Each yard presents its own unique challenges when it comes to landscape design.  Flat terrain has very little interest, and so different levels for the eye have to be created.  But on the other hand, hilly properties have their own problems, especially when it comes to outdoor maintenance.  The right landscaping plan can eliminate some of those challenges as well as enhance what nature has provided.

Steep Hills Are Not the Place for Turf Grass

Lawns on steep hills are difficult to maintain.  Grass cutting is impractical, and moving a lawn on a steep incline is downright dangerous.  Water run-off can quickly demolish your beautiful green lawn, making it a mudslide waiting to happen.  But with the right landscaping, you can take that hill and turn it to your advantage.

Cover Your Front Slope with Spreading Perennials

If your front yard contains the hill, consider replacing that swath of green grass with an easier-to-maintain riot of color with a variety of blooming perennials and foliage plants.  The variety of heights, colors, and textures will set your home off beautifully, and what an inviting welcome to your guests!

Because sloping terrain is generally well-drained, consult a professional landscape designer who has experience with the best plants for this area.  Native species generally do well regardless of the terrain, since their water and soil requirements are more adapted to the Minneapolis area.    Perennials that don’t need dead-heading will cut down on maintenance, and they won’t need to be replanted each year.

Hillsides Are Ideal Places For Waterfalls

Here’s your chance to use what Mother Nature gave you to create a landscape feature that’s attractive, soothing, and inviting to both wildlife and humans.  If you’ve got a natural water source such as a stream, so much the better.  If not, a water supply can be installed to produce a totally natural-looking effect.

Natural rocks and boulders break up the water, and they also help reduce the possibility of soil erosion while providing visual interest.  We can choose native stone to make it appear that what’s on your hill is just what the glacier left behind thousands of years ago.  Native grasses and wildflowers do well inter-planted among large rocks.  They add color and texture interest.

Break Up Your Hillside With Rock Garden Tiers

Just because nature gave you a steep hill doesn’t mean you’re limited to the angle of your slope.  A series of stone or masonry walls filled with rock garden tiers can produce flower beds on a variety of levels.  And natural stone steps can lead the way to other areas of your yard as well.   Terraces can be designed to accommodate small pergolas, arbors, trellises, and even quiet resting spots with stone benches surrounded by shrubs or small shade trees.   And paths don’t have to be straight.  In fact, if your slope is extremely steep, a walkway that slowly meanders downhill, curving here and there, is safer and more visually interesting.

Focal Points on Hillsides Add Interest

Accents such as bird baths, statuary, fences, gazing balls, etc. provide lots of interest for the eye.   If you’ve been blessed with a steep slope in your yard, view it as a challenge to turn a boring stretch of slanting green into a feast for the eyes and a delight to wander through.  And don’t forget the landscape lighting so that you can show off your natural paradise even at night.

At ALD we delight in taking landscape challenges and turning them into beautiful visions of nature.  If you’ve got a hard-to-handle feature in your yard, give us a call.  We’ll work with you to turn that problem into a gorgeous feature. 

Today’s fast-paced world and our full lives mean that sometimes we need to escape to a quiet and peaceful spot for awhile.  That’s why spas and resorts are so popular.  Getting away from it all allows us to take a break from day-to-day life and recharge.  But often we don’t have the luxury of a full-fledged getaway due to schedules or finances.  And sometimes all that’s needed is a few minutes of solitude to catch your breath and then go after things again.  Wouldn’t it be nice if we all had those little corners of refuge close to hand?

With the right landscape planning, you can.  It’s likley that you can find just the right relaxing “resort” in your own back yard.  Nature can be incredibly soothing, and no matter what your yard is like – or how big your space is – there are things you can incorporate in your overall landscape design to provide that peaceful spot.  Here are some ideas.

• Add a water feature.  The gentle sound of water is extremely refreshing and relaxing at the same time.  You can add a small bubbling or recirculating fountain, a koi or reflecting pond, or even a bird bath.  If the terrain in your yard allows, perhaps a small waterfall could even be added.  Imagine sitting alongside this pond, dipping your toes and enjoying the sound of falling water!
• Find a shady nook.  If you’ve already got a stand of shade trees, tuck a bench or a few comfortable chairs under them for the right spot to escape with your favorite book.  No trees?  An arbor or small pergola covered with vining plants can provide the shade as well as privacy.
• With the right touches, decks and porches can be great quiet spots, too.  Shrubbery placed close to your deck or porch, some lattice work, and a few container plants can create a ‘nature nook’ if you’re short on yard space.
• Don’t forget the finishing touches.   Low-voltage lighting makes your peaceful spots inviting at night as well.  And if you add a fire pit or fireplace, you can extend your outdoor enjoyment into the cooler months as well.

