Landscape Lighting | Landscaping
When it comes to landscaping your front yard, the facade of your home can play a big role in what style, type of plants, and other landscape elements you may want to incorporate. From color to style, from architectural features to the mood you want to create, the structure of your home may have a bigger impact on your decisions than you may realize. Here are a few things to consider when getting ready to design your front yard landscaping.
Consider Color
If your home is neutral in color, you may want to choose a limited color scheme for your landscape to add visual appeal. Rich purple and pink flowering plants are great choices for beige, gray, or white homes; soft yellow is also a beautiful accent.
If your home's color scheme stands out, grow flowers and plants that pair well with it. For example, purple and pastel yellow look beautiful against a soft blue home.
Consider the style of your home
Is your home a traditional style? For a traditional-style home, the classic look -- a white picket fence, tidy evergreen foundation plantings, and a few planters on the front porch -- is a simple way to add landscape impact. If you want to take it up a notch, try growing clematis or climbing roses up a fence or plant flowering evergreen shrubs, such as dwarf rhododendrons, along the foundation.
If your home is cottage style, you may want to consider a more informal style, with lush plantings of perennials, ornamental grasses, and annuals.
A Victorian style home would be a natural fit with closely cropped boxwood hedges, peonies,hydrangeas and old-fashioned roses.
With a contemporary style home, geometric patterns and unique specimen plants pair well.
Pay Attention to Materials
Now that we've talked about color and style, think about the materials you are working with. Cedar siding and other wood tones work well with a more naturalistic landscape utilizing native plants and grasses.
Another reccomendation is to use repetition. You can incorporate materials used on your home into your landscaping. For example, if you have stone or brick on your home, consider adding a walkway in a related material but be careful that the colors do not clash.
Create a Mood
Landscapes can also create a mood. Look to your home to determine the feeling you want to create. You can go big, bold, and formal for a more large-scale feel for example. Or if you have a small home you may choose plantings that offer a cozy, intimate feel.
When it comes to landscaping your front yard, there are a lot of things to consider. Color, style, features and mood all play a role into the type of plants and design you are looking for. Consider having a landscape professional help you decide what is the best fit for your home, style and needs.
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