Be Your Own Residential Landscape Designer With These 5 Tips

Having a beautiful front or backyard landscape greatly augments the look of a home. Today, there are many options in landscape design. You can add hardscaping elements like pathways and bridges or use bright flowers and ornamental vines. All it takes is a little planning.

If you want gorgeous landscape designs that will last for years to come, then you must consider a few things ahead of time. Often, homeowners miss important steps in the landscape planning process and wind up spending lots of money on landscapes that fail within a few years or even within a few seasons. Don't let your money go down the drainage pipes.

Focal Points

If you want to give your landscape the "wow" factor, remember that you should have one or two strong focal points. These are areas that immediately draw the eye into an area of the landscape that holds something majestic or powerful. Focal points can be anything from a hardscape element like a meditation bench or an intricately designed archway to a large tree with beautiful bark detail. Many people miss this point when designing their landscapes. For example, an Arizona landscape design might use cacti to cover an entire yard. This is all too common. Instead, these landscapes could use one large, majestic cactus and then use colorful, desert perennial flowers throughout other parts of the yard.

Less Grass

Having a beautiful bed of grass used to the the apex of lawn success. Today, people prefer more dynamism in their landscapes, so try using flowers, trees, and shrubs throughout your lawn. Doing this will add more dimensional and character to  your landscape. Having a lawn full of grass today is a bit of a bore when there are so many plant options and landscape design styles to choose from.

Fewer Ornaments

If you want a truly lovely landscape, don't over burden it with trinkets like ceramic or plastic gnomes. These pieces draw eyes away from the actual landscape and give yards a kitschy appearance. Instead, try using only one or two extra large ornaments that tie in with the look of your landscape in some way.

Picking Plants

This is another area where planning is absolutely crucial. Do not buy plants based on looks alone. Many homeowners do this and it is not to the benefit of their landscape. Choose plants that you love but first take into consideration your landscape environment. This is everything from the climate in the region you live in and the type of soil in your area, to the set up of your yard--some areas of the yard may tend to get more direct sunlight while other parts tend to stay shaded the majority of the time. In an Arizona landscape design homeowners must choose plants that are drought proof, as well as plants that can live in poor soil, for example.

Variety

It is important to have a variety of different plants in your landscape. First of all, this gives added dimension and personality to the landscape. Secondly, you will have a beautiful landscape year round. The issue with using one type of plant throughout your entire landscape is that when those plants aren't in bloom you will have a pretty barren looking landscape.

In addition to these tips, remember that to increase your chances of landscaping success even more you can always consult with a professional residential landscape designer.

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