Next time you’re thinking about booking a resort vacation, consider investing that sum in creating a resort in your own back yard with a landscape design that gives you some serenity close to home. 

If the term “landscaping” brings to mind a large lot with an expansive lawn and elaborate outdoor structures, you might think it can’t do anything for your small lot.  The truth is, the right landscape design can help maximize your outdoor space, no matter how small, and create a big impact.

With small yards, a landscape design plan is even more important, because your space is limited.  Whatever landscape elements you add must be proportionate to your space so they don’t  dominate the overall appearance of your home and lot.  As this photo shows, colorful blooming flowers nestled among decorative foliage plants, give the right shot of color to an otherwise neutral palette.  The scaled-down hardscaping and strategically placed accents such as this boulder  and suspended light fixture highlight the home and provide a burst of curb appeal, even with just a few feet of lawn between the house and the street.

What’s important with landscaping small lots is to make every inch count.  While you might not have the space for a large stand of trees, shrubs and trees on a scale fitting your lot can still provide shade.  Scaled-down outdoor spaces such as patios can still find a home in your yard.  While a full-size pool or fountain is out of the question, smaller water features – even a stone bird bath – can add a refreshing, soothing feel to your yard.

Tiers and layering garden levels can give the impression of a larger space.  No room for a garden?  Perhaps we can help by finding a corner to tuck a raised bed into.    And if you don’t have the space to spread a garden out, why not up?  Roses and other climbers can give you a vertical garden when you lack ground space.   And no matter how small your lot is, you’ve probably got the room for a few stone planters.

Small lots are often in neighborhoods where the homes are close together, and privacy is at a premium.  Stone walls, cedar fences, or vine-covered trellises and arbors can provide the seclusion you crave, even in tight quarters.  And don’t forget the finishing touches, like low-voltage lighting.   A small lot can still make a big impact with the right landscape design that coordinates your outdoor spaces with the style of your house.  Bringing landscape visions and dreams to life is what we’re here for, no matter how big your lot is!

As creative landscape designers, we  use the two halves of landscaping, the hardscape and the softscape, to create a perfect harmony to fit any need. You might wonder what these two concepts are and why they’re important. 

Hardscapes

The hardscape always gets built in the beginning of the landscaping installation, due to its permanent nature. That’s because it’s made up of the retaining walls, patios, pathways and other fixtures that won’t change from year to year. 

• Shape and Protection:  The primary role hardscaping plays in Minnesota homes is to provide a solid shape to the property. Walls and pathways offer a guide for people to walk along and give us a place to put plants.  These elements also prevent too much water absorption and run off, which protects valuable soil and structural integrity. Although some materials, like bricks and gravel, absorb some water, it’s not enough to cause problems.
• Recreation and Appearance:  Hardscaping also includes things like pools, gazebos, patios and outdoor kitchens. These all provide easy places for entertainment and food preparation.  Fountains and statues, which add character and charm to a garden, are also included in this category.

Softscapes

In many ways, the softscape is the exact opposite of the hardscape. This involves plants which change from year to year and season to season. The trick to beautiful landscaping is designing the garden around what is already there, which is where the softscape comes in. 

• Color and Flow:  Plants offer property color, whether it’s from a pallet of greens from foliage or rainbow of colors from flowers. They also offer a garden a sense of life and flow, due to how branches or vines curve and sway in the breeze.  They offer the sense of tranquility and relaxation which is so sought after when it comes to outdoor surroundings. 
• Permanent or Temporary:  Another unique note softscaping adds to a home is that it can either be permanent or temporary. Trees will last for years if properly planted and cared for, while annual flowers will last only a year before they’re gone.

When these two aspects of landscaping are balanced, you’re left with a lovely, relaxing outdoor environment ready to be enjoyed.  If your yard is a little “off balance” but you’re not sure just what it needs, please give us a call.  We delight in helping Minnesotans bring their landscape visions to life. 

