Every dream home includes a vision of the outside as well as the inside. Some homeowners imagine songbirds and butterflies flitting from flower to flower. Others picture a rustic backyard with walking trails or hear the gurgle of a stream as it runs toward a koi pond.
No matter the type of landscape you want for your home, it’s attainable with the right know-how and inspiration. To help get you started, we’ve put together 13 simple ideas and techniques for designing your home’s landscape.
1. Start with the hardscape
Landscaping broadly breaks down into hardscaping (working with hard materials like stone, concrete and wood) and softscaping (working with soft materials like plants, dirt and mulch). Start with hardscaping. Factor in the placement of your porch, deck, sidewalk, fencing and so forth. As you do, account for how the soil slopes so it drains water away.
2. Mix in some custom stonework
It doesn’t have to be complicated either. A stone fire pit is a great place for gathering in the backyard, especially if you love having guests over for cookouts.
3. Insist on crisp turf and bed lines
Sharp lines are the often difference between landscaping being an eye-catcher and an eyesore. For well-defined borders, mark the edges of your mulch beds with an old hose or orange spray paint. Expect some adjustments here and there as you work toward your finished design.
4. Keep things in proper proportion
Size matters when it comes to landscaping. When foundation planting (planting alongside the foundation of your home), make sure the plants accent your home, not take away from it. Put low-growing shrubs or ground cover in front of low windows and porches. Rounded shrubs and small trees help soften comers. For a pop of color, place a small bed in your front yard and fill it with small annual flowers, like petunias. A little goes a long way.
5. Include the side of your home, too
A walkway down the side of your home is charming and functional. Lay down a stone path that guides guests between your front and back yards. They’ll appreciate the defined walkway, and you’ll appreciate your guests not trampling the grass.
6. Take advantage of garden trellis
A simple garden trellis is a warm way to welcome guests into your outdoor space. You can also use trellises to create a living fence. Place trellis sections along your borders, then let vining plants climb and fill the gaps with their flowers and leaves.
7. Watch where the sun hits
Study your yard to see how the pattern of light changes as the sun rises and sets. Some flowers do great in the full sun, such as daylilies and verbena, but some don’t tolerate prolonged exposure well. The same applies to finding plants for shady areas. Don’t forget about the grass, either. Every species has different tolerances to different conditions.
8. Find zen with water features
For a tranquil landscape, incorporate water features such as fountains, rock ponds and streams. These also expand your plant options, giving you a place for aquatic species such as water lilies.
9. Play with shapes and texture
Just like with decorating the inside of your home, shapes and textures help create visual interest. Place finely textured plants next to bold ones, such as thin stalks of lavender in front of big-blooming roses. Mix things vertically, too. Placing taller plants next to round or low-growing ones also stirs visual interest.
10. Line paths with lavender
Speaking of lavender, it’s one of the most welcoming plants. Your guests will love its relaxing and inviting aroma, and its delicate purple flowers offer just the right level of color to accent stone, brick, and concrete.
11. Find the right finishing touches
Hanging baskets, window boxes, tapered flower pots … there’s no shortage of container options to put the right plant in the right spot. But stick with a basic scheme. Colors clash quickly, so keep it simple and let the flowers do the work.
12. Don’t skip the maintenance
Keep your plants adequately watered, and maintain a proper mulch layer. Mulch assists with soil retention and helps with weed management. A good rule of thumb: Mulch twice per year, once in the spring and once in the fall, putting down two to three inches each time.
13. Pick the right mulch color
Mulch comes in three basic colors: red, brown, and black. Any color works well with dark foliage and dark green colors, but there’s more to consider beyond that. As a general rule, pick a mulch that won’t mute or clash with the color of your flowers. For instance, if you like flowers with gold colors or warm tones, red mulch will help them pop. Also, factor in the color of your home. Black mulch works well with contemporary and gray homes, and brown looks good against red brick.
About Schumacher Homes
Schumacher Homes, based in Canton, Ohio, is America’s largest custom homebuilder, with operations in 26 locations in 12 states across the country. The National Housing Quality award-winning company has built over 20,000 homes, customized to fit each family’s lifestyle, since its founding by Paul Schumacher in 1992. Schumacher Homes takes each customer’s inspiration and gives it a home. Each Schumacher Homes location includes a one-stop shopping design studio and model homes displaying the latest in architectural and product trends.
