GREAT LANDSCAPING IDEAS: MAKE YOUR NEIGHBORS GO "WOW!"

A patch of greenery right within the boundary of your own property can be your retreat at the end of hard day’s work. It can be the place where you can recharge your emotions; it can be a place for rejuvenation of your senses! The color in it can brighten up your inside, literally….here are few ideas to get you started in the creation of your very own wellness resort.

Decide on the style

• When it comes to brightening your own patch of green, first decide on a definite style… an English landscape, a Zen garden, a Swiss style cottage landscape, etc. Also look at sod prices to get the best deals.
• Take cues from several styles and forms to create something unique of your own. But in this case, you should be careful about the right balance and co-ordination between the different elements.

Co-ordination of five elements of design

Whenever you blend more than one element to create something new, you become a designer. Same is true of landscape designing where you can experiment with five major design elements:

• Color
• Line
• Form
• Texture
• Scale

When you are designing the landscape, it is imperative that you give due consideration to all these five elements.

Treat your backyard as a canvas

• Imagine yourself to be a painter and treat the small patch of land lying in your backyard as a canvas. The only difference is that instead of filling it up with colors by using paints and brushes, you are filling up your land by growing plants in the different corners of it.
• The perspective of an artist will help you in your experimentation with the form and texture of the selected plants.

Make use of rocks

• Not only in the forms of sculptures, can rocks in their natural forms do wonders for a landscape. Just place a huge rock in the shady corner of your garden; it will serve the purpose of a seating area without interfering with its natural look and feel.
• Use the stones of different sizes to create the edging for your flower beds.
• If you happen to have a pool inside the garden, border it with rocks with different size and shapes.
• To add some fun elements, use stone structures of unusual shapes.

Brighten up the space with a series of landscape accessories

• Before adopting just any style of landscaping, make sure of the purposes you are going to use the space. Add accessories to keep with the spirit. As for example, you can consider keeping a hot tub if the space is meant for private family relaxation.
• If you are planning to use your garden for frequent outdoor parties, you can consider erecting a pole lamp and adorning it with creepers like ivy.
• In addition to that you can place a buffet table fitted with mirror; it will enhance the drama by reflecting the lighting in the evening.
• Comfortable lounge chairs and a coffee table are the must have accessories for enjoying a peaceful summer weekend in your backyard.

Always let your ideas grow and evolve; mix and match different styles, elements and concepts. Be bold in your experimentations and soon you will be full of innovative landscaping ideas of your own that inspire other landscape enthusiasts in their creation.