DESIGN IDEAS ON HOW TO MAKE A LANDSCAPE INVITING, EXCITING AND YOUR OWN
1. STAGE YOUR ENTRANCE
If space allows, stage a series of vignettes or garden doors to your front door. Things like gates, arbors, a manicured or loose hedge, or a trellis make a walk exciting and draws people to your door – make them want to see what’s next. Use fragrance, color and texture to make it a pleasant garden experience from the driveway or sidewalk to your front door.
2. ELEVATE- CHANGE THE PERSPECTIVE
Add a step up or a step down to create a movement into a space. Just like stepping into a house makes you feel welcome warm a step in the garden can be seen as an invite into something new – a new perspective or a new opportunity.
3. ENCLOSE TO ENLARGE
Again creating vignettes or separate rooms in the garden allows one the sense of something larger than what is really there. Through the use of hedges, trellis works or walls you can define areas and create pathways that not only slows down your visitors but also entertains and amuses them.
4. BALANCE EXPECTATION WITH SURPRISE
“Every wall, path, stone and flower should have a relationship to a central axis. Repeat elements throughout the garden – plants or structural hardscape material like a stone wall or steel edging. Top it off by adding a few surprises or follies to catch your guests off guard or create a sense of discovery and excitement.
5. REPEAT ARCHITECTUAL SHAPES
Strong shapes such as columnar shrubs, boxwoods or rows of small or large trees have a tendency to lead people where they need to go and where you want them to go. For a strong pull align a hedge along a straight path. To get a loose flowing pathway that seems to dance with movement space the plants in a fixed distance apart.
6. BRING THE HOMES ARCHITECTURE INTO THE GARDEN
Repeat shapes of windows and doors in the architectural features in the garden - such as gates and walls. Repeat colors from inside the home with paint and plant colors in the garden and create a strong connection between home and garden by continuing indoor features outside – like tile, stone and furniture.
Craft each space in your garden so that they seem knitted together with an element that draws you deeper and deeper into garden or towards a distinct feature or element.