Do you wish your flat property had more dimension? There are ways to make it “pop” even if it feels two-dimensional. Here is how a landscaper adds interest to flat properties with inspired landscaping in Hollis, NH.
Related: LANDSCAPE DESIGN IDEAS FOR HOMES WITH A VIEW IN HOLLIS NH
Careful placement of hardscape and softscape elements can make all the difference. For example, many people will put a paver patio right outside their back door (for convenience); beyond the patio, they’ll have an expanse of lawn; and then, on the outer perimeter, some shrubs and trees. This is a common method but it’s also boring.
Consider creating some functional layers throughout the landscape, and don’t make these layers uniform or predictable.
For example: as you exit your back door onto the patio, you’re on a flat surface. A landscaper could add visual interest on the patio with a fire pit surrounded in a masonry seat wall that flows in a near-semicircle around the fire. This seat wall can have a back, or no back, as you prefer. This arrangement creates vertical interest on the patio.
Moving outward, a landscaper could use a combination of softscapes that “touch” the patio in unexpected ways. For example if you were moving in a clockwise direction, there could be a small planting area with shrubs; then, a section lawn immediately adjacent to the patio where you access the backyard; nex, a few decorative boulders with ground covers, ornamental grasses and a few perennials sprinkled between them; then, another snippet of lawn touching the patio; next to that, a few mid-sized fruit trees such as apple; and finally, another small plant bed filled with perennials and smaller shrubs.
Beyond this intermediate transitional zone - which is rich with a variety of vertical dimensions - there could be an expanse of lawn. Unless you have kids and need an area for them to play games, this lawn could have a few trees placed strategically to add dimension to this flat space, and to offer a bit of shade and fall color.
The outer perimeter depends on the situation. If you have neighbors close by and need privacy, consider a combination of living walls and wooden privacy fencing to prevent you from feeling walled in, simply because this approach has more variety. On the living wall sections, stagger the trees or shrubs so that they’re not all lined up but rather give the illusion of entering a forest. Add some shorter flowering plants in these outer areas for added color and dimension.
Landscapers will take advantage of views by leaving that area completely open so that the view becomes part of your immediate surroundings.
Landscapers also use retaining or seat walls and raised masonry planters to add interest at the front entry: the seat wall helps create a transition from the home to the landscape and guides visitors to the front door. Masonry planters in this area are a great opportunity to introduce seasonal color. Taking the same layered approach in the front yard will do away with the average cookie-cutter “front walkway leading to two steps up, flanked on either side by shrubs.”
Landscapers could use a Japanese design approach known as miegakure, or “hide and reveal.” Special features or focal points are partially obscured, offering just enough of a peek to entice people to want to see what’s there.
Finally, a landscaper can build up areas of the property to create undulations in the landscape that can be grassy knolls, rock gardens, or a place to put a special piece of art.
Related: HOW A LANDSCAPER CAN SIMPLIFY YOUR OUTDOOR LIVING IN HOLLIS AND AMHERST, NH AREAS
