Houp Landscaping – Enhancing Nature's BeautyElements of a Great Outdoor Space
Whether your lawn is large and spacious or small and cozy, your backyard is meant to be a retreat from the everyday hustle and bustle. This area of your home is a place where you can get out and enjoy the outdoors with your family and friends by the warmth of a fire pit or to listen to a beautiful water feature. To create the perfect backyard haven, there are a lot of ideas you can go with to make it beautiful and functional for entertaining.
Fire pits: Fire pits tend to become the focal point when added to a patio. It is a place for family and friends to gather and enjoy time together. Fire pits extend the use of your patio area from early spring into late fall and can be constructed out of natural stone or wall block that can burn wood or gas.
Landscape Lighting: Bring a little ambiance to your backyard space with outdoor lighting. Landscape lighting adds an element of warmth and safety to your living space. Lighting is also functional as it allows you to expand the use of your patio into the evenings. Lights can be incorporated into steps and seating walls or along the perimeter of your patio. Added elegance can also be achieved by lighting your shrubs, trees and home.
Water Features: If you enjoy the relaxing sound of water but do not want the maintenance that comes along with a pond, consider adding a fountain or bubbling rock. Water features provide interest to your typical lawn, immediately creating your own private oasis as well as offer peace and solace after a hard day of work. Fountains also attract birds to your landscape.
Seating Walls: Walls often serve the dual purpose of retaining ground, as well as adding seating space to your patio area. In addition to providing a place to sit, seating walls can act as functional design elements to define the space itself. Whether you need to control the slope of your yard or are just looking for a way to define the transition from one outdoor room to the next, a seating wall may be the design solution to your seating needs. They also provide year-round seating for times when your patio furniture may still be tucked away.
Built-In Grill: For the grill enthusiast, incorporate a built-in grill area. The built-in can be designed to simply secure your grill or enlarged to have additional counter space and side burners. Adding a built-in grill will keep the party going and ideal for your barbecues!
Hardscape: Get creative with your hardscape. There are many materials available to incorporate paths, patios, and walls into your outdoor space. This can be an addition to your typical “landscaping,” which includes natural plants and features. With the right hardscape elements, you can bring your own style to the outdoor space
Entertaining in your yard is just a great way to bring people together on a personal level. If your lifestyle includes kids, family time and friends, we can help transform your backyard into a fun space to keep everyone entertained and occupied.
Our goal at Houp Landscaping is to design and build custom spaces that not only look fabulous but are used by homeowners, enhancing their outdoor living experience. Contact the experts at HOUP Landscaping TODAY!
Browse our Pinterest boards for more landscaping ideas this season!
Stone or Concrete – Which is the best choice for your landscape?
Homeowners have many choices when it comes to integrating stone into their landscape. Natural stone and concrete products can be used independently or blended together. Understanding your options and knowing the overall goal will help you select the products match your needs, looks, and functions.
Incorporating natural stone into your landscape design is an organic way to bring natural beauty to your yard. Natural stone products can create many diverse looks. River rock are an excellent choice for creating garden paths and are beneficial to use as a ground cover in areas that may have issues with drainage. The stones come in a variety of colors and sizes and will add visual interest to your landscape. Boulders can play a significant role in enhancing curb appeal, adding focal points and texture to the landscape. They can also be used to help retain ground in areas that may not be suitable for a wall. Natural stone walls give the full gratification of texture and color to your landscape.
There are many stunning concrete options that can be integrated into your landscape, which include products that can be used for steps, walls, and patios. Concrete products are manufactured in a variety of colors, textures, shapes and sizes. Some concrete products are now designed to mimic the look of natural stone or wood. A benefit of concrete material is that it can provide uniformity, which is ideal when working with surfaces that need to be consistent, such as steps.
Whether you’re considering a patio, stepping stones, walls, ground-cover or other uses for natural stone or concrete products, our landscaping experts can set you on the right path. Enhance your space with the help of our specialists at Houp Landscaping. Contact us TODAY!
Browse our Pinterest boards for more landscaping ideas this season!
Outdoor Living – Patios
The patio is the living area in the landscape. We choose the best materials to complement the style of the home and garden while making a functional space. Pathways throughout the landscape help to create a relaxing and peaceful flow from one area to the next. From the yard to the patio to the front of the home, beautiful paths are essential to creating a landscape with harmony and continuity.
At Houp Landscaping, we consider all aspects of the landscape and create an outdoor living area that is both functional and beautiful.
Paver patios add value to your home by increasing the livable space. However, there are several things that should be considered before installing a patio to ensure the best functional outdoor living space for your home.
Begin by looking at the layout of your property and determining your overall goal. Take some time and consider the following:
1) How often do you entertain and how many people? Do you want a cozy space for two or a larger area for extended family? Patios can be designed for small and large spaces.
2) Pick a design that it not only fits your needs, but also your homes architectural style. Choose a shape that allows for the most usable space and that ties in smoothly with other features, such as landscape beds.
3) Select pavers that compliment your home. Pavers come in a variety of styles and colors and can be mixed to create a unique look.
3) Consider incorporating special features into the layout such as landscape lighting, seating walls, fire pits, and water features.
4) Where should the patio pitch to shed water? It is important to pitch the patio correctly so water is moved away from your home. A permeable pavement application is another option to assist with water movement.
5) Integrate pathways into your design to allow for traffic flow from one area to another. Pathways can be created using pavers or large stepping stones.
6) Do research and make a list of the features and designs that you like. There are many resources available, such as Pinterest and a variety of home and garden magazines.
7) Talk to a professional. Before you invest in your patio, you need to carefully consider all design and construction aspects of the project. A professional installer can provide the expertise and resources needed to ensure you have a well-planned patio.
If you are planning on adding an outdoor living space to your home, let the experienced team of skilled designers and craftsman at Houp Landscaping help you make your ideas a reality. Contact us TODAY!
Browse our Pinterest boards for more landscaping ideas this season!
Privacy with Plants
If you need privacy in your yard, but don’t want to deal with the hassle of installing a fence, plants are a great alternative! There’s a great selection of trees, shrubs, and vines that can help you turn your property into a secluded retreat.
Check out these landscaping ideas for creating the perfect getaway in your very own backyard.
- Hedges: A hedge is created by planting a single plant specimen in a row. Popular varieties to use include arborvitae and privet.
- Staggered Rows of Trees or Shrubs: Install trees (or shrubs) in 2 or 3 rows. When planting keep in mind mature size and space accordingly. Stagger or offset the trees so when plants reach maturity the gaps between the rows are filled in.
- Layered or Mixed Planting Beds: Create a natural look by installing planting beds that incorporate a variety of trees and shrubs of various heights. Use a variety of evergreen and deciduous plants to create interest. Cluster plants in groups (odd numbers work best). Incorporate grasses and perennials for added textures and colors.
- Single Specimen: There are situations when a single specimen (tree or shrub) may be all that is needed to block a view or give privacy. Proper placement is key in this type of situation. Move the plant around and look at it from all directions to ensure the desired results.
Things to consider when selecting plants to create privacy:
- Determine your overall goal. Do you want complete privacy or only to block the neighbor’s garage?
- Choose plants that are suitable for the area. What is the growing zone? Is the area in full sun or shade? Are the plants going to be in areas that get high winds? Putting the wrong plant in the wrong place can be detrimental to that plant’s health.
- Choose larger specimens. This will help create the privacy that you are seeking sooner.
- The overall maintenance of the plants and landscape beds. Most plant material will require trimming throughout the season to keep the desired growth habit of the plant. Landscape beds will need weeding and mulching. If taking on these tasks yourself, be realistic in the time that is needed to maintain.
With proper plant selection and layout, you can create the privacy you desire, while also creating yearlong interest for your landscape. Browse our Pinterest boards for more landscaping ideas this season!
If you’re interested in learning more about how plants and shrubs can enhance the security and privacy of your property, get in touch with us today!
Freshen Up Your Spring Landscape
Spring cleaning doesn’t just apply to the inside of your home. There are steps you can take to get your landscaping looking its best this season. Let’s start with the basics…
Pruning
After a long, cold winter, you likely have some plants with branches that are brown and dead. It’s time to get rid of those branches. Cutting them off promotes strong growth in the rest of the plant.
Say goodbye to leaves and debris
Months of snow and rain have probably left leaves and debris all over your property. Much of it will be easy to spot, but some will be harder to get rid of. Be sure the check under larger shrubs. Consider using a leaf blower to get leaves and debris out of harder-to-reach areas.
Plants
Replace or add plants to create interest in your landscape. Grasses are a great way to add texture to your landscape. Perennials come in various shapes, sizes and colors and are a nice way to add season long color to your landscape.
Edge your plant beds
This gives your landscape a crisp, clean, refreshed look for the season and one of the most crucial parts of your spring cleanup.
Put down new mulch
Spring is the perfect time to put down new mulch around your flower beds and trees. It helps your soil retain moisture, decreases runoff and reduce weeds.
Lighting Maintenance
If your landscape already has lighting, check that bulbs are snugly screwed in and that all fixtures are working appropriately. Remove any debris and clean the fixtures so they will shine as brightly as possible.
Clean Water Features
Spring is a great time to clean and invest in your water features. Fountains are relatively low maintenance and are a nice way to add the relaxing sound of water. Plus, if you enjoy bird watching, fountains are a great way to attract the song birds to your backyard!
Plants & Planters
Let’s not forget about brightening up your front porch or backyard patio by adding some container plantings. Mix and match colors and plant heights to give added interest. Plant now and make the most of your outdoor haven this season.
