Nothing spotlights a house quite like professional landscaping, and the most visually impressive ones today have one thing in common: professional design. D-I-Y efforts do not compare because the rare homeowner can do what a talented professional designer can. Professional design is the key element that delivers that all-important wow factor that makes your home special, the exterior areas purposeful, and allows your unique personality to shine through.
The Fundamentals of Professional Landscape Design
A residential landscape comprises three essential elements: the house itself, hardscaping (man-made) features, and softscaping features (vegetation) surrounding it. The goal of professional landscaping design is to combine these elements into a unified, integrated, cohesive, and balanced functional, creative, and beautiful environment. When done right, your landscaping adds significant value to your home, boosts your enjoyment, and elevates your pride of ownership. It is also of critical importance when it comes to selling your home.
Your house is not just a house; it's a destination. Your living space should encompass the entire property, not just be confined to the interior. You should love how it looks, inside and out. If you aren't making the most of your exterior living space, you are missing out on one of the most satisfying parts of being a homeowner.
Popular Hardscape Elements
Your hardscaping directs the eye and defines your outdoor spaces. A functional landscape is just as desirable as an attractive one. Now more than ever, homeowners want landscapes with hardscape elements that accommodate and support their recreational and leisure activities. Common hardscaping features include decks, outdoor kitchens, fire pits, outdoor entertainment centers, gazebos, ponds, special lighting elements, and so much more. By utilizing a thoughtful combination of these elements, you can have the aesthetic beauty you want and the functionality you need in your landscape.
Popular Softscape Elements
Your home's softscaping is the dressing that accentuates your home and its hardscaping. It brings color, life, depth, ambiance, and vitality to your landscape. Your lawn is merely a swath of green canvas waiting for you to express your creativity, and your choices are endless. Common softscaping items include flowers, shrubbery, trees, vines, gardens, and more. Some pieces may be focal points, while others may provide subtle emphasis. It can be functional as well, such as providing shade. These items combine with the architecture and hardscaping elements to create a unified, put-together landscape.
Landscaping Design To Reflect Your Style
When your hardscape choices meld with your softscaping to reflect your personality, that's when the true magic happens, and your style emerges. A formal style can be created by combining geometric shapes, straight lines, sharp angles, and strong, bold hardscape features punctuated with carefully cultivated greenery that mimics those same shapes and lines.
Another option might be a woodland landscape, where elements are thoughtfully selected and positioned to portray a more natural setting. A traditional English garden style, on the other hand, might feature hardscape and softscape elements that represent and extend the architectural lines of your house.
A looser, informal style might include soft, curving lines and complementary soft colors. Or how about a calming oriental style such as a Zen garden with cool, sleek lines, a soothing fountain, understated stonework, and eastern-style topiary? Or, for wildlife lovers, a landscape bursting with playful, colorful features attracts butterflies and birds.
Professional Landscape Design Services By Fullscapes
At Fullscapes, our team of experienced professionals can help you realize the landscape of your dreams. Our talented designers are second to none and work with you closely to bring your vision to life. We'll assist in making choices that are creative, innovative, stunning, and enhance the overall design. We are the top-rated landscape specialists in Northeastern Ohio, and we'd love an opportunity to serve you. Contact us today, and let's get started.