Landscaping Ideas
Do you cut out and collect magazine pictures of great
landscaping ideas? Do you have a photo album of, say, a stately
English mansion that you’d love to use for your home
landscape design in
Houston? Have you admired the plants and trees of European
countryside estates and wondered if they would grow on the Texas
coastal plains? If so, then you have a beautiful start to
turning your landscaping ideas into reality.
Landscaping Ideas: The Gathering
Landscape design starts with ideas. Your ideas—before you bring
in the professionals. It is the time to write down not only your
needs, but also your wishes and deepest desires. This is true
whether you want to landscape a two-acre homestead or install a
small garden design.
Jeff Halper, landscape design specialist with Exterior Worlds,
says, “Landscaping ideas help in your own landscaping design
process. The more landscape ideas and photos one has, the
better. Even landscaping ideas of things one doesn’t like can
help landscape
designers and landscape
architects achieve the desired results.”
Landscaping Ideas: Elements to Consider
• Hardscapes. Hardscapes—the
non-plant material of your landscape design—play a critical part
of any garden landscape project. Types of hardscapes include
pathways, retaining walls, pool decking and driveways. You will
need to make material choices that range from basic concrete to
decorative stone and brick to wooden decking.
• Luxury swimming pools. A
swimming pool is a
necessity for any upscale home. It finishes off the design of
the house because it is a natural extension of your indoor
living space. All choices about a pool should factor in safety.
One way to do it is through the use of fences. Halper points out
that they can be built in a non-intrusive way. “We like to hide
fences and gates by weaving them among shrubbery. This method
makes the pool area safe, up to code and aesthetically
pleasing,” he says.
• Outdoor water fountains.
Outdoor water fountains come in a multitude of shapes, sizes
and styles. Additional features can be added, such as a
cascading waterfall or a contemporary wall fountain. Whatever
style you prefer, the main thing to remember is that your
overall landscape will be improved if you use an outdoor water
fountain that coordinates with the style of your home and
garden.
• Outdoor kitchens. Decisions to make concerning your
outdoor kitchen include
whether to cover it or not. You will want to consider the
overall size needed. For instance, for the chairs at the dining
table, you need at least two feet away from any other element,
especially the grill or any step-downs. Be sure to plan for
adequate cabinet space. Counter top options include tile,
granite, stone and concrete. Also you’ll have choices regarding
overhead fans and types of refrigeration.
Landscaping Ideas: Theme Possibilities
• Modern landscape design. Modern garden design tends to
focus on scale rather than formal or classic designs that are
based on axial relationships from Greek, Roman, and classical
architectural traditions. The architecture of the house needs to
be carefully considered when using a
contemporary garden
design. The home and landscape can be tied together through
selective use of plantings or the intelligent placement of a
hardscape feature, such as an organic pathway to the front door.
• Formal landscape design. Formal landscape design
invokes order and balance. Think of the gardens of Monticello,
the landscaping of Versailles, and, closer to home, the gardens
of Bayou Bend, which is part of the Museum of Fine Arts,
Houston.
• English garden design. The English garden design is all
about curved beds, winding paths and free-flowing color. The
gardener’s hand is light. There—but just barely. Houston’s
semi-tropical climate is well suited for vine-covered pergolas,
sunny rose gardens, and sparkling azalea beds—all plant
materials that fit well within the English garden’s concept of
abundance.
• Mediterranean landscape design. The phrase to live by
in this style is “Old World ambiance.” Favored materials include
stone, weathered bricks, terra cotta tiles, flagstone, tumbled
travertine, wooden beams, wrought iron, classical statuary and
Roman columns, and outdoor furniture that evokes Arabian,
Moroccan or Italian sensibilities.
Working in the Houston
area since 1987,
Exterior Worlds provides landscaping ideas and services to
neighborhoods such as the Memorial Villages of Piney Point
Village, Bunker Hill Village and Hunter Creek Village. Contact
info: 713-827-2255.
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