Visitors such as birds, butterflies, and other wildlife to your landscape can be a source of enjoyment and refreshing, even if you’re not an avid bird-watcher or have no idea what kind of butterfly that was on your flowers.  Whether or not you can identify the many species that may come to your yard doesn’t have to affect your enjoyment of natural life.  Not everyone has that aim for their landscape, but if you’re among those who take delight in visiting wildlife, there are things you can do in your yard to encourage them to return again and again, as well as to attract new ones.

Wildlife in your yard can be extremely beneficial.  Bats, many birds, and frogs and toads will eat insects.  Bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds can assist in flower pollination, which is especially important if you have fruit trees.  Modern development and industrialization has reduced the habitat for many birds and butterflies, so you can do your part to provide a haven for some with these tips.

• Reduce the amount of your turf by replacing some of it with native grasses and wildflowers in your yard.  Birds and butterflies are more likely to be drawn to familiar plants.  An added benefit of using native plants is that they require much less water and are generally weed-resistant.   That means less herbicide and fertilizer is needed, as well as less watering.    Your county extension agent may be able to give you information on specific plants and grasses which grew in your area before it was developed.  The Minnesota Native Plant Society is also a good resource.  Replanting with original plants is called “habitat gardening,” and it is growing in popularity.
• Provide a variety of sheltering areas – shrubs of various sizes, tall grasses, and trees can provide nesting spots and cover for a wide variety of species.
• Eliminate chemical pesticides and fertilizers and opt for organic methods instead.
• Provide multiple water sources.  Birds choose water sources at different heights.  Some prefer running water, so a bubbling fountain is one option.  Others choose water in low areas; a flat-basin bird bath set into a rock garden works well.  And remember bird baths will attract birds of various sizes, so put some larger stones in your bird bath to provide perches for the smaller ones.   Small ponds provide water for some birds, as well as drinking areas for larger animals such as deer.
• Consider leaving dead trees in place in some spots.  Some birds are cavity nesters, and dead trees provide the perfect housing.
• Keep your feeders full.  A variety of seeds, fruit, and nuts will attract a variety of birds, but you can’t go wrong with black-oil sunflower seeds – they’re among the most popular with birds.  And keep those feeders full during spring and fall migration seasons; you’ll attract temporary visitors that you might otherwise miss.  Your local Audobon Society or other bird-watching chapter should be able to tell you what kinds of birds frequent your area and what types of food they prefer.
• If you have a cat, keep it indoors, or supervise it outdoors.  Cats are a major threat to the bird population.
• Install raptor decals on large windows which catch the sunlight.  This will eliminate (or at least reduce) the amount of birds crashing into your windows because of the sky reflection.
• If hummingbirds are your favorite visitors, include the plants they are most attracted to in your garden beds.
• Plant butterfly-enticing flowers in your garden bed.  You can also add milkweed around a pond, which will encourage monarch butterflies.

If you’d like a more wildlife-friendly landscape but don’t know where to start, we can help you incorporate some of these ideas into a unique landscape design that will reflect the vision you have for your yard as well as your enjoyment of wildlife. 

The typical backyard has architectural details that include yard furniture, patios, decks and grills. There may also be a children’s outdoor climbing gym and swingset that seems to dominate the yard.  Adding some architectural details can help to shift the focus from what people don’t want as the primary focal points of their yards.  A quick fix is to add some captivating details that draw the eye when entering that space such as arbors, gazebos, pergolas, and trellises. These are significant enough to work with and complement the other things that exist in the yard.  The addition of outdoor lighting can spotlight these features at dusk and during the evening.

A gazebo can be a go-to place for rest, relaxation, and entertaining away from the main house. It’s an outside building that can be octagonal or have as little as four sides. It may be fully enclosed with walls or be built with simple or decorative posts, on top of wood decking or a concrete platform. Either way, a gazebo always has a full roof that makes it impervious to rain falling.

A pergola isn’t an enclosed structure; it is a latticed or beamed roof stretching over two trellises, often with vining plants climbing between its beams. The arbor is similar to the pergola except it is an arched roof adjoining two trellises.

What is common to the pergola, trellises, and arbors is that they offer a place for vining plants to grow and interweave themselves upon the trellises. Some of the most popular plants to start growing are grapes, ivy, roses, clematis, and morning glories. While the gazebo is usually a destination and has it’s own defined space, trellises, pergolas, and arbors can help to define a space. They can be used to signal the entrance to a backyard or a garden. You can control the amount of privacy and light you want with a pergola and arbor by changing the space allowed between the lattice and beams. Adding a gazebo, pergola, trellises or arbors to your yard will add instant focus and drama.

