Lawns are often the central and largest functional feature in most landscapes and gardens. Their design and layout contribute significantly to the outdoor look and feel. When planning your lawn, you don't have to go with the traditional design that takes a lot of time to be mowed, weeded, fertilized, and watered. Think about creating an attractive and functional lawn that will be easier to maintain while retaining its curb appeal. To achieve this, here are some useful tips.
Give your lawn shape
Shaping a lawn is a step that should be undertaken during the planning stage. You can sketch out an outline of how you want it to look, feel and relate to the rest of your home's exterior. Consider the following questions as you create a design:
- Do you want the garden to look formal or informal?
- Do you need a dining space or play area for kids? If so, how will you connect these areas together?
- Does your desired style complement the rest of the garden?
Once you get these questions figured out, you can sketch your desired look. You should start creating the space physically only after you are happy with your design. Avoid planting beds before shaping your lawn. Once the plants grow, the shape of the bed becomes unnoticeable. Instead, shape your lawn first and all other parts outside of it will become the beds for flowering shrubs and perennials.
Think beyond rectangular-shaped lawns
Who said that all gardens have to take on a rectangular shape? Designing attractive outdoor space calls for creativity and going beyond the norm. Instead of a large dull rectangular lawn space that will take up lots of your time and money maintaining, design planting beds that will complement the open green space.
You can create the beds in such a way that they push into the lawn space. Doing so will reduce the amount of high-maintenance grass area while giving your lawn color and texture from the various flowers and shrubs. You will be surprised that the beds will make your lawn look bigger than it is!
Plan access to garden features
Once you've got your lawn shape and design figured out, think about how people will access important features such as playgrounds, dining areas, sheds, trash cans, and compost heaps. Remember, lawns can get muddy in the winter, making it difficult to access some areas. Installing paths from hard surface flooring options or stepping stones that lead to these features can be a cheaper and attractive option.
Designing your lawn is a chance to create an appealing and relaxing exterior for your home. The key thing is being creative and experimental. With these tips, you can transform your lawn into an attractive and functional space.
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