Landscaping is often an afterthought for homeowners in terms of home improvements, but it may be one of the most important and biggest factors in creating curb appeal. Don’t know where to start? Check out these 13 landscape design tips to make a lasting first impression.
1. Set Reasonable Expectations
If you live in Miami, FL or Portland, OR, or anywhere in between, a beautiful landscape design and garden are possible. It’s important, however, to set reasonable expectations and plan carefully around your ambitions. Sometimes, it’s easy to think up a layout that you love, but it might be one that requires around-the-clock care. As a result, they end up with a higher maintenance burden. Even worse, they may have a garden that is perpetually in chaos because they simply cannot manage it.
Instead, you may want to start simply, with a few plants that you know and one or two that are new to them. You can expand the look and complication of the landscaping over time as you gather more experience in care and knowledge of the best choices. That way, you don’t end up with a garden that you have to constantly fix or replace.
2. Plan Ahead for the Season
Coming up with a new and beautiful landscape design for the yard may take a few weeks of brainstorming and troubleshooting. Even deciding which plants to put into an existing garden requires forethought. You may want to start as early as mid-winter, and should consider doing the following tasks:
- Note significant design changes
- Inspect existing gardening tools and equipment
- Make a list of new annuals to purchase
- Sort through perennial bulbs
- Evaluate soil additions
- Identify new irrigation needs
It’s sometimes easier for people to draw out a scale model of the garden to be sure of proportion and distance from features like trees or the driveway. With this information, gardeners can make a shopping list and a to-do list that they can follow once the season is ready for preparation and planting.
– Marcus Larrea, Realtor and Co-Founder of Palm Paradise Real Estate
3. Choose a Focal Point
To create a beautiful landscape design for the space, start by designating a focal point. For example, the focal point for the front of the yard may be the main entry for the home. In this case, layout the landscaping so that it draws the eye toward the front door. Installing plants and flowers in a line that the eye can follow to the door is the easiest way to achieve it. Trees and bushes around the perimeter can frame the picture, but they should not distract from the focal point.
Creating focal points for the backyard is also useful. If you have a large outbuilding, like a detached garage or a studio, make that building a focal point by:
- Installing a walkway with lighting along the path
- Placing small beds of flowers near the hardscaping
- Adding more landscaping around the building, perhaps with uplighting to highlight interesting bushes
This approach increases the security of the outbuilding and makes it easier to find at night.
4. Plan for Lighting
When it comes to adding the finishing touch to any landscape design, an often overlooked feature is lighting. The right lights define the entry, illuminate paths, highlight a home’s best features, and increase safety. They also improve curb appeal by creating a welcoming outdoor space that transitions the yard beautifully from day to night. In fact, a common tip when selling a house is to leave the porch and exterior lights on through the night. This makes the property more attractive to prospective buyers, who often check out new listings after work in the evening.
For a quick upgrade, solar lights on stakes are useful for accenting pathways and gardens. If a more permanent (and less affected by weather) solution is desired, low-voltage LED systems are energy-efficient, cost-effective, and long-lasting. Use landscape lighting to spotlight trees, create a night-time focal point, and light walkways for pedestrians. For a soft look, avoid using too many lights and try to stagger instead of using them in straight rows.
– Kristin Beauchamp-Butt, Contributor at Atlanta Turf & Tree
4. Improve the Soil
Not all soil is created equal, and homeowners who want to plant directly into the ground will find that out quickly. Some natural soils are dry and sandy, while others are more like clay. Some have a high pH, which can make it harder for certain plants to thrive. People who already have a garden may need to replenish some of the nutrients that the existing plants have used.
Preparing the soil before planting is the best way to ensure that it will support the plants. Gardeners who use containers can easily select a potting mix with the right amount of drainage for the plant. For planting directly into the ground, it may be helpful to mix some combination of these materials:
- Peat moss (or a peat alternative like coconut coir) to increase acidity
- Vermiculite or perlite for aeration
- Compost for added nutrients
People may be able to combine these with the existing soil before planting or add some as a layer on top. Finishing with a layer of mulch can help to maintain soil temperature and minimize evaporation.
– Lazaro Marganon, Broker/Owner of The Marganon Group @ RE/MAX Sterling
5. Prevent Weeds
Weeding is an unpleasant chore, but it’s a necessary one to keep your landscape design looking beautiful and tidy. It’s often better to work to prevent weed growth in the first place instead of spending time pulling out weeds as they arise. Homeowners have several choices, and landscape fabric is one of the most popular. Before placing soil in the garden area, they can put down a layer of landscape fabric.
Landscape fabric keeps weeds from growing up but allows moisture and nutrients to pass through. Installing landscape fabric can be done in a couple of different ways. You can layer below the soil for plants without deep root structures. Or, place it on top of the soil after planting trees or bushes and apply a layer of gravel or mulch to keep it in place.
– Pol Bishop, professional horticulturist at Fantastic Gardeners
6. Prepare for Mature Trees and Bushes
When deciding trees and larger bushes for the landscape, consider carefully how much space you’ll will need for a mature plant. Trees can sometimes grow much larger or wider than expected, which may require you to trim them regularly. Trees with long branches extending over the roof can risk damage after heavy snowfall or a severe thunderstorm.
Experts recommend that homeowners start by planting the tree a sufficient distance from the home and other trees. For example, a small tree that will grow to less than 30 feet should be at least eight to 10 feet from the house. A large tree needs about 20 feet. This spacing allows room not just for the canopy, but also for the large root ball that will develop underneath. Bushes may not need quite as much room, but they should be at least a few feet from the foundation.
