5 Landscaping Tips to Complement Your Home’s Design

Landscaping a yard is different with every home. While we tend to think of our yard and home as two separate places, great landscaping actually blends in with the architecture to make the whole property look balanced and cohesive.

From trees and pathways to features and flowerbeds, there’s a lot to think about. In this post, we’ll help you figure out how to get it to all work well together.

Start With a Plan

Before the gardening gloves come out, the first thing you should do is make a solid plan. Imagine how you want your yard to look, and then think about what’s realistic for your lifestyle. Are you happy to spend your weekends working in the garden, or do you want low-maintenance plants?

Consider how your garden will be used. For instance, snaking stone paths and a fishpond might be great for a retired couple using the space to relax. However, it could pose safety concerns for a busy household with young kids running around. In that case, a large lush grassy area may be more family-friendly.

Walk around your outdoor space and notice which areas catch the most sunlight, and which spots are more shaded. This will help you decide where to put certain plants, shrubs, flowers, and trees.

Choose Foliage That Frames Your Home

Trees and shrubs can make a massive difference in your yard’s appearance. Through thoughtful placement, they can help highlight the best bits of your home and add depth to the landscape.

For example, think about adding a blossoming tree or climbing flowers near your home’s entrance to draw focus to the front door. If privacy is a priority, add tall shrubs and bushes along the edges of your yard. They create an aesthetically pleasing border in lieu of or obscuring a fence.

If you’re not sure about what kind of trees to plant, consult a local professional, like Roanoke Tree Service. With their flora expertise and knowledge of the regional climate and soil, they can advise you on what trees would work best and help with maintenance to keep them looking beautiful.

Match the Landscaping to Your Home’s Style

The key to making your yard and home feel like they belong together is matching their styles. Let’s say your home has a traditional look, perhaps a neoclassical design.

Landscaping touches like rose bushes, well-manicured hedges, and stone pathways complement this architectural style. On the other hand, if you’ve got a modern home, clean lines and minimalistic trees generally look more in place.

• Traditional homes often look great with lush gardens, symmetrical flower beds, and maybe an oak or maple tree for shade (space permitting).
• Modern homes tend to suit more simple landscaping with minimalist plant choices, rocks, and maybe a few statement trees.
• Cottage or rustic styles come alive with whimsical elements like wildflowers, climbing vines, and wooden fences.

Essentially, you want to think of your yard as an extension of your home’s character.

Add Color

Colorful flowers, trees, and plants can make any yard more inviting and cheerful. Remember, a little goes a long way. Instead of going for a full rainbow spread across your flowerbeds, pick a few colors that work well together and also complement your home’s exterior.

Colors that suit a brick home may not look so great with whitewashed walls, or a home with a bright red door will likely suit a different color palette to one with blue shutters, for example.

Consider the vibe you’re going for. Soft blues and lavender purples can create a lovely calming aesthetic, whereas bright reds and yellows are more lively.

Perennials (plants that come back year after year) are also a smart choice. This way, you don’t need to replant every spring. And don’t forget to mix in some greenery with your flowers, like ferns or ornamental grasses to balance the pops of color with natural, more neutral tones.

Use Walkways and Borders to Tie It All Together

Walkways and borders are the finishing touches you need to tie your yard’s look together. A simple stone path helps to guide visitors to your door and helps to create a welcoming feel.

While flagstones are a stunning choice, it doesn’t need to be anything fancy; even gravel will do. In large gardens, you can also use paths to divide areas or lead to features like fountains, statues, or benches.

A trick to keep your yard looking neat long-term is to add borders around flower beds or paths. For instance, a low brick border, simple wood edging, or even a line of rocks can create definition without much effort. Plus, it helps keep gravel or mulch in place, protecting the clean lines you’ve built.

Endnote

Landscaping doesn’t need to be complicated to make an impact. By choosing the right trees and plants, planning a thoughtful layout, adding pops of color from a predefined palette, and finishing off with borders and walkways, you can create a space that perfectly complements your home.