There’s virtually nothing that enhances the exterior of your home more than a well thought out landscape design.  In addition to adding color and visual context to your property, designing your landscape with an eye towards the overall look of the space can really enhance the beauty and enjoyment of your home.

Whether you are looking to tackle the landscape design of your front yard, your backyard, or the entire property, it is best to call in a professional.  Doing so will provide you with the knowledge and expertise you need to understand factors such as which plants and trees grow well in the climate and soil that exist where you live, as well as how varieties of plants and flowers effectively co-exist.  You’ll also want advice from someone that has a good eye not only for color, but for texture and the proper juxtaposition of living and non-living elements.

In most cases, when you are planning your landscaping, especially if you are beginning with a blank slate or are completely revamping any existing landscape that is already there, you’ll want to begin the design phase with ideas for the hardscaping elements.  These include things like walkways, patios, pool surrounds, steps, driveways and retaining walls – in essence, anything that you are going to have built (or that already exists) that is not made from a living organism.  These features are often constructed from materials such as stone, brick, concrete and similar options.

Once you have those elements in place, or at least they are mapped out in the design based on what is yet to come, then you’ll want to get to work on designing the landscaping elements that will work well in conjunction with the non-living structures that they will surround.  For example, if you plan on having a circular driveway installed, you’ll have to decide if the space warrants a substantially-sized tree in the middle, as well as beds lining the edges of the driveway to hold smaller plants and colorful flowers.  A meandering walkway may be lined with perennials or you may want a more streamlined design featuring small manicured hedges surrounded by rocks instead of mulch.

This leads us to another key to effective landscaping design.  Not only do you have to plan around existing hardscape elements or those you plan on installing, but you have to determine what your overall style is and how it will coincide with the general style of your home.  Some people prefer a more traditional look to their landscaping, just as they would indoors, while others may like the more carefree look of a wildflower garden or the more contemporary flair of a landscape highlighted by ornamental trees and pristine design elements.

Whatever you are incorporating into your overall design plan, and whatever your style may be, the key to the most effective landscape design is spending some time at the outset of the project to determine what you like and how all elements will meld together in the final plans, as well as making sure that the design plan for your exterior landscaping and hardscaping works well with the overall look of your home and your neighborhood.

For more information about the landscape design services offered by Millenium Stoneworks in NJ and Staten Island, call 732-519-1112 or 347-723-6990.