Landscaping Ideas

I have been in the horticulture field for the better part of five decades and have enjoyed every minute of it. It’s impossible for me to imagine a more appealing or personally satisfying area to be involved in.

Not a great deal has changed over the years. Oh sure new plants are introduced every year along with vastly improved tools and other hard goods but still in the field of design it remains almost the same.

Once in a great while I have the pleasure of visiting a property where the home owner has had a unique vision of creating a landscape that dares to go down a path not often traveled. These special individuals have had the courage to please themselves and not care what others in their neighborhood or their home owners associations think.

What am I referring to? Please read on.

Landscape design still remains a fairly routine concept in that the finished product is almost always a simple ring around the foundation of various forms of plants and perhaps other decorative objects.

Builders will put together a simple package deal which is usually a few shrubs that are sucked up against the home and then a couple of trees placed somewhere in the front lawn.

Why not tell your builder to give you a credit towards the purchase of the house by not allowing the ill chosen shrubs and trees to be installed in the first place.

Now take the money that has been saved and search for a designer that marches to the beat of a different drummer.

You can look at your overall landscaping theme in numerous ways.

So why not consider the following landscaping ideas?

• Choose not to plant anything against the foundation of your home but rather keep that area nice and clean.
  
  
• Use permanent and decorative mulch in well defined beds next to the home.
  
  
• Or perhaps use a combination of pavers or natural stone to create a broad sweep leading to your front door.
  
  
• Move the landscaping out into the yard where it truly has room to grow and mature.
  
  
• Ever wonder why the landscapes in Better Homes and Gardens looks so appealing? What I have stated above is the answer in that their designs or the ones that they have featured are attractive and different.
  
  
• I would consider using the above ideas in both the front and back yards.
  
  
• Think about how to incorporate water into your surroundings. Install either a full functioning water or bog garden or go all out with both.
  
  
• Plant shrubs, perennials and annuals that attract wildlife.

The discriminating property owner should always require a design service that allows a one of a kind landscape.

You should not have to settle for a cookie cutter concept.