There is something very peaceful about bird- and butterfly-watching.  If you enjoy observing these small wonders, consider adding a water feature to your landscape to attract them.

Water fountains can add a sense of comfort to a backyard because of their beauty and the soothing sound of the running water, in addition to the wildlife they attract. They draw butterflies and birds as they offer them the moisture they need.  In turn this offers homeowners the pleasant pastime of butterfly- and bird-watching.

Butterflies come to the water fountain’s edge in the morning to take a drink and spread their wings to bask in the sun providing the opportunity to study them up close. Birds come to a water fountain to drink or bathe by them selves and are joined by other birds. Their antics while bathing sometimes makes them look like children splashing each other, which can be fun to watch also.  Other wildlife may stop by including squirrels and chipmunks providing some additional wildlife viewing opportunities as the birds, squirrels, and chipmunks compete for first place on the water.   All types of wildlife need water so a water fountain also provides a service to them

Water fountains and waterfalls are a great way to accent a garden and give a space a dynamic feel and tranquil sound. Fountains can be freestanding floor fountains installed in a variety of settings including, but not limited to courtyards, patios, entryways, and walkways. They can also be installed as tabletop fountains. Another popular feature is to install them on a wall as a focal point seen from a distance or situated next to an outdoor dining area. The larger the design the more it becomes a focal point. Multilayered fountains with cascading water to different levels or multi-tiered fountains are another design. The scale of outdoor fountain that works in a yard typically depends on how much space is available. The distance the water falls should be about the same or less than the distance between the edge of the fountain and where the water comes down. Whether you have a lot of space or a little space a water fountain provides a way to bring nature closer to home.

ALD offers unique Minnesota landscape designs based on your lifestyle and your vision.  Among other elements, we can incoporate water features such as fountains. 

After a number of years in the landscape design and maintenance field, if we’ve learned one important thing, it’s that no two pieces of property are identical.  Each yard has its own quirks and “special features” to be dealt with.  Some lots provide unique opportunities for showcasing a particularly impressive tree, shrub, or flower bed; others are filled with challenging areas to appropriately and practically landscape.   But often the solution for both of these situations is ground cover.

Ground cover plants grow close to the ground and spread out to fill in bare soil.  Most are lush and compact, but there are other varieties such as daylilies and phlox than can exceed a foot in height.  Some, but not all, are flowering.  There are varieties that thrive in full sun, while others prefer shade.  Whatever your soil condition, sunlight, and moisture, there are ground cover plants that will work very well.  Here are some areas where ground cover plants can solve problems:

Steep hillsides.  By covering a steep slope with ground cover  you’re eliminating the need to mow an area that could be difficult to maneuver.  Ground cover will also help to hold water in, reducing possiblesoil  erosion.  Choosing low-growing, grass-like plants can give the illusion of a lawn without the upkeep.

Eliminating weeds around pavers and walking paths.  Many ground cover plants are sturdy and hold up quite well to foot traffic, which makes them excellent candidates for filling in the spaces between and around pavers, patio stones, and walkway hardscaping.  By planting these instead of grass right up next to the pavers you’re reducing the need to weed and you don’t need to run the mower up next to the path.

Maintenance-free gardening.  If you love the look and fragrant aroma of flowers but don’t have a lot of time to spend tending a flower garden, flowering ground cover could be the answer.  Unlike most flowering plants, groundcover doesn’t require dead-heading.   And once the plants are established and spreading, they don’t need to be weeded, fertilized, and watered.  Go one step further and convert your entire lawn to ground cover which resembles grass and you can sell that old mower.

Conserve water.  Ground cover interplanted with larger plants in a flower bed can not only make your garden upkeep easier by keeping the weeds out, since ground cover helps retain soil moisture, you’ll need to water your flowers less, if at all.  Be sure to choose specimens with minimal spread to avoid having your larger flowering plants choked out. 

Protect your trees.  The area around the base of a tree is the perfect spot for shade-loving ground cover.  Not only will these plants keep the soil around the tree moist but will provide a buffer between your lawn and the tree trunk.  If you’ve ever run your mower blade or weed-wacker into a tree you’ll appreciate this benefit.  Ground cover around the base of a tree also provides a finished look.