– Brad Korb, Broker/Owner of The Brad Korb Real Estate Group
7. Consider Native Flora
There are many reasons why gardeners should consider plants and flowers native to the region, and most of them involve easier upkeep. You may want to plan a garden that is full of shrubs and perennials that were bred hundreds or thousands of miles away. Although plants from other locations can look unusual or interesting, they are often harder to maintain. They may need a unique environment or a special care routine to survive, much less thrive. You may need to use more products, including water and pesticides, to maintain the garden as it’s.
By comparison, native plants are accustomed to the climate, which means they will need less care. They already grow naturally, so people may not have to do much other than provide appropriate soil and water to promote growth. Native plants and trees may even have improved resistance against common pests. They also have a preference for the local climate, which means they’ll be able to handle hot sun, dry air, high humidity, or whatever is common to the area.
8. Keep Your Pets in Mind
Some plants can be toxic to domestic pets like cats, dogs, rabbits, and other small animals. If your pets roam free in your garden, make sure the plants you have are all safe for animals to consume.
Cats and rabbits in particular wouldn’t mind nibbling on some of your flora. There is an abundance of plants that are 100% safe for pets to consume, however, the most common ones that can prove to be problematic when ingested are Lilies, Sago Palm, Tulip/Narcissus Bulbs, Azalea/Rhododendron, Castor Bean, English Ivy etc.
-Isabel Ludick, Marketing and PR Director at Excitedcats.com
9. Keep it Blooming
Just as you may change out their seasonal home décor several times a year, you should ensure that your gardens are appropriate for the season. People usually plant annuals and perennials that bloom in spring and early summer. For the rest of the time, the garden is either empty or in a continual state of decay. Instead, remove all the piled-up garden waste and start thinking about how you would like the landscaping to look in each season and ensure that the design is possible without too much extra work.
A seasonal approach works best. For the early spring, before the ground is ready to add soil for annuals, plant perennials. Annuals are ideal for mid-spring, with a plan to swap them out in summer and early fall. Choose a selection of plants with different colors, and combine them with evergreen species to provide a balance and help keep the space looking green even in winter.
Les Haddad, Director of Cheapest Load of Rubbish
10. Mix Annuals and Perennials
Homeowners with little experience gardening may find themselves gravitating toward annual plants. Flowers and plants that must grow on an annual basis are often easier to maintain because they only survive for one or two seasons. If they die, they are relatively easy to replace within the season. However, annuals also tend to have a very specific blooming cycle, after which they may turn brown or die. Gardeners who use annuals exclusively may notice that their gardens contain regular periods of decay.
Instead, relying on a combination of annuals and perennials makes it easier for people to ensure that something is always growing in the space. Before selecting species, you should evaluate:
- When perennials are likely to bloom
- How long do the perennials stay in bloom
- The best ways to care for the perennials out of season
- How the perennials look when they are dormant
This can help people to avoid selecting a perennial that looks dead half of the year.
– Frank Polsinello, Broker of Record at RE/MAX Hallmark Polsinello Group
11. Create Layers of Foliage
When planning a deeper garden, create layers of foliage to ensure that the smallest plants still have great visibility. If you’re planning to install retaining walls or a stepped garden, you’ll naturally achieve this look. Otherwise, it may make sense to place the tallest growing plants at the back, with shorter ones or ground cover at the front.
There are a few ways that they can create layers. Some gardeners like to throw many different kinds of plants of a similar height into the same layer, like a wildflower field. Others may need to create specific distinctions between the layers, with landscape fabric if necessary. This approach is better for invasive plants that will choke out other species if given the opportunity.
– Jill Sandy, Master Gardener at Constant Delights
12. Choose Efficient Watering Methods
Efficient watering methods are important for a beautiful landscape design, and not just for regions with regular drought. Watering with a careful eye toward efficacy and minimal waste can save homeowners money, as well as ensure that each plant gets the appropriate amount of water. Homeowners who have older sprinkling systems may be surprised by how easy it can be to add to the system or convert it into something more practical.
Sprinklers may be an effective way to water a lawn, but there are often better methods for gardens, shrubs, and trees. For example, drip irrigation is relatively easy to design and install, especially if you already have a sprinkler head on which you can place a drip manifold. Drip irrigation tubing sits directly on the ground, so it can be placed after the soil and flowers. Connect a sprinkling system to a smart controller, which allows them to create settings or change them from a smartphone.
– Adriano Tori, Owner of RexMont Real Estate
13. Add Hardscaping
Although much of a homeowner’s concern for the yard relates to gardening or landscaping, hardscaping is an important addition to the space to complete your beautiful landscape design. Homeowners need hardscaping for the driveway, as well as walkways and entryways. Consider looking at areas as opportunities to break up the yard’s design or make it more interesting. For example, instead of wearing down a path on a graded backyard, install stone steps with built-in lighting for nighttime.
It’s also easy to add hardscaping to the garden to minimize upkeep and provide unique textures. Placing gravel in a park strip surrounding pots of perennial flowers minimizes water usage while it still looks great. Adding a boulder in a garden of wildflowers or other native flora may create a greater sense of the natural space. You just simply need to ensure that the hardscaping is appropriate for the area and that it will be safe for walking when it’s wet or icy.
Final thoughts
Landscaping doesn’t have to be exceptionally complicated or difficult to maintain. If you make a plan before the growing season begins, you’ll have plenty of time to prepare the ground and set up watering so that you can do as little upkeep as needed. Gardening gets easier with experience, and you will do better if you have a chance to make early successes. By taking this advice, you can have a garden that will boost your curb appeal.
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