A well-designed landscape can make your home and outdoor spaces more attractive, livable, and lifestyle-friendly. It also provides environmental benefits by reducing erosion, improving air quality, and providing wildlife habitat.
A landscaping design should include both hardscapes and softscapes. Typically, hardscapes include pavers, patios, and walkways, while softscapes consist of plants, trees, and grass. Contact Burlington Landscaping now!
Plants are the heart of luxury landscaping, providing a luscious aesthetic and ecological benefits. Incorporating a native plant palette helps reduce the landscape’s environmental footprint. Native plants are well-adapted to the local climate and soil conditions, eliminating the need for extensive irrigation or chemical treatments. They also provide food and shelter to indigenous wildlife, encouraging biodiversity.
When designing your landscaping, consider the sun and shade your space receives. Then, choose a variety of trees, shrubs, and flowers to provide color throughout the season. For example, a shady corner may benefit from an evergreen’s dense shade or a perennial’s colorful foliage. A sunny area, on the other hand, can be planted with brightly colored flowering plants or a colorful array of sedges and ornamental grasses.
The beauty of a natural landscape is in its ability to evoke emotions and inspire the imagination. The soothing sound of rustling leaves and birdsong evokes serenity, while the vibrant hues and varying textures of plants create visual interest. The ephemeral nature of flowers provides a flurry of color to the garden, and the changing colors of trees and shrubs throughout the seasons offer an enchanting experience.
As more homeowners turn away from traditional lawns and gardens, native plant species are becoming increasingly popular. They offer a multitude of economic, environmental, and health benefits. For example, they can improve air quality by reducing the amount of pollutants from car exhaust and smoking, and they can lower home energy costs by lowering heating and cooling bills. Plants can also promote social connections, boost learning capacities, and offer therapeutic effects.
Plants that are indigenous to the local region are adapted to the local climate and soil conditions, making them less susceptible to disease and pests. This means they do not require the use of insecticides and herbicides, which saves time and money for homeowners. In addition, native plants are typically less invasive than non-native species, such as English ivy, which can outcompete native vegetation and crowd out the roots of trees and other shrubs. The deep root systems of many native plants are more resilient to flooding and erosion, so they can help stabilize soil.
Hardscapes
While plants often take center stage when designing your yard, hardscapes also play an important role in improving the landscape. The process of hardscaping involves using pavers, rock, stone, bricks, concrete and wood to create functional features like patios, walkways, retaining walls and driveways. These elements offer a range of benefits, from providing a place to relax or entertain to helping prevent soil erosion.
When properly planned and executed, hardscapes can complement and integrate with your garden and green spaces. For example, a walkway of natural stones can lead to a wooden pergola engulfed in climbing plants, or a stone patio can draw attention to a water feature or stylish fire pit. Careful consideration is also necessary to ensure that the hardscapes do not overpower their surroundings.
One of the biggest advantages of hardscaping is that it can reduce the amount of lawn maintenance you need to perform. For example, if you have a beautiful brick patio in your backyard, that’s less grass you need to mow.
However, hardscapes do require regular maintenance to keep them looking their best. While some people enjoy these tasks, others are not interested in them, and they can affect the overall appearance of your landscape.
The materials used for hardscaping are not as versatile as those for softscaping, but they still provide many opportunities to be creative. For instance, you can choose from a wide variety of colors, textures and shapes to suit your preferences. Some popular choices include natural stone, pavers, concrete and pebbles. In addition, you can use different color schemes and incorporate different designs to give your landscape a unique look.
Depending on the purpose of your landscape, you can select from various types of hardscapes. Patios are ideal for outdoor dining and relaxing, while walkways can serve as a path to focal points or connecting areas of your garden. Retaining walls can help manage slopes, prevent soil erosion, and create level terraces for planting or seating areas.
It is important to keep in mind that when planning your hardscapes, you must consider the climate and weather conditions of your region. For example, snow and ice can disrupt or damage hardscapes unless they are carefully constructed. Additionally, you should consider the expansion and contraction of the ground when choosing your materials. Keeping these factors in mind will help you design and install the perfect hardscapes for your home.
Water features
A water feature instantly improves the ambiance of your front yard, turning it into a tranquil paradise. The gentle whirl of fountain pumps, the glistening reflections on pond surfaces or the trickling sound of waterfalls all create mesmerizing focal points that transform your landscape. Whether you prefer a sleek and modern look or something more rustic and natural, there’s a water feature to suit your taste.
The soothing sounds of flowing water also promote relaxation and reduce stress, helping you unwind after a long day. The calming effects of water are even more pronounced when you can relax near a natural setting such as your backyard or garden. You can even use a water feature to block out noises from the neighborhood, such as traffic or the chatter of neighbors, creating a peaceful environment for you and your family to enjoy.
Water features can help conserve water by reusing rainwater and reducing the need for additional irrigation, making them an environmentally friendly choice. They can also be used to cool the air during hot summers and attract wildlife such as songbirds, dragonflies, and other beneficial insects.
In a market where new homes are popping up everywhere, differentiating your home is essential to increasing its value. Water features are a great way to add a unique feature that will set your property apart from the rest. Plus, they’re a great way to add curb appeal and make your front yard more inviting for guests.
While many people write water features off as infeasible in a desert climate such as eastern Idaho, they can actually be quite practical. With water conservation more important than ever, a well-designed and properly maintained water feature can be an affordable, effective and environmentally friendly addition to your home landscape.
Lighting
Landscape lighting elevates your property’s nighttime aesthetic and extends the functional livability of outdoor spaces. It is a highly customizable upgrade that can be done for a range of budgets. It is also a great way to add security and safety to your home.
Your lighting needs are defined by the type of features you want to highlight in your yard and how much illumination you’re looking for. You can choose between up-, mid- and down-lighting to show off your landscaping features, including tree trunks, water fountains, stonework, garden beds, shrubs, trellis or even sculptures and statues.
For example, up-lighting focuses light upward to accent a particular feature by illuminating its top surfaces and creating depth. Up-lighting also works well for showcasing a plant’s textures and colors and is popular in many gardens. Mid-lighting illuminates objects from below and works for highlighting garden structures like fences, walls or seating areas. Mid-lighting can also be used to illuminate pathways or accentuate steps.
Down-lighting is similar to up-lighting in that it focuses light downward on the object or surface you want to highlight. It’s especially effective for highlighting statues, water features and taller plants. Down-lighting can also be a great way to draw attention to a textured or colorful surface and create a soft ambiance.
Another landscape lighting technique is silhouetting, where the light is placed underneath an object to create a shadowing effect that makes it appear to be floating in space. Silhouetting works well for accenting statues, plants and water fountains or highlighting a tree’s canopy.
The ideal landscape lighting installation is inconspicuous and looks natural – you notice the lights at night, but they don’t stand out during the day. If you’re not ready to commit to a full lighting system, try low-voltage lights that are a great alternative to traditional high-voltage fixtures.
Landscape lighting is a relatively affordable upgrade that can increase your home’s curb appeal and make it more appealing to potential buyers. However, be sure to work with a certified landscape professional. Do-it-yourself kits may seem attractive, but they will not perform as well as professionally installed systems.