Become Familiar with Landscaping Design Rules

We’ve all driven through the greater Charlotte area and admired those homes with immaculate and beautiful yards. Making our homes beautiful is a goal that most homeowners have and are constantly working towards. Whether you have just purchased a new home or have lived in your home a while those yard projects seem to accumulate and the list seems to grow the closer we get to spring.

Beautiful yards don’t just happen and require planning and a working knowledge of the basic landscaping design rules. Knowing and becoming familiar with these rules will help drive and guide your project. You will have a better understanding of why your landscaper is doing certain things and are more likely to be satisfied with the overall outcome. They make the difference between yards that go unnoticed and those that stand out.

Landscaping Design Rules

1. Consider Your Lifestyle – Before planning your yard you need to make a list of all the activities that will be happening in the yard and who will be using the yard. Do you need an area for children to play? Do you plan on including an outdoor living area with possibly and outdoor kitchen for entertaining? Do you enjoy working in the yard? Do you want a low maintenance yard or one that looks beautiful but requires extra attention? Will you have a pool? Who will be maintaining and keeping the yard up?
2. Choose the Right Plants for the Right Location – Know what plants grow well in your area. Learn whether they require a lot of shade or sun. You don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars on plants that won’t last or burn up because they needed more shade and water. Consider planting perennials that grow back each year and spread.
3. When Mixing Colors Choose Complementary Colors – If you are going to use flowering plants you want to show contrast and colors that complement one another.
4. Group Plants and Flowers Together – It is better to have a grouping of flowers such as daffodils or tulips spread in a few different spots than just one tulip or daffodil spread here and there between the plants.
5. Create Sections – You can add some fencing, a rock wall, hardscapes, a stone pathway, and an arch with flowering plants. All of these add visual interest and help separate different areas of your yard based on their use. They can also give your yard the appearance that it is larger than it really is.
6. Take Into Consideration Different Viewpoints of Your Home – The things you plant should help frame an area’s viewpoint, for example the front door. You don’t want to cover up the front door of the house with a large tree unless you are looking to create some privacy. You want to have balance on both sides of the door so you don’t detract from the house. If you have a sloped lot on one side consider adding a stone retaining wall or tiered flowerbeds.
7. Draw Attention Away From Things You Don’t Want to Be Seen – Maybe it is that ugly electrical green box that you have no control over and can’t move or maybe you have a neighbors yard that is unkempt and you would like to plant some trees to create some separation or even privacy.
8. Make Your Yard Look Natural – Don’t eliminate all your natural areas if you have them.   In nature you don’t usually see things lined up in rows or circles. Your flowerbeds may have a circular or square edge, but make sure plants follow a more natural pattern.

It’s important to remember that these rules are guidelines but in some instances are meant to be broken. Depending on your yard and resources sometimes breaking a rule is the right thing to do. We don’t recommend ignoring them altogether, because they are important in achieving a perfectly custom landscaped yard.

Here at Earthworks Landscape Design we know and understand the importance of the different landscaping design rules. Our professional landscape design experts will take into account your lifestyle and with your help design the perfect custom landscaping for your Charlotte area home. We can handle all aspects of your landscaping from lighting, to plants, to hardscapes and outdoor living areas. We can help you find and plant those plants and flowers that fit your personality and taste. Don’t get overwhelmed if you can’t afford to make all the changes you want at once. We will work within your budget and if necessary plan and implement your new custom landscape in stages. If you would like to begin planning your summer landscaping projects and schedule a free estimate you can contact us here.