Exterior Design & Landscaping

Low-Budget Landscaping

• Dramatic exterior design is possible even on a limited budget. For example, you can put up a trellis or weatherproof fence, then add vines and climbing plants. Make this functional by situating it as a privacy barrier between you and your neighbor, or bring out the colors of your house by placing it up against your home.

Low-Maintenance Landscaping

• Ground cover and ornamental grasses require much less maintenance than a standard lawn does. An exterior design in the Asian style could include items like black mondo grass and dwarf mondo grass as well as bamboo.Or you could create a landscaped meadow using plants like tufted hair grass, large blue fescue and fountain grass.

Greenhouse

• If yard space is limited but you still want to make a showy impact that focuses on the design of your exterior, think about adding a small greenhouse attached to the house. Add a little flair to this construction by laying down a paved path from your door to the greenhouse. You can arrange a brick path in various patterns, or you can enhance the mood of the design by going with paver material like cobblestones or flagstones.

Landscaping on a Slope

• Landscaping design on sloping ground can benefit both functionally and decoratively from a dry stone wall. You can make it a garden wall in which rock plants fit inside the small openings between the stones. Make sure that the soil behind your wall is tamped firmly in place as you put down each successive level of stones to prevent the wall from collapsing after heavy rainfall.

Exterior Lighting Design

• Exterior lighting allows you to enjoy your landscaping even after dark. For functional lighting along a pathway, use low-profile flare lights or edge lights. A spotlight placed high up a tree can create a moonglow effect on the plants below. Placing a brightly illuminated light behind a focal object in your landscape design can produce a striking silhouette effect. Place a small up-lighting fixture in front of each tree that lines a walkway to produce highlights and shadows beneath branches and leaves.