Villa SK has a new take on the old concept of the sun room. Homeowners in Graz, Austrian made good use of a limited budget by bringing their garden into the living room.  A unique addition of floor-to ceiling-windows was added to the existing house. Now, the view of a beautifully gnarled oak is offered. The living room roof becomes a terrace accessible from the first floor on warm days. A combination of brick, stone and wood add texture to the brightened home.  Bricks composing one of the room walls contrast in color and texture to the smooth shine of glass. The final touch of concrete unifies the outside and inside as easy to care for patio and living room flooring.

An architectural landscape design architect such as the professionals at ALD can suggest unique ways for you to get more enjoyment from your home’s landscape. 

Finding ways to reduce your energy use makes sense, both from an environmental as well as an economic standpoint.  Landscaping can be a significant contributor to reducing energy use, especially in warmer months.  According to a recent landscaping consulting post, trees can help keep your home cooler, while beautifying your property in the process.  Depending on the size tree you plant as well as the species, you can expect some shade for your windows in a year or so.  Some trees can be expected to reach roof height in 5-10 years.  And the right trees – planted close to windows – can result in an energy savings of up to 50% on summer cooling.

The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that landscaping intended to reduce cooling expense can pay for itself in as little as 8 years, but obviously trees provide more than cost savings.  Trees also provide shade in your yard, so you might enjoy more time outside on those warmer days if you have a cool, shady nook to rest in.

A local professional landscape design architect like those at ALD can help you figure out which trees will work best in our Minneapolis area climate, as well as the best placement to shade your home throughout the warmer months. 

Do-it-yourself home improvement guru Bob Vila often has tips that fall outside the standard home remodeling techniques but fit with the overall concept of improving your own lifestyle yourself.  A blog post this month on his site gives some great tips for those thinking about adding apple trees to their landscaping.   Many Minneapolis area homeowners are moving in the direction of adding some sustainability to their lives, and incorporating fruit trees and shrubs into your landscape design is a great way to do that.  Not only do fruit trees provide food which you can enjoy and share, they also add to the overall beauty of your property.  Apple trees, with their gorgeous and fragrant flowers as well as delicious fruits fill the bill nicely.

According to this article, though spring is traditionally the transplant time for fruit trees, here in the Midwest it is possible to be successful with fall transplants as well.  It’s recommended to check with a local county extension office ahead of time, however, to get a list of apple tree varieties which are recommended for the Twin Cities area climate.

If the idea of apple trees in your yard sounds good to you, check this article out, and then call us at Architectural Landscape Design to bring your vision to reality.