Upