Landscaping is an important part of any lawn. It can turn a lawn from boring and bland to one that is filled with life, color, and beauty. There are many types of landscaping to choose from, depending on what you want your lawn to look like. This article will discuss the benefits of different types!
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact the professionals at Westside Grounds today.
What Defines Landscaping?
Gardening refers to the art and science of growing plants with the goal of bringing beauty into a landscape. Living elements such as flora or fauna are commonly used for landscaping.
Gardening is both a science and an art. Landscape professionals provide their clients with both horticultural knowledge and familiarity with the elements and principles of landscape design. You can consult with landscape architects, designers, or contractors for guidance, which includes the design and construction phases.
What Are The Types of Landscaping?
Landscape design comes in different colors, forms, shapes, and sizes. It can be confusing to choose which garden styles or ideas would best suit the landscaping style you hope to achieve. Here is a list of some of the most common landscaping styles you can ask your landscape architect to help you with.
Formal Landscape
Garden designs informal settings are often symmetrical and manicured with a high level of order. It is widely used to arrange a central pathway with beds and paths in regular shapes on both sides. It is as if the two sides of the path are mirror images of one another.
In the Formal Style, plants are arranged in orderly, well-pruned rows with symmetrical patterns, straight lines, and precise geometric shapes. These landscapes are often characterized by topiary. It takes a lot of work to maintain this type of landscaping.
Informal Landscape
Gardens that are informal are not symmetrical; they tend to look more natural. Though they may have a messy appearance, their elements don’t look out of place. The formal style of landscape design contrasts sharply with informal landscape design.
The use of curved lines and uneven shapes gives a more relaxed feel. Masses of plants are arranged in an informal manner, resulting in a more naturalistic appearance.
Curved plant beds characterize the Informal Style. The arrangement of plants appears random. If you have children who will be playing in the area, this would be a good choice.
English Landscape Garden Style
This is a form of the garden where plantings, walks, and pools are not structured in any recognizable pattern and are deliberately unsymmetrical. Paths tend to be wound around trees and bushes rather than straight, imitating natural terrain; a formal garden’s antithesis and trees are arranged randomly.
Designed to complement the architectural style of your home, the English Garden Style incorporates a variety of shrubs and perennials. In addition to an arbor or birdbath, other decorative elements might be added.
Oriental Landscape
An oriental landscape is similar to an installation of living art that can be installed in your backyard or front yard. It is probably no surprise that words such as “peace,” “tranquility,” and “serenity” come to mind when thinking of an Oriental landscape. Within the natural environment, these landscapes are designed to help calm the mind and promote scholarly reflection.
Using water, rocks, and evergreens, the Oriental style uses plants of various kinds to create interesting perspectives. A traditional Zen garden might also be an option.
Butterfly Gardens
Butterfly gardens (also called butterfly sanctuaries or butterfly habitats) are areas where butterflies feed and flourish. Butterflies and moths pollinate your garden with the help of the plants you grow.
Many gardens benefit from the presence of butterflies or birds common to your area. Certain types of plants serve as a source of food for these flying friends and attract them as well. Ensure you have open but wind-protected areas. Many butterfly or bird species would love to sit in different kinds of shrubs and flowers
In a butterfly garden, all phases of butterfly life should be accommodated: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. During late spring and summer, when plants are at their height, butterflies are most active.
Woodland Style Landscape
Woodland gardens or forest gardens are naturalized areas with trees or formal parklands with ground cover. A woodland garden is a modified form of a city park. Depending on how the trees are arranged on the site, interesting patterns of light can be produced.
Woodland Gardens have a less manicured appearance, reflecting the way flora grows in a wooded area. If you are looking for something that doesn’t require much maintenance, this would be a good choice.
Organic Gardens
Essentially, organic gardening refers to cultivating plants in harmony with the environment without using synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, or any other products that disrupt ecosystem balance. Farmers and commercial growers may find the process quite complex, however.
Plants grown organically have gained in popularity as more and more people learn about the harmful effects of most chemicals. As an alternative to chemical fertilizers and sprays, natural pest control and fertilization methods are being used in this case.
Xeriscape Gardens
Landscapers often refer to xeriscape landscaping is simply grouping plants with similar water requirements together. Watering becomes more efficient this way. Xeriscaping is more of a common-sense policy than a genuine concept.
