Natural Landscaping

Is Natural Landscaping native landscaping?
When you think of natural landscaping what comes to mind is an abandon field of various grasses, a thicket edge of tangled vines, shrubs and underbrush or a mature grove of oaks with leaf ground cover underneath. Totally natural would look messy and you would want to improve upon it. First and foremost natural should be your own interpretation of what is a beautiful natural look, which is probably far more cared for than what nature would create alone. The natural landscape improves upon the best features of the site and makes it even better or into our own liking. Also, threw working with a site and observing nature, the natural landscape can give you many solutions for difficult areas. “How to work with and plant under all this shade?” is often asked on wooded lots in Memorial and Bayou Areas of Houston. In the creating natural landscapes utilize the best of natural site elements and improve upon it still utilizing the design foundations of form and function.
What is the next step in creating a natural landscape?
In creating the landscape design you pay attention to the “sense of place” and “mood” of the site and its relationship with the house. Inspiration can come from the existing site or from travels throughout the natural world. On a new site you may want to borrow a nature inspired vision from a place in the wild that you want to recreate. The beauty of a flagstone patio under a soaring oak tree that reminds you of a hillock you visited in Ireland. Bring out the best features of the sight and change those that are not so attractive. For the most part the natural landscape approach is sympathetic so work with the site rather than changing it; utilize existing site features, trees, woodland edges rather than imposing a specific design as in classical landscape design or formal landscape design.

Landscape Design Ideas for the Natural Landscape
A simplistic approach is to create more formal landscape spaces and surfaces near the home and to dissipate into more natural landscape spaces and surfaces as you move away from the house creating a hierarchy of spaces and pathways from formal to informal.
In the landscape design natural plantings can reflect plant associations in nature. Laying out plantings in large masses or groupings will look natural as well as be easier to maintain over time.
Natural Landscape Materials:

1) Luxury Swimming Pools- slate, natural stone a refined rustic overall feel.
2) Walkways and pathways- cut stone, wood, pavestone, gravel and cobble or small stones and boulders.
3) Landscape Lighting-light up existing large trees, path lights and accent lighting for flagstone pathways and features.
4) Fencing and gates-split cedar and pine for a rustic natural look

Creating Nature and Beyond
Designing natural landscapes is on of the best opportunities to be creative. The natural landscapes is truly an interpretation of nature and our attempt to represent our reality of beauty and bring about its very best features. The home and landscape are still used in relation to your wants and needs for form, function just with nature at close hand.