Creating a landscape plan for your new home and investing in appropriately selected shrubs and trees can transform an ordinary looking house into one with character and distinction.
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If you’re making over an existing home’s landscaping with mature plantings you will certainly want to make changes, removing and replanting elements of the landscape design. If your home is newly built, you have the opportunity to start from scratch to create and mold your landscaping.
Background and house framing
While it would be preferable to have a natural background to your house, it is possible to arrange a background of quickly growing trees such as Silver Maple, Poplar, or Blue Spruce. If the lot is large enough, frame your house at both ends with a planting of trees and ornamental shrubs. Often this looks better if the plantings are brought a little forward of the house line.
Choice of trees
In choosing trees to be planted near your house, select specimens that create variety in the outline. Plant pyramidal trees when the general architecture of the building is horizontal, and fat, spreading trees when the building lines are more perpendicular.
Foundation plantings
The house should blend into the landscape with no sharp line of separation. Start by planting some concealing greens around the base. The top outline of the base plantings should be irregular and “curvy.” It should extend beyond the corners of the house and emphasize the front entrance.
Draw up a schedule of landscape improvements. Take care of the essentials first; get a general plan in mind and leave space to add what is needed over time to complete your design. If you are comfortable using a computer, there are a variety of easy to use programs available to help you with your landscape plan.
Selecting plantings that do the most for your home will mean you are steadily improving its appearance and value.