The hot season is around the corner, and you can’t wait to spend the summer days relaxing in your garden and creating memories with your loved ones. Still, to make the most of your experience, you have to enhance the atmosphere with a beautiful landscape, so a yard makeover should be a top priority. The garden creates the first impression, since it’s the first thing you see on the street, and, of course, a well-cared yard catches the eye and wins the hearts. So, if you have undervalued the importance of your landscape until now but have decided that it’s time for a summer makeover to stand apart from your neighbours, this article is right for you. Here is how to create a breathtaking yard design:
Photo by Jan Canty on Unsplash
Understand the core principles of landscape design
When planning a landscape layout, it’s crucial to prioritise two things: the feeling you want to promote and the overall satisfying visual experience. To understand better this concept, here are the core principles you should consider:
- Proportion: simply put, size matters in yard design, so make sure you opt for suitable proportions for the elements you integrate.
- Transition: gradual change in matter of sizes can create a pleasing visual experience, and you avoid exceeding the height of your house walls.
- Unity: shapes and sizes are interconnected to create a sense of unity and harmony.
- Balance: the repetition of sizes, colours, patterns, and the same element on both sides creates balance.
- Focalisation: the focal point is what catches the eye of the viewer, like a fountain, statue, or other arrangement that stands out.
Identify the type of landscape you have
Before starting your project, you have to identify the kind of landscape you have. Firstly, to make sure you choose the right plants, think about where you live and the weather conditions. For instance, these are the basic types of landscapes:
- Mountain landscape: suitable for plants that survive in rough weather conditions at higher altitudes.
- Flat landscape: for example, meadows and farms are open lands that lack protection from wind.
- Coastal landscape: for this type, salt and drought-tolerant plants are the best fit.
Select the right materials
The materials you choose can create a timeless aesthetic, but besides the looks, you should also prioritise durability. Timber, brick, concrete, and stone are the most used materials in the yard because they are durable and can resist any unfavourable conditions. They can be used for building walls, stairs, structures like pergola, arbours, gateway, fence and patios. They all come in different shapes, sizes and colours, so you have a broad range of options. Moreover, to create a focus point in your garden, consider a stone fountain or concrete statue for long-lasting and elegant decor.
Choose the plants and pots
As we said before, it’s essential to select the plants that survive in the environmental conditions of your area, considering the average temperature, exposure to wind, water availability, humidity and the soil conditions. Also, some aesthetic considerations for the plant selection include the colours, texture, shapes and sizes. Moreover, it’s crucial to purchase qualitative plant pots to complete the design perfectly and ensure they grow healthy and strong. To get some inspiration, some popular plants for the yard are boxwood, Hosta, colourful azaleas and zinnia, or a majestic Chinese fringe flower. The options are endless, and you have the opportunity to create unique colour patterns for an enchanting visual experience and play with the different sizes to add dimension and create balance.
Contrast textures
Knowing how to combine colours is important, but to create harmony in your landscape, it’s also crucial to work with texture. Look at the leaf textures and contrast the rough with the softer ones, the spiky leaves with harmonious clean lines. You can add a splash of colour, integrating flowers in bright colours between rougher green textures. Moreover, even green plants can be found in multiple shapes, with different striations and patterns you can combine to create an interesting composition. Also, for the plants that require support, the planters from elho are the perfect final touch for your design, and you can find multiple sizes and colours that create the final contrast you need for a well-put-together yard.
Give plants and trees some shape
Pruning out dead wood and eliminating diseased breaches is essential to keep the plant's growth under control. Still, when it comes to landscape design, this method goes beyond garden care, and giving your trees and plants a unique shape is essential. You can play with geometrical figures and create curves, straight lines, spheres, or even cubical forms. If you are handy enough, consider also some spirals for the trees on the patio to take advantage of this art form and create a great first impression on your guests.
Light it up
Outdoor lighting is just as important as the interior. Light sets the atmosphere to any space, so it can help make you the most of your garden. It’s also a decorative feature you shouldn’t miss out on, especially for the summer nights you are ready to spend in your beautiful yard. You can opt for cloud lanterns for your relaxing area, some LED decking lights along your pathway or string lights for a party festoon vibe. There is no rule or such “right” way for light positioning; you just need to make sure the ones you purchase are outdoor-friendly.
The bottom line
We hope this article inspires you to create a unique landscape design that stands out in the neighbourhood. Having a beautiful garden can simply make you feel good, and you ensure you have the perfect spot to relax when you want to feel the sun on your skin. Also, since summer is about laughter, joy, and friends, you can invite your loved ones over to show them proudly your work and enjoy the magnificent atmosphere together.
