5 Tips for Designing a Beautiful Residential Landscape

This is the time of the year that everybody loves to spend outside. The heat of summer is over, the mosquitoes are vanishing, and it’s nice to be able to just relax in your yard.

It’s also the time to start planning changes or additions for next year. 

If designing a new landscape or just adding to what you have has crossed your mind this season, take these five things into consideration.

Take a Look from Inside of Your Home

When you are inside your house, look out to your yard. What would you like to see outside your home that would make you happy? Most people evaluate the look of a yard from outside.  But having a beautiful landscape that you can see from inside your home will make you appreciate the experience more.

Stick to the Same Landscape Design as Your Home’s Style

Your plans should go along with the style and materials that are within your home already. Use trees to frame your home, and shrubs and other plants to create pathways that complement your home’s style.  For example, if you’ve got a traditional style home, you don’t want a ultra-modern, high-tech landscape plan.

Do Not Forget about Lighting Your Outdoor Space

Outdoor lighting is important, especially if you spend a lot of time entertaining outside. Additionally, it is also an important part of safety. If you have a deck or other raised surface in your yard, putting lights around these areas will help mark where they are.

Look at Your Yard From Different Angles

Not only should you look at your yard from a variety of perspectives, make sure you look at it at different times of the day. Doing this will help you plan your new landscaping according to the changing light and it will ensure that any new plants you choose are not hidden from the sun all day, or that those areas you’d like to have shady during the afternoon are actually shielded from mid-day sun.

Shop Around, Take Your Time

Shopping around, taking your time, and choosing wisely are important for your budget. Comparing prices of plants and materials may end up saving you,  because these items can add up and result in an expensive project. If you do not have the means to complete your whole project at once, getting in touch with an expert will help you plan out a budget and priority list.

If you live in the Minneapolis area and are planning on turning your yard into a beautiful retreat and need some expert advice, the professionals at Architectural Landscape Design are here to help you out. Contact us today!  We are currently offering free initial design consultations, and if you schedule your spring installation now, you’ll be able to take advantage of this year’s prices for next year’s gorgeous yard.