To successfully complete your Lebanon County, PA landscape project, there are several essential elements that should be implemented. The following design essentials will ensure that your landscape establishes itself as a high quality and attractive design with a resilient softscape and durable hardscape that will serve you and your family for years.
A Great Design Plan
When creating your landscape, the first thing you’ll need is a great design plan. Hiring a landscaping contractor that you can trust is fundamental to this if you want to ensure that quality work is done on your landscape. Your landscape is a long-term investment that adds to your curb appeal, and increases the value of your home. Therefore, hiring a professional that has the necessary knowledge and expertise is essential. This contractor will also be able to assist you in the design of your outdoor spaces. As a starting point, an analysis of your site, drainage methods, soil quality, and existing vegetation will be conducted.
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While creating the design, determine the overarching style or theme that you’d like to incorporate into your landscape - this style should match, or at least complement your home. Your landscape contractor will help you to establish the pattern, shape, texture, and color schemes at an early stage.
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Shape and Form Themes
Shape and form themes establish the recurring shape and form of elements in your landscape. A landscape with an organic or natural shape theme, for example, will consist of loose curves and meandering lines that contribute a more relaxed feel to a landscape. Geometric shape and form themes are popular with traditional or formal designs and include more straight lines, right angles and rectangular shapes in the layout of walkways, patios, driveways, plant beds and other hardscape and softscape elements. Of course, sweeping curves can always be added to a geometric shape or form theme in order to soften its appearance. The choice between a natural or geometric form theme will also guide the selection of plants and the design of three dimensional structures, such as retaining walls, outdoor fireplaces and permanent seating.
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Color
In both your hardscape and softscape, color determines the mood of the setting. Although you may be tempted to cram your plant beds full of as many different color flowers as possible, a more balanced, and impactful strategy is to select about three main colors that repeat throughout your landscape. The same applies to your hardscape. Accents that correspond between the two can be used to create a unified design that ties both the home and landscape.
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Texture
Texture is included in a landscape in a number of different ways, ranging from the foliage of plants, and the bark of specific trees, to the materials used to pave your patios and walkways. Each of these lends a certain character to your landscape. In order to create maximum effect, a balanced variety of coarse and fine textures is recommended. This can be done in various ways - by including a selection of large and small leafed shrubs in your plant beds, or bordering a fine-grained paver with one of rich, deep texture.
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Focal Points
Focal points create attractions in various sections of your landscape. A water feature, for example, can be added to an otherwise static area of your yard in order to draw the eye and create movement. Fire features make excellent focal points for patios or seating areas and, if built using quality materials, will retain their attractive quality even when not in use.
