If you lead a busy life, start landscaping might seem like an afterthought that you don’t have time for. The truth is that it can add a lot of value to your home—in more ways than one.
Experts agree that aside from adding aesthetic value, landscaping can also increase the actual value of your home by anywhere from 5.5-12.7%. That means that if you have a $300,000 home, landscaping can add $38,000 in additional value.
While that all sounds great, what if you don’t know how to start landscaping? What if you have no idea where to begin?
Keep reading to learn about some of the most important landscape design tips that can help you get started.
Table of Contents
Create Focal Points to Start Landscaping
It’s tempting to throw landscaping elements all around your yard, but try to refrain from doing that. As is the case with all things design, you need to go in with a plan. Oftentimes, less is more.
Try to identify a few key areas in front of and behind your house that you can expand off of. These can be anything from a tree, to a bed of flowers that you’ve already planted.
Once you identify them, you can then add things like additional flowers and shrubs, lights, and artificial elements, like a fence post. You want to draw people’s eyes towards these particular areas when they arrive at your house.
Think Year-Round
If you live in a place that experiences seasons and different weather patterns, try to think year-round, as opposed to short-term.
Perennials are lovely, but oftentimes, they don’t last for long. You can still incorporate them in your yard, but make sure that you pair them with shrubs and plants that will last for the duration of the year.
Plants like evergreen trees and certain types of fruit trees will look great regardless of the season. They’ll give your home a burst of color and liveliness, even in the depths of a dark and grey winter.
Connect Different Areas
If you have several different focal points across your yard, consider connecting them with paths. Aside from creating an aesthetically-pleasing sense of cohesion, you’ll also keep people from trampling on your grass.
A stone walkway from your backdoor garden to the fish pond that then loops around your fire pit will create a yard that Martha Stewart envies.
Make sure that whatever materials you use to build the paths are in line with the design of the exterior of your house. This will further tie your landscaping elements together with your house.
Use Lights in the Right Spots
You don’t want the exterior of your house to look like a stage, but you also want to make sure that it doesn’t look pitch black when you arrive home in the evening.
Putting lights around walkways and focal points is a good idea. You can also put lights on either side of your driveway. Aside from being practical, it will also draw people’s eyes to your house.
Think of all the work that you’ve put into your landscaping. Why should you only get to appreciate it for part of the day?
Incorporate Water to Start Landscaping
Water plays a pivotal role in feng shui, and for good reason. It’s serene, relaxing, and can make any yard feel like a spa.
Many people think that incorporating water in their yard is tedious and expensive, but the truth is the opposite. There are plenty of ways that you can do it with a time constraint and on a budget.
Something as simple as a small fountain or self-contained waterfall can be all that you need to take your yard to the next level. If you do have the time, the space, and the resources, you can look into creating something like a koi pond.
Create a Sitting Area
The best yards are those that feel like an extension of your house. Creating an outdoor sitting area will allow you to fully appreciate all of the space that your home and yard have to offer.
Whether you build a patio off of your house or just add a bench somewhere in your yard, the point is to give yourself the opportunity to escape a bit into nature. Surround the sitting area with shrubs, plants, and flowers.
Try to cater the sitting area to what you enjoy doing. If you like entertaining, you can add a table and chairs for people to sit. If you enjoy your solitude, a lounge chair that lets your recline can create the perfect reading nook.
Opt for Curved Edges as Opposed to Straight Ones
If you’re neat and particular, you might be tempted to use straight edges when lining your garden beds. Instead of doing that, consider using rounded and curved edges.
Doing so will create a much more natural look that better fits in with the outdoors. While it’s subtle, you’ll find that it enhances the look of your landscaping all year round.
The right tools can make a big difference in how your garden edges turn out. Check out an excavator mulching head that can help you clear away brush and other obstacles, giving you the space you need for gardens and other landscaping elements.
Wondering How to Start Landscaping? This Guide Should Help
Whether you’re building a new house or looking to improve the yard of the one that you have, it’s never too late for landscaping. If you’re wondering how to start landscaping, following the tips laid out in this guide should help you get on the right track.
Did you find these landscape design tips to be helpful? If you did, spend some time checking out our other posts for more home-related guides and tips.
