General Info

The designing differences in the landscape for your backyard as. the front are really a function of the use of those spaces. Most people go for a formal appearance in the front yard and a more relaxed setting for the backyard. This makes sense as the front is the entry to your home, while the back is used for more leisure time and recreational activities.

For your front yard, begin by walking across the street, turning around and looking at your house. Consider it's appearance in relation to your neighbors. Look for curb appeal. Do you like the effect your home's landscaping has on the overall appearance? Is it too dramatic or perhaps not dramatic enough for your tastes? There are some simple things you can do to change the impact your front yard has on visitors to your home.

Make sure that there is easy access to your front door. Walk ways may be lined with border plants, but they should not spill over their edges and create obstacles. Many front landscapes create little garden areas that draw the eye by providing height or a flash of color or texture to the landscape. Easy to maintain plants that will fill in under trees, like pakasandra, are an excellent choice for shaded areas that need a polished look. They stay green through the winter, providing a little color in what may otherwise be a stark winter scene

Be sure to install plenty of lighting to illuminate the front walkway. This makes your home inviting to guests, at the same time it discourages theft. A well lit entryway makes your visitors feel welcome.

The backyard, the story is a little different. While good lighting is still important, the reasons are connected to the differences of the front as. the back. Many people like to use their backyards for entertaining into the evening hours. Good lighting helps extend the time that this area can be used safely and easily.

While we want our visitors to feel welcomed are comfortable in the backyard, landscaping here is usually more casual, to emulate the activities that may take place in the yard. Your backyard may be host to impromptu baseball or volleyball games, or even that annual Thanksgiving football game! Be sure to incorporate "play" space into the design to accommodate these activities.

Whether you are focusing on the front or the back, the differences in design should not be so great as to disconnect one area from the other. Continue some design elements from one space to the other so that they feel like part of the same property. Moving from the front to the back should feel like moving into a new room of the same house, as opposed to a different neighborhood!