Landscaping ideas can be found in home and garden magazines and on a multitude of Internet sites. Beautifying their own property is every proud homeowner’s dream. This not only transforms a property from ordinary to extraordinary. It increases the resale value of a home when it comes time to sell.
Dusting off old forgotten gardening tools which you promised yourself you’d use every spring and summer, you diligently put some sweat-equity into your soil. trying to take advantage of quick-fix landscaping ideas. But those ideas don’t seem to deliver on your vision–even after you’ve planted some tropical plants, set a pattern of landscaping rocks, or even putting down artificial grass lawns. You’ve just learned there’s actually a lot more to landscaping ideas than just a few old-time gardening tips.
But not all is lost; homeowners can really expand their imaginations by tapping into the local talent pool of landscape artists and other professionals around them.
Hardscaping and Softscaping Designs
No matter the task–front yard landscaping, or transforming a backyard–there are two primary types of landscaping. Industry pros call one type “hardscape design” and the other is known as “softscape design”. Hardscaping typically utilizes materials which often require construction. And softscaping is adding trees, plants, and flowers. When combined, these produce landscaping ideas which are made into one single theme or motif.
For instance, continuing your home’s inside decor out into the yard. Use outdoor carpets or complementing other features of your home, like adding a pond or garden house. And that’s where it pays to have an experienced hand. It’s not only a great way to save time and backbreaking labor, but also stopping a project from getting out of control.
Don’t let landscaping overwhelm your house. Choosing varieties of trees and shrubs that are bred to grow to a particular size means you won’t have to spend your time pruning — or fighting your way out the front door. —HGTV
The key to emulating great landscaping ideas is to temper aesthetics with function and not to allow the design to take-over your entire outdoor space. It’s best to balance style with function, such as lighting and other electrical features to make their outdoor space useful in the evening. It’s best to let a professional electrical contractor install such elements.
Landscaping Ideas are All Around You
You might not need a degree in landscape architecture to transform your outdoor space, but you’ll likely find it’s not that simple to go from concept to finished design. To make your property into a cozy retreat or a tropical paradise requires a good bit of elbow grease. If you hire a pro or piece together a design using several contractors, here are some of the most popular landscaping ideas for your home:
- Mediterranean style. Incorporating Mediterranean plants and features common in coastal communities of Spain, Italy and France, this design style is best left to professional installers.
- Japanese garden style. Emulating the outdoor spaces found throughout the tiny island nation in the Pacific Ocean, this design includes bonsai trees, koi pond, and small bridges as well as wood decks–no small tasks, even for the most ardent do-it-yourselfers.
- Cottage gardens. Best described as an English garden, this style typically features a small flower and/or vegetable garden and growing vines surrounding a garden shed.
- Southwest motifs. This one uses a lot of hardscaping and less softscaping. It includes cactus, desert plants and stone. Visit your local businesses to get the right balance.
- Tropical landscapes. Think “Caribbean” and that’s tropical landscaping. These designs use palm trees, hammocks, banana trees, and tropical flowers and plants.
Nearly regardless of the design, it will take careful planning and attention to detail. But in the end, will pay big returns on the investment.
If you are considering buying or selling a house in Orlando’s Hunter’s Creek, or another community, contact us for the latest market information. We are local and experienced in all facets of residential real estate, here to help you, when you need it.