Landscaping Ideas - Creative Ideas From A Landscape Designer

Here are some great landscaping ideas to help you design in an artistic and professional way.

What should I plant? Where should I place them. How many should I use?

And most important, how do I create a design that will be creative and special?

I have incorporated the following landscaping ideas into many of my designs. Various areas of the landscape are discussed below. You can also go to my Site-Index page to look for detailed information on other topics, since there are many other landscape subjects covered in this site.

You might also be interested in learning about my online landscape design services.

Visit the new Landscape Design Questions & Answers section!!

Wood Edges

A wonderful design element is to place plants actually in the woods for winter interest.

You can choose Native Rhododendron. They are evergreen.They produce large white flowers and are relatively deer resistant.

You can add Daffodils for early spring color. These are deer resistant also and will come back year after year!

I then mix in ornamental trees, flowering shrubs and perennials at the wood edge for more color and interest.

The above garden by Gertrude Jekyll is a wonderful example of a colorfully edged garden.

Use three Dogwood trees, where one is

Place the middle tree back slightly, so that they do not form a straight row. Between the Dogwood, add a group of seven shrubs such as Winterberry Holly, which will give a magnificent show of red berries in the Fall and Winter.

Additional groups of shrubs would be added at the sides of the holly. One group might have pretty flowers in the spring, while another might flower in the summer, such as Hydrangeas.

You now have an interesting planting with all year round color and special features.

Remove weeds and brush at the wood edge for a minimum of 10' to 20' back and also add mulch to the first 5' to 10' feet of the woods.

Create a sharp bed edge between the woods and the lawn and it all starts to look wonderful!

I have written an entire page on Hydrangeas, including varieties and pruning information.

Designing For Fall Color

• When the Fall comes around, it's wonderful to have those exciting Fall colors in your landscape. Here are a few landscaping ideas.
• You can add trees with red, gold and purple leaves.
• Use colorful shrubs. Also add plants that produce colorful red berries.

Fall is also the time to think about planting bulbs. Spring is usually the first time we are able to enjoy color in the garden. I know, it seems so far away. But when Spring does come, you want those flowers! (Especially the bulbs.)

It is the Spring bulbs, such as Daffodils and Tulips, (there are many others) that will provide this color. Yet which ones to choose is not so easy. In addition where to plant them and how many to buy can be confusing. Ideally, you should strive for continuous spring color. Please go to my page on garden bulbs to read about some of my recommendations.

You might enjoy visiting About.com Landscaping

-- Do-it-yourself landscaping ideas. Resources include pictures, tutorials, discussion forum, articles, blog, newsletter and online landscaping courses.

Screening Techniques

There are many times when homeowners want to create privacy from a neighbor or screen an undesirable element. This can be done in a way that is not only functional, but also creative. Here are some landscaping ideas that I have used very successfully.

Screening With Evergreen Trees

• Plant evergreen trees, but stagger them to make a softer line.
• I like to use Norway Spruce, due to their dark green color and pendulous branches as they gracefully get older.
• Place ornamental trees at various points in front of the evergreen trees. The trees should have a nice feature, such as interesting bark or showy flowers so that they stand out against the evergreen trees. (For example, a pink Flowering Cherry in front of Norway Spruce looks striking.)
• Groups of shrubs and perennials can also be added to the design. When using a particular shrub, try to use at least five. As that plant shows off its special feature, it will be magnified by doing so in a mass. A group of 7 flowering pink azaleas are much more exciting than one alone.

What do you do when you don't want to block out the view completely?

Here are some landscaping ideas that I often use in my designs.Create a screen that gives a more filtered view. Instead of evergreen trees, use groups of multi stemmed trees. Multi stemmed trees have numerous smaller trunks and create a density which a tree with a single trunk does not. In between groups of these multi stemmed trees, place tall shrubs to add interest. Add perennials in large groups to the front layer.

You might also be interested in reading about Outdoor Garden Rooms, which can be private areas on your property to meander to and enjoy.

And don't forget to go to my page on 3D Landscape Design!

How do I do this? Go to 3D Garden Design to find out!



Front Foundation Plantings - Landscaping Ideas

Use the right plant for the right place. If you have a window which is 3 feet off the ground, only place plants under that window which will get no more than 3 feet at their mature size.