Filling in damp areas.  There are ground cover specimens that do just fine in soggy areas; they’ll provide texture where most other plants wouldn’t grow.

Camoflauge agents.  Ground cover plants work well to conceal such things as the base of structures, fence posts, etc.  They also can hide irregular yard features.  Plants such as virginia creeper and ivies will even spread to cover rocks, fences, etc.

Adding interest to flat areas.  If your lawn is extremely flat, consider adding a mix of ground covers in varying heights and growing habits.  Some varieties form compact, rounded mounds while others produce feathery, waving plumes.

There are so many varieties of growing things available, that no matter what unique challenge you face in your yard, there is probably a ground cover which can turn that spot into a lovely feature.

Now that  the snow is melting here in the Twin Cities our yards are coming back into view.   Spring is the time when homeowners often take stock of their yards and think about making changes.  Perhaps over the winter you’ve had some daydreams about what you’d like to do when the weather gets warmer.  A good landscape designer can help you bring your visions into reality.  But what do you do if you haven’t even got a mind picture yet?  That’s where seeking some new sources of inspiration can give your mind a jump-start.  Here are some ideas:

Catalogs:  Nursery and garden supply catalogs are often a good source.  Though some just show pictures of the plants, many suppliers display their plants, shrubs, and trees already in place.  Check with some of your friends who enjoy gardening – maybe they’ve got some to pass on.  If not, you can check the internet – therve are  literally thousands of landscape supply companies just waiting to send you their  catalogs.  While you can look at them online, sometimes there is something about looking at printed pictures.

Go for a Drive:  This is a really good way to get some ideas.  Take your camera  and a notebook and go for a drive.  It helps to have someone else drive so you’re not distracted by what you’re looking at!  If you see yards or even individual features that really appeal to you, take photos and make notes.  Don’t worry about whether or not you think they’ll work in your yard – that’s where your landscape designer comes in.  Looking at local  landscaping can also show you what works well in this area, which is an advantage over catalogs and magazines which might show varieties that don’t do well in the Minneapolis area.

Stop by the Library:   Gardening and home decorating books and magazines abound at your local library.  Sometimes outdoor furniture suppliers show their products in a landscaped setting, so don’t overlook the possibility of finding some ideas in publications other than those dedicated to landscaping and gardening.

Browse Nurseries and Garden Centers:  Local garden centers are beginning to open up, and taking some time to stroll through these locations can give you inspiration as well.  But if you’re looking for shrubs, trees, and plants that appeal to you, be sure to examine more mature specimens because those seedlings may look very different once they are mature plants.

With your ideas in hand, make some notes about the kinds of things you’d like to add to your yard.  Are there outdoor activities you enjoy but don’t have the right spot for?  For instance, you may enjoy cooking and eating outdoors but your yard doesn’t have any shade and sitting in full sun can be uncomfortable.  A pergola or a gazebo might be just what you’re looking for.  Or perhaps what you’d really like is a quiet spot to have a cup of tea while you read that novel you’ve been waiting to dive into.  Sounds like an Adirondack lounger set beside a bubbling fountain under a tree or an arbor could be the perfect spot!

Once you’re armed with your photos, notes, catalog clippings, and brainstorming ideas, make an appointment to sit down and review things with a landscape design architect.  A landscape professional can take your basic ideas and help you come up with a plan for your entire yard which reflects your own personal taste.  If you’re having trouble dreaming it up, there’s lots of help available! 

If the term “landscape design” makes you think of wide expanses of lawn, large flower beds, and wooded corners of bigger lots, we want you to know that landscape design can work well for a small yard, too.  As a matter of fact, due to limited space, having a good overall plan for your outdoor areas can not only help to make your yard look bigger but also incorporate features you may have thought only belonged on big lots.

From “This Old House”

If you’ve got a small lot such as those common in urban areas or closely-structured developments, don’t despair of having your own outdoor paradise.  Check out this Photo Gallery from This Old House and see how one enterprising homeowner got creative and turned her tiny back yard into a lush retreat.  In an area approximately 50′ square she found room for two patios, a deck, and raised beds, a trellis, and even a fountain.  She also cut down on yard maintenance by completely eliminating the lawn and choosing to use gravel and pavers instead.

While all of the touches she added may not work for you, perhaps you’ll find some features that would be right at home in your own small yard.  Tiny spaces often provide challenges for landscaping, but that’s where a creative landscape designer can really help you convert your space into a natural, refreshing retreat.