A well put together residential landscaped property is not only beautiful but will add value to your home as well. There are many homeowners who try to achieve a professional looking landscape but fall short just from lack of education. Learning the process of bringing a yard together and blending in with the natural elements and your home’s exterior can help you plan your own fabulous landscaping dream.
There are hundreds of options in landscaping designs but they all have one thing in common, simplicity. Keeping your colors to a minimum of two or three basic choices will keep your blend easier to work with and not make your yard look overly busy. Only choose one theme and stick with it. You may like colored rocks or lots of butterflies but too much of a good thing can go bad in a hurry.
Two types of balance exist in landscape design, symmetrical and asymmetrical. A symmetrical image is when you have a mirror design all the way around the boundaries. Totally even and balanced in design is a good way for a beginner to start with a landscaping project. However, if you are the creative sort, asymmetrical can work if you balance the theme throughout the project. For instance, you may have a line of bushes along one border but not on the opposite border. You don’t have to run out and buy matching bushes to have a symmetrical balance but use your imagination, using like colors or theme to blend in the complete appearance.
Repetition is important in any landscaping design. Consider a house that has different sized windows all around. This looks tacky and unprofessional even though each window may have its own unique style. Using the same design over and over again will bring unity and structure to a scene. If you begin with a pattern of flowers or shrubs, don’t stop with one look and begin with others as you round the property. This is not to say that everything should be repeated exactly but a flow and ebb style should be consistent.
Decide on whether you want to pursue straight lines or a curvature. Curving lines can add a gentle, more natural grace to your surroundings while straight lines are more direct and strict in their presence. Whichever method you choose, stay with it. Switching from curvy lines to straight lines can make an abrupt looking change instead of harmony. You might compare to planting a couple of tall bushes in the midst of shorter, dense ground coverings. It will make you wonder why you would want to damage such beauty.
Landscaping design can be fun and interesting with so many different ideas and natural plants at your fingertips. Play with your favorite types and remember the lessons in achieving a unified look that will not only bring out the beauty of your yard but also your home as it blends into the complete atmosphere.