Landscaping your Home - What it means for you
Keep the visitors interest by creating interesting or exciting things to look at in the front of a home as they make the approach to the front door. Some examples to accomplish this are to plant exciting textures, color or form contrast, these are great ways to catch an eye in the landscape. The time spent looking at the front of a home is even shorter in a vehicle than on foot. Therefore, it is even more important to capture their attention by developing not only the foundation of the home with plantings and accessories, but by using the spaces near the roadway to add even more garden drama. This serves the purpose of putting the excitement closer to the viewing point (the vehicle) and also repeating the front design elements creating stronger design.
 The rear landscape design should be thought of in terms of outdoor rooms that need walls, a doorway, furniture and accessories that will make the spaces useful, complete and inviting. Use the spaces as fully as possible, meaning that you should not have left over property (unless deliberately) after the design is complete. If you have a larger plot of land, try to separate the space into two or more outdoor spaces using walls of either fences
or stone or dense plant material to sort of pinch the space leaving a small portal or doorway from one space to the other. This will create an intriguing entry to the next space as well as cause more interest, drawing people through the spaces in sequence. Make it even more inviting by adding a walk and try to have a destination like a bench or an arbor. Try to use an existing axis and view corridors to enhance the drama from indoor views to the garden. One way to use an axial view is to put something to view at the end of the axis line, for example, use a fountain, birdbath or specimen tree at a window or doorway (allow enough space for growth).If a rear patio or deck space is desired, make sure that enough room is allowed for not only the people, but for furniture, bar-b-que pits, chairs, etc. The space should also be cool and inviting, so place trees and shrubs so that shade is cast on the patio space in summer months and pick trees that drop their leaves in winter months to take advantage of warm sunrays.
If cooling summer breezes are important, make sure not to block these with the walls of the garden.
On the other hand, if cold winter winds make a space unbearable in the winter, try to locate the garden walls to block these areas while trying to arrange an inviting garden space. Garden planning will take thought and contemplation, but can have very rewarding results. In defining the frontand rear garden in these ways, the results can be stunningly beautiful and rewarding as the garden grows and matures. [Back to Main]
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