3 LANDSCAPING DESIGN STRATEGIES

If you want to take the appearance of your home to the next level, the first thing to consider is all of your landscape efforts.  If you have been following the same concepts over and over again, it may be time to switch it up and step outside of your comfort zone.  

Focal Points

In landscape design terminology, focal points for the viewer’s perspective to a particular location.  This “focalization” gives a landscape design a sense of purpose and order.  Without this, a landscape is just a careless collection of plants, other objects, and empty space.  

The use of symmetry creates the affect in an obvious manner, while asymmetrical can soften and serve as an aid to avoid focalization.  For example, it is common to create symmetry at the front of your home, especially using shrubs.  Such an attempt can sometimes come with it’s drawbacks.  What happens when the growth of a shrub outstrips that of the other?  Even if you keep them on an even footing via pruning, this creates more landscaping maintenance than you desired in the long run. 

Every landscape must have focal points in to their front or backyard, they often times thing of items like trees, water features, gazebos, and statues.  There are plenty of other items you can use in your yard as focal points. A good rule of thumb is to use items that are slightly different from the rest of your property.  In other words, they don’t match, but they grab your attention.  Items like an old bicycle with planter baskets, an old wheel barrow, and a wagon wheel.

When Intended Focal Points Do Not Work

When a landscape plan is a jumble of accents (each installed with the purpose of creating a focal point), the purpose of creating that focal point is defeated.  By definition, focalization involves discrimination.  You will not draw much attention to A if you have indiscriminately set up B, C, and D as competition.  The human eye can only pay so much attention to an object at any one time.

Sometimes an intended focal point does not work because it fails to draw attention, but because it attracts too much attention.  For example, a tree that is not in-scale with the house that it is planted next to will draw excessive attention.  We certainly notice the tree, but we also notice how small the house is, which is a property feature most people do not wish to draw attention to.

Plan For The Future and Let Our Team of Experts Help You

  Although you have to wait a few more months to plant your favorite flowers and shrubs, it is never too early to start planning.  It is a good idea to start mapping out your landscaping design ideas for the Spring months.  You can decide now where you would like to install your flowers and shrubs.  

Superior Landscaping Ltd. is built on a strong team of plant professionals.  When you are seeking to create an ecologically correct, low maintenance, and highly sustainable landscape, call us.  Our team of experts will determine the style of landscape and features you want before designing your custom landscape.