Almost half of the household water is used for lawns or gardens. It also includes plant species that require little water, as well as design ideas that keep water from evaporating.
What Makes A Landscape Beautiful?
Some landscapes are particularly attractive for a reason. Do you know what makes a landscape beautiful, and can you incorporate those elements into your design?
Color
The use of color is crucial to landscape design. A garden comes to life when it has a variety of colors to add dimension and interest. Plant material and hardscape elements, such as paving, walls, or fences, can complete the look.
Adding the same colors to a picture can create harmony while using different colors to create contrast. Furthermore, colors with a warmer hue will have a different impact than those with a cooler hue. When landscaping, it is common for landscapers to choose a color scheme in order to bring the entire landscape together.
It is possible to enhance a garden with color, to detract from it with color, or to confuse a garden with colors that don’t match.
Plants
Plants are essential to any landscaping project. The defining features of a landscape are in the theme and structure of plants. Plan the right plantings for the garden of your choice. If you want to choose the perfect plants for your property, you have a number of things to consider.
In order to establish themselves, plants must be native to your climate, to your soil, and to the amount of sun or shade they receive. Landscape design benefits from the use of native plants. As plants mature, you need to think about where you want them to grow to avoid obstructing other trees’ growth.
Scale
A garden’s scale indicates the size relationship between its elements and its surroundings. As long as you choose size options appropriate for the setting, your design will be appropriately scaled. Think about the size of your home and the amount of yard space available when choosing plants and landscaping structures.
In commercial properties, air conditioners, utility boxes, and other equipment are large and bulky. As a screen, shrubs and trees can conceal or distract the eye from the structures.
Line
In landscapes, lines refer to architectural structures — for example, edges of paths or flower beds, or the edges of patios or decks. How a garden is laid out will have a dramatic impact on its flow. In contrast, curved lines will create a more informal appearance, while straight lines will create a formal look.
In a design, focal points direct the eye to where it should be directed. Focus can elicit emotions such as surprise, interest, and fascination. It may be in the form of a statue or a fountain you have professionally put in place, or it may be in the form of a naturally occurring feature such as a towering tree in your garden. Although it should be in harmony with your landscape, it should not be obtrusive.
Texture
Gardening with plants usually adds texture to the area. However, hardscape materials can also be used to create texture. An individual plant’s texture can be described as fine or coarse, rough or smooth, heavy or light. Each plant’s flower, leaf, bark, and branch have a different texture. It is important to use plants with different textures in your garden to create variety.
What Are The Features Of A Landscape?
Lawns and Shrubs
Having a lush, green lawn on your property makes it stand out instantly. Those who can’t maintain natural turf spend money on artificial grass.
Additionally, shrubs are another landscape feature that makes the yard stand out. These shrubs produce incomparable berries, foliage, and flowers in autumn, adding a touch of beauty to your lawn.
Walkways
The stone walkway in this house adds a rustic touch to the landscape and blends well with other elements. You can install a sand set path yourself, which is an easier option. You can fill the voids in between the stones with gravel or sand.
Planting Bed
Adding flower beds to your landscape can make your yard stand out. Choosing flowers with vibrant colors is the key. When you plant your flower bed, it will look sparse and unattractive at first. But over time, as it grows and gets fuller, you will realize how beautiful it is.
When planting flower beds, pick a color scheme that you like. It would help if you planted flowers that are in keeping with the color and overall appearance of your house to create a balance.
Flowering Trees
Flowers are prominent landscape features that make a strong statement in your yard and are known to welcome warmer weather if you live in a northern climate. You can enhance the appearance of your landscape by adding flowering trees.
Fountains
The stone fountain will serve as a beautiful focal point in a landscape. A landscape feature like this creates a serene and relaxing atmosphere in the front yard. It is best suited for the front side of the house.
Bring Your Ideal Landscape Style to Your Own Lawn!
Landscaping work from an outsider’s point of view may look like they just include seemingly random patterns all over the place, but they have a landscape specialty that will make you fall in love with your lawn each time. Landscapers can mix and max other garden styles or incorporate koi ponds in their projects to make it a perfect fit for your home. Whether you need some inspiration or decide to get creative with your lawn, Westside Grounds can be of service to you! We have landscaping experts that can make your landscape style or idea come to life! Contact us today.