Try to keep mostly one kind of evergreen shrub as the background layer for unity. If you would like to add an additional variety, place this group towards the center. Example - Use a group of China Girl Blue Holly on either end of the house, with a group of Rhododendron between them.

Place lower shrubs in groups of a minimum of 3 (preferably 5 or more) in front of the taller background shrubs. Again, don't get carried away with varieties...there is strength in numbers. Use just a couple of types.

Place perennials in the front layer. Use 5 to 9 of each kind. One Daylily in bloom is ok, but 7 really make a statement! Groundcover can be used with perennials or alone for lower maintenance.

If you are confused about which flowers to choose, take a look here:
Long Blooming Perennials

Or for some very beautiful and different garden color:
Blue Flowers

Place trees at house corners and one tree near the front door. This is very welcoming. Consider shade trees in the lawn. Red Maple 'October Glory' or 'Red Sunset' will provide shade and also present a magnificent show of red color in the Fall.

Think about textures when selecting plants.

Plants will stand out when they are near another plant with a completely different texture. For example, Ornamental Grasses look nice against Blue Holly or Inkberry Holly because of the differences in the leaf shapes and patterns.

There is no reason not to create a flower garden in the front of your house. It will certainly provide color, and if designed nicely, make your landscape enchanting. Please visit my page of flower garden design.

You can learn about the different costs of paving materials, where I give guides as to what you might expect to pay.

Perhaps you want to learn about the various types of driveway designs and some ideas as to which types of driveway paving look best.

Are you thinking about installing a swimming pool? Take a look at some of my swimming pool pictures.

You can also see some of my creative 3D designs or learn about my online landscape design services.



Low Maintenance Plantings

• There are plants to choose that will help keep your landscape maintenance to a minimum.
• If you have a deer problem, use deer resistant plants.
• Make sure the mature height and width of the plants you select are what you ultimately want.
• Let shrubs grow in their natural pattern. Don't trim to a shape, unless you want a formal look, as with Boxwood.
• Consider a rain garden design in your landscaping ideas for a drainage problem solution.
• Choose perennials that have foliage that looks good throughout the season. Many late blooming perennials have this feature.

Emphasizing the driveway entry is a landscaping idea that is a very welcoming feature.

Entry piers

Hi. I’m Susan. Welcome to my landscape design advice website! All the professional advice here is free for you to enjoy and be inspired by! I work on this site from home and it earns me thousands of dollars just about every month. (Huh? How?) If you dream of having a very profitable website, click here now to learn how I made this happen. It is truly a dream come true!

Entry plantings are a nice landscaping idea, with or without piers. Sometimes I like to use ornamental trees, one on either side of the driveway. In other designs, I might introduce a group of trees, placing two trees on one side and one tree on the other side. Read more about driveway landscaping here.

Shrubs and perennials can be added or the trees can be used alone.

Another way to use trees and to make both the entry and the driveway itself stand out is to use an allee of trees. This is where the trees are placed along the driveway on both sides for most of the driveway length.

You might be interested in a good landscape design or plant book. If so, please visit my page, Garden Design Book, where I have a few recommendations and reviews. I have also written an interesting page on garden ornaments, including such things as sundial clocks and bird bath fountains. And for the very curious...I have even written a page on green roof systems which is very interesting and "green".

All of these landscaping ideas follow principles of good landscape architecture, with my own personal twist. Try using them in your landscape design and I think you will find that your garden will be above and beyond the ordinary!

	Enter your search termsSubmit search form
	Web landscape-design-advice.com

Do you have a Landscape Design question or a situation that you would like some help with? Patio design questions? Paving material confusion? Flower garden design advice? This is the place to ask! I only ask that questions be design related...thanks!

I decided to create this section due to the many questions people have regarding Landscape Design.

The idea is - Ask one, or Answer one!

You may ask a question yourself, comment on or answer questions of others, and rate comments too. All helpful comments will be greatly appreciated!

Click below to see questions and answers from other visitors...

Backyard or Community Property?! 
I built a home in a new subdivision. My backyard backs up to a pond which people often walk around. My neighbors often walk (or even ride bikes!) through ...

Help With Landscaping Around Patio 
Hi,
My son's graduation party is scheduled to be on our patio in just 3 weeks. He and my father just laid a 21' x 14' patio with red/black 16" sq. pavers....

Circle Driveway vs. Traditional--how do I know which is best 
We are considering a circle driveway for our small cape cod. Our front yard measures approx 60' from street to front door, and 50' across (including the ...

Landscape Steps At Landings 
Landscape Steps and Landings

I wish to construct a bluestone or travertine patio which will be about 25 inches below the french doors from the great ...

Backyard Nightmare 
For 15 years I have fought with my small inner city backyard in Montreal. It is very shady (huge trees in neighbor's yard),and about 25 ft wide x 60 ft ...

Small Front Yard Walkway 
We have a small front yard, about 29 feet from the public sidewalk. We live in a upscale neighborhood of old brick Victorians, but our home is more of ...

Backyard Landscape and Extending a Concrete Patio Design 
Extending a Concrete Patio Design (see reply below)

My wife and I recently purchased a Hot Tub last fall and after the winter we experienced we would ...

Extended Patio Behind House With Sloping Garden 
Question For Retaining Walls and Patio Designs - Or Other Solutions

Hi - I'm in need of some advice please. We have a standard 3-bedroom semidetached ...

Planting at Three Board Wood Fence 
Wood Fencing and Plantings
(see reply below)

I have a brick home on 5 acres with a black 3 board style pasture fence that goes along the front about ...

Privacy Plantings at Property Border 
I have several, tall maple trees in the back yard. These trees are very tall (more than 50 ft). In winter, the trees are without leaf and do not look ...

Backyard Landscaping 
We don't know what to do with out backyard landscaping. The pad on which our house sits was cut out of a hillside which is now exposed granite. It is a ...

Shady and Sloped Yard in Zone 5 
I have a very shaded, very sloped yard and I am not a green thumb or gardener. I need major help, and I am on a tight budget. How and what can I plant?...

Small Yard Deck or Pavers 
I am not quite sure what to do with this space now, after hurricane damage resulted in some lost landscaping. I am wanting to tear out this deck which ...

Landscaping Help 
We have a french style home and have not been happy with landscaping jobs at all. We spent a lot of money only to have most of the plants die. We put ...

Flower bed in front of a window 
Hi,

I have a raised flower bed in front of my front living room window, which is the big window in the front of the house (the only window). I'm upgrading ...

Landscaping A Hill 
When you are landscaping a hill, you want landscape plants that will provide good coverage. If they grow quickly, that is a plus. First know if the area is sunny or shady.

Outdoor Rooms - How to Make Them Interesting 
I have an outdoor room which is surrounded by large cream walls, gray tiles with a cream fleck & a shade cloth over head. There is no room for plantings,...

Landscaping in Front of Woods 
I have two very long beds which back up to the woods. One bed is on the right side of the pool and the other is on the left. I need ideas on what and how ...

Raised Patio for House Extension 
I am currently building a kitchen extension. However, my garden is significantly higher than the kitchen and I need to design a patio/decking or walkway ...

Front Yard Landscape 
What are some front yard landscape ideas that I can use? Should Iuse evergreen shrubs, flowering perennials, flowering trees? How should I arrange them?

Fence Plantings 
We are about to move into a new home that has a garage on the right side that is connected, but just out about 18 ft farther than the left side of the ...

Backyard Help 
Well, I have let my backyard go. Not some but totally let it go. I feel awful about it but what is done is done. Where grass once was is now nothing ...

Florida Sidewalk 
Hello!
We have been trying to create a low maintenance, cost effective and beautiful landscape design for our front sidewalk. Its at a 110 degree angle,...

Creating a Level Area 
Hi. I am in need of help.

I have recently purchased a property with an unusual back garden and would be very grateful for some advise. The garden is ...

Landscaping For Large Country Acres 
I live in the country on 6 acres of land. The problem is that there is no landscaping on our property. The land used to be farm ground, and there is not ...

Tree at Door 
What kind of tree did you plant next to the door? I would like to plant one , but don't know what kind I should plant.
Thanks.

Trellis and Vine Ideas 
I live in Zone 5 in Ontario, Canada. I am looking for ideas for trellises and vines to put between myself and my neighbor. There is not a great deal ...

Front Yard paver sitting area 
We are putting in a paver sidewalk and want to add a sitting area as well. Our house is a small ranch that faces west.

I have a garden area to the ...

Large Retaining Wall Landscaping 
I have a back wall running the entire length of the house 11 feet high. There is 8 feet of space to make lower walls and design a landscape. HELP! All ...

Front Yard Landscape 
I have a two story brick home. It is a flat front with three steps to the front door. We just recently removed the overgrown shrubs and there are no ...

Poolside Plants 
What combination of shrubs and perennials would you recommend for full sun beds around a pool in Maine?

Landscape Tree Ideas 

I have a ranch home and I wanted to plant some small trees or small to med. pine trees in a few spots but I don't know what would look good. I ...

Pyrus calleryana 'Aristocrat' / Zelkova serrata 'Village Green' 
I purchased these two trees and I think I may have made a mistake on what I wanted. I have a small front yard with a beautiful view of the east foothill ...

Blending Retaining Walls and Fencing 
We just put a retaining wall in front of our house, but on the side of the house we have a chain link fence. How do we blend together a fence on the side ...

Swimming Pool Flowers | Sun 
What type of flowers can withstand direct sun around a pool area?

Creating Privacy From the Road 
I have four Maple Trees (two red and two green) planted 10 feet apart in a straight line in front of my house at the end of the lawn near the road.

What ...

Circular Driveway Planting Design 
We are going to have a teardrop area in a "circular" driveway and need design ideas. We have a very large 2-story house that is behind the driveway, so ...

Concrete Or Vinyl Pool 
Hi Susan,

What a great website!!! I loved exploring it. I wonder if you would share a bit of your expertise with me?

I live in a condo complex ...

Shady Grass Areas 
In front of my house there is a sidewalk and a large tree. One half of my lawn between the sidewalk and drive is too shady for grass and on the other side ...

Landscaping Along A Fence 
Susan,
I was wondering if you could make some suggestions on how to spruce up my backyard with some landscaping beds that include low maintenance shrubs ...

Landscape Trees - Grouping 
I would like some advice on how to plant 3 Dogwood Trees together in a grouping at the corner of my house. How close do I plant them and how do I connect ...

Leyland Cypress and Shrubs 
Hello,

I recently planted four Leyland Cypress trees alongside my driveway for a lush and estate style privacy appearance. The four Leyland Cypress ...

Retaining Wall Safety 
We have an under garage and two 7 foot large boulder type retaining walls, one to each side of the garage. We also have a 4 yr old and a 2 yr old, and ...

Need Help with Landscape Ideas 
I have a house with a retaining wall in the front yard and I have no clue how to add curb appeal to the home. Right now the grass in the front is pretty ...

Accent Shrub for Shamrock Inkberry 
I am re-doing the front landscape...Finally! I removed a not-so-dwarf Alberta Spruce and two Yews. After much looking, I think I want to go with the ...

backyard bird feeders 
Could you please give me suggestions for creating a backyard lawn island, perhaps raised, to accommodate bird feeders and/or bird baths? I would like to ...

Parking on Concrete Pavers 
I was told that concrete pavers can "sink" if you park on them every day - and that you still get weeds (one of the things I am trying to get away from)...

Replacing Pool Coping With Concrete Pavers 
We have a vinyl liner pool with cantilever coping. The pool is 30 yrs old but has a new liner. We want to install pavers all the way to the edge of the ...

Backyard Landscaping Help 
Hi Susan,
I'll try to make this as short as possible. I live in Ohio and have a yard that is in desperate need of work. Besides wanting to save some ...

Yard too tailored! 
We are moving into a new home soon. The backyard, while enticing, is too tailored. We have a gorgeous view from the deck to the west, north, and east and ...

Landscaping for the country yard 
Nice site Susan.

Our dilemma is this. We have too much space!

We have a large several acre area around our home, and our problem is that it is difficult ...

Courtyard Driveways 
We have a modest house (2600 sq. ft.) that is on a long narrow lot. The only solution seems to be a courtyard drive. What would you suggest as a focal ...

Defining My Backyard Without Obstructing the View 
From our back porch we look out over the back pasture and enjoy watching the goats and an occasional deer. However, our backyard landscaping is pretty ...

Triangle Planting Bed 
I have a triangle area about 6'x6'x6'....Please help me design this area... looking for inexpensive and low maintenance for full sunlight in southern NC....

Using Fake Grass | Rabbit Solutions! 
I have a backyard that's always being eaten by rabbits. The grass looks terrible. Is it a good idea to put fake grass there? I was just wondering if anyone ...

Brick Pool Coping Choice 
I have a 30 by 50 foot in-ground concrete and plaster pool we installed ourselves on top of a mountaintop in WV. Is there any brick coping that will not ...

water runoff on north side slope next to house.  Not rated yet
We have a walkout basement. On the north side is a 12' long slope. We have built a retaining wall on the north side of the walkout basement. We build ...

Flowering Perennials and Sunny Conditions  Not rated yet
My house faces Northwest. I am in St. Louis. One side of the front gets about 5-6 hours of sun. I am tearing out 20 year old yews and overgrown hollies,...

Landscape Tree Advice For A Small Front Yard  Not rated yet
What is the best type of landscape tree to use in a front yard landscape design? The yard is approx 1000 sq ft. We want to utilize about a 1/4 of the yard ...

DECORATING AROUND THE OAK TREE  Not rated yet
HOW DO YOU LANDSCAPE AROUND AN OAK TREE, BECAUSE GRASS DOESN'T GROW NO MATTER HOW MUCH I WATER IT, I NEED IDEAS!!!

ANSWER

You might consider mulching ...

Landscape Drainage 
Landscape drainage can be a problem but there are solutions. Drainage pipe, a swale, or landscape drains are all possible answers.

Walkway Material and Ideas  Not rated yet
Regarding Walkway Material and Ideas

We have built a new house and are starting from scratch with landscaping, walkways, drives, etc. The house is ...

Hiding a Telephone Box on a Sloped Yard  Not rated yet
I live in an HOA. I only have about 20' in length of yard, and it has a 4' slope with a telephone box at property line. It's like right in my face. I have ...

corner picket fence  Not rated yet
I just put a corner picket fence on each side of the driveway entrance. Looking for suggestions on what to plant in front of the fence, I was thinking ...

Front Yard Tree Planting Locations, Planting Beds and Landscape Drainage  Not rated yet
I live in Houston, TX and I have a very rough basic front yard with mostly grass. I have 2 Nutall Oak trees on order to be planted in a week.

Challenge ...

Brick Wall Along a Slope For Plants  Not rated yet
I am trying to figure how to build a brick wall for flowers along the sloping side wall of the house. I would appreciate any ideas you have.

ANSWER ...

Evergreen Trees - What to Plant Under My Spruce  Not rated yet
I have 2 huge evergreen Spruce trees in my front yard and nothing grows there. The lawn is so sparse that we hardly ever mow it.

I'd like to plant ...

Help I am a landscaper doing my first pool side bed  Not rated yet
I live in Columbia sc and have got my first design for a square bed about 50x20 foot down hill slope. What are good plants to plant????

ANSWER
1....

how do i go about landscape design for L shaped lot  Not rated yet
My husband and I just moved into our new home in December '08, and my back yard is actually a side yard. I don't know what to do with it.

Answer

It ...

Driveway Plantings  Not rated yet
We have a narrow and deep circular driveway in the front of the house. In the center of the driveway, we have about a 30 foot long narrow patch for landscaping....

Fallen Tree In Yard  Not rated yet
Massive fallen oak tree
We have in our yard a part part of a fallen oak tree with a trunk diameter of 5 feet, a width of 8 1/2 feet (where parts of ...

Plants with Evergreens Shrubs  Not rated yet
We have some evergreen shrubs in the front of the house, but there is no color. I would like to add to these plantings and have it look more colorful and ...

Bluestone Walkway Concrete or Dry Laid  Not rated yet
My question is about dry laid and wet laid bluestone walkways. We are getting estimates and have been told that having cement under the bluestone will ...

Bluestone Over Concrete  Not rated yet
We have a roof covered patio on the back of our house, built c. 1950.
The floor consists of 3 sections of cement (with strips of wood in
between each ...

Swimming Pool Bullnose Coping  Not rated yet
How is bullnose coping that is not mortared attached and held in place to a vinyl liner pool with a paver deck? If the bullnose hangs off a little into ...

Updating a Ranch style Home   Not rated yet
Hi,
My mother has a great ranch style home on the corner of her neighborhood. Her home is newly renovated but the outside isn't. Her home has large ornate ...

Return From Landscaping Ideas to Home Page