When you get a good home, this is essentially where you will spend the rest of your lifetime. Most people focus on decorating the interior of the house and tend to care less about the outside. What we don’t know is that an underlying landscape can be recreated into a stunning outdoor haven. You can actually make your outdoors as beautiful as the indoors with Calgary landscaping. As a matter of fact, there is a plethora of landscaping ideas and styles that you can use for your home. With that said, I decided to settle on three landscape design styles that I think will make your home stunning and add an incredible curb appeal.
Rustic landscape designs
Whether you are living in a city, suburban or out in the countryside, a rustic themed landscape focuses more on reflecting the natural surroundings of a home. It gives the entire home a relaxed and warm feel. Mostly, the style of any landscape is determined by several factors, such as personal preferences and some environmental considerations. However, what makes an intricate landscape is attention to detail. A rustic landscape design is meant to bring the authenticity of living in the country right there in your home regardless of your location.
If you are looking into going for the rustic landscaping, there are some elements of this design that you have to consider. Keep in mind; it’s a landscape design that is more of naturalistic. These are the elements that largely contribute to that rustic appearance;
Natural stone patio
In any outdoor living space, the texture is very important. Therefore, using natural stones for your patio will better enhance the rustic theme. The good news is that there are very many choices of natural stones that you can choose from. They also come in different colours. The stones popularly used include quartzite, bluestone, slate and flagstone. Now each one of these stones is unique in its own way, but the only common thing with all-natural stones is the rugged and authentic feel much needed for a rustic appearance. You can lay them on the floors or walls depending on the kind of look you want.
Stone slab steps
Stone slab steps are ideal for those people who have decided to go for an all-natural landscape. There is always beauty in simplicity, and that’s what this design is about. Basically, stone slab steps are landscape stairs made out of a solid rock. These slabs of rock are usually flattened and locked into position using cement. An added advantage of using this kind of design is the fact that it assures you of durability. They last longer than the concrete steps and will be able to withstand the harsh environmental elements.
Outdoor fireplace
When you think of rustic, one of the things that should come into your mind is people sitting outside close to a fire. That’s why I give an outdoor fireplace a heads up. There is just so much personality that this can add to your entire outdoor living space. Stacked stone is especially a great option because of its rich texture. Many of the features in your rustic landscape will include warm, organic colours and textures. A stacked stone outdoor fireplace will complement such designs.
Rock features
The thing about rock features is that they will never disappoint. It’s one of the element s of this design that will still look gorgeous even years later. For instance, you can opt for a waterfall cascading over a bed of large stones. There are other ways to go about it, such as using beautiful rocks as fillers for the plant beds. You can never go wrong with rick features because there are many options available.
Modern landscape designs
The modern landscape designs are the complete opposite of the rustic design. It’s characterized by clean, sophisticated and neat landscape appearances. Many people would like their homes to reflect the age and century we are living in. This is where the idea of modern landscaping gets its inspiration. Moving on swiftly, there are several notable elements of modern outdoor living spaces;
Water features
Modern landscaping is never complete without the water features. They don’t just add texture and a sophisticated feel to the outdoors, but they are also relaxation points. There is a calming effect that is associated with the sound and movement of water. Some of the water features include ponds, swimming pool and waterfall.
Entertaining area
Because most people have a busy lifestyle, an entertaining area on the outdoors is a must. People just want somewhere they can hang out with friends or family on a weekend as they enjoy some fresh air. This is the reason why many modern landscapes feature a deck, patio or pergola for the purposes of entertainment. Some people even decide to have an outdoor kitchen or barbeque.
Low maintenance plants
One thing you will easily notice about the modern landscapes is the fact that they have very few plants and the lawn is either minimal or not included. This is because it’s understandable that the modern lifestyle is a busy one and people have very little time to care for plants. Contemporary landscaping leans towards low maintenance and drought-tolerant plants such as native grasses. This reduces the amount of time required for tasks such as weeding and pruning.
Subdued tone
This is another cornerstone of this type of design. Modern landscaping in Calgary focuses on mainly the tone and texture. For instance, variation in tone is usually subtle and thoughtful. An experienced designer will never clash colours in a disorganized and riotous manner.
Groundcover
With this design, several people opt to eliminate the epitome of a traditional landscape which is a blossoming, green lawn. Instead, they prefer to use paving stones and some groundcover. Additionally, this can be done in a variety of ways. One of them is using the ornamental grasses to surround the stones. They basically act like ‘duct tape’. These grasses don’t just fill the gaps left behind by the stones, but they also create some sort of a balance between the soft and the hard edges. Popular ornamental grasses include feather reed grass, Japanese forest grass and dwarf mondo grass.
Geometry
Geometry is everything in modern landscape design. Among the characteristics of contemporary landscaping includes clean-cut lines and bold shapes. Triangles, squares, circles and rectangles are all shapes that are used in designing patios, decks, paths and flower beds.
Xeriscape landscape designs
Xeriscape landscaping can also be referred to as dry-scape. Basically, this is landscaping that is aimed at water conservation. This means that you will be using less water on your landscape. With that said, you may be wondering how to go about it. The good thing about this design is that you are provided with interesting options that will help you save more water than you will be using.
The plants
The term xeriscape is used when describing a landscape that requires very little watering. The plants in your garden are what will determine the amount of water needed to grow and maintain them. An increasing number of regions in the world are now urging people to be more sensitive towards water conservation. When living in areas that experience long periods of drought, then drought-resistant plants are the best option for you. Additionally, there is a wide variety of native vegetation that is already well adapted to surviving on the local rainfall received in the area. This eliminates the need for irrigation and maintenance.
Irrigation
Another important component of a xeriscape landscape design in Calgary is the mode of irrigation. In some regions, irrigation is important if you want to maintain a lush, green landscape. However, this does not mean that you have to use lots of water. The trick here is low-pressure systems. They work to deliver water right at the roots where it’s needed the most and nowhere else.
A good example of a low-pressure irrigation system is drip irrigation. Small amounts of water are channelled deep into the soil. This means that the roots have to venture deeper into the soil in order to take in this moisture. After a period of time, the roots will be well established to sustain the plant.
Mulch
We cannot talk about xeriscape landscaping without mentioning mulch. Mulch is organic material that is spread over the ground to make the conditions more favourable for the healthy growth of the plants. There are a plethora of benefits associated with its usage. For starters, it prevents the moisture on top of the soil from evaporating. Look at it this way; when moisture on the surface of the soil is left unprotected, chances are it will evaporate even before the roots can absorb it. Inadequate moisture in the plant will cause it to wither and die. Another key role of the mulch is preventing the growth of weeds.
Each region has its own type of mulch suitable for the gardens within that particular area. This allows the gardens to blend in with the surroundings. If you have any questions about landscaping designs in Calgary, please contact our experts today.