Landscaping a beautiful home is like framing a treasured painting. Do it wrong and you have a mismatched, almost overpowering, visual. Do it right, however, and the two harmonize, looking like they’ve always belonged together. But more than a high-end work of art, your landscaping needs to be functional. Local landscape designers share their insights on popular landscaping elements that will turn your yard into a beautiful space that offers opportunities for retreat, enjoyment, and entertainment.
Preferred Plantings
Given that we want to extend the seasons and spend as much time outside as possible, it’s only natural that we’re paying more attention to our yards. The home and garden cable channel HGTV, and seeing neighbors pull off landscaping feats, have created a savvier homeowner, says James Sweeney, founder and senior designer for Mom’s Landscaping & Design in Shakopee.
“In the past, people understood landscaping as eight shrubs, some decorative rock, plastic edging, and concrete,” he says. “Today’s consumer knows that landscaping is so much more involved. They now believe that if they see it in a magazine or on television, they can have it. If you want to have a waterfall, a fireplace, and a golf green with a palm tree, it’s yours. For Minnesotans, that’s exciting stuff.”
Landscaping options continue to expand, but perhaps in no area more than plants. “For Minnesota, it used to be that people just accepted that you had three months of summer, and now, as a result of wanting to cocoon and expand their outdoor living spaces, people want more interesting plants,” says Sweeney, who brings in palm trees for clients who want a far-away feel to their landscapes. “People today also have more disposable income. We’re spending more money on plants than ever before because we can.”
One popular option among homeowners is the inclusion of ornamental grasses. Although they’ve been available in the state for years, homeowners are requesting them more frequently because of their modern look and visual interest through the fall and winter.
“Ornamentals add a very subtle effect,” says Bob Messer, a designer with L&R Suburban Landscaping in Minnetonka. “They typically have upright growth, which means they’ll add some height without the bulk. Plus, they look so different with foliage than anything else.”
Favored types of ornamental grasses include blue fescue, feather reed grass, and plume grass. They’re often used to accent other plants in the landscape, as a screen to separate a portion of your yard, or in combination with boulder croppings to prevent erosion.
While traditional gardens are still popular for a formal look, homeowners are not confining plantings to one area. “People want the natural look of perennials, but they’ll tuck them among other landscaping for more accents of color here and there, versus a full garden,” says Dave Kopfmann, founder and principal designer for Yardscapes in Bloomington. “They might be in a pocket by a patio, for example.”
Landscape designers are also receiving requests for more mature trees, particularly for homes on open lots with no robust plant life. “We can spade in shade trees that are in the 20-foot-tall [range],” Kopfmann says. “The success rate is really good, as long as it’s moved at a proper time of year. You can use it as a base and add some plantings around it.”
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