can you picture them? Delicate petals and the delightful fragrance! Curb appeal is real and an important part of your home’s design. However, when you begin to plan out your landscape design, you hit a roadblock. Do these flowers work for this soil? Can I grow these vegetables in this climate? Are these herbs fragrant enough? And how do I maintain it all?
Even the most experienced home gardeners find themselves wondering about the benefits of working with a professional landscape architect. And we recommend it. We introduce our clients to landscape firms who are expertly trained in creating lawns and gardens that look fabulous from season to season.
Today, we are sharing a few landscape design ideas with you. But before that, we must highlight a few visual principles of landscaping. These principles form the basis for landscape design and ensure that your design has balance and harmony with the interior of your home.
THE VISUAL PRINCIPLES OF LANDSCAPE DESIGN
UNITY
You can bring unity with consistency and repetition in your design. Consistency comes from bringing colors, plant types, and decor together to create a common theme or pattern. Boxwoods are often lined around the front elevation. Rose bushes are planted in groups. Flowers, plants, and decor should always be repeated throughout your yard for cohesion.
BALANCE
Landscape architects try to achieve two kinds of balance on your grounds. Formal symmetrical balance maintains two identical sides of the landscape. Informal asymmetrical balance comes by using different elements and objects on either side of the landscape at varying heights. The balancing act comes from the visual weight on the sides. Triangles are very pleasing to the eye. While not symmetrical, creating those three points adds balance.
PROPORTION
Proportion simply means maintaining a proper size and scale of every element in the landscape. When jasmine runs wild, it can throw the entire garden out of balance. Pruning and trimming keeps your landscape in check.
With these basic principles, your landscape architect will create magic in your yard that you and your family will enjoy for years to come.
LET US SHOW YOU A FEW LANDSCAPE DESIGN IDEAS FOR YOUR HOME:
CLEAN DESIGN AND UNCLUTTERED AESTHETICS
Modern architecture is all about clean design, clean lines and a simplified appearance. Modern landscape design follows the same mantra. Like in the pictures above, the pathway and manicured lawn are divided with clean lines while hosting a lot of open space. There is minimal decor and trees are planted to give the yard a natural feel. The idea is to create a beautiful and functional yard that blends with the architecture of the house.
COLORFUL AND TEXTURED PLANTS
Whether your style is modern or traditional, there is something striking about an array of colors in front of a home. Incorporating contrasting hues, like red with greens or purple with white, often works well to draw in the eye. Ornamental plantation in patterns will help to create order. If you want the well-manicured look, a chessboard planting pattern allows you to plant different kinds of foliage without looking chaotic. However, a corner of wild flowers left to grow fiercely always signals the coming of spring and looks wonderful. We suggest taking note of your growth zone before finalizing the trees or plants you wish to include in your yard.
RELAXED PATIOS
Modern patio design is all about comfort and functionality. Stone and wood work, plants and flowers, tiles and marble work or even a fountain or fireplace work like magic in a patio. It’s all about thoughtfully pairing form with function. Comfortable seating is a must, as well as large umbrellas. For the chef, an outdoor kitchen with ample counter space is a game changer. Knowing that you can live as easily outdoors as you can inside creates a sense of well-being and peace. Once you have the patio furnishings selected, surround the space with a garden, small herbs, and edible flowers. That nature connection will guarantee you’ll spend more time outside.
APPEALING WALKWAYS
Walkways add massive curb appeal to the house when designed by landscape experts with creativity and thoughtfulness. Concrete pavers with gravel, natural stones, bricks and rock walkways work perfectly for both traditional and modern homes. Showcasing clean lines and defined shape in a geometrical scheme often makes for an enticing walkway. The added effect of lighting and free flow of water illuminates the walkways after sunset. Large sculpture installations can be included at corner turns and intentional viewing stops.
GLEAMING LIGHTS
Lighting adds a wow-factor to your yard when placed strategically around focal points like ornamental grass, plants, pool, decks or even below the walkways. Installing the lighting system in your landscape will not only have great curb appeal, but also an immense safety factor to it. Lighting behind bushes and plants creates a beautiful silhouette while underwater lighting looks dramatic.
FIND YOUR LANDSCAPE DESIGN
You can rest assured that those plants will flourish and those flowers will bloom when you work with a trusted landscape architect. As landscape consultants, we help our clients find the right landscape firm to design a yard that harmonizes with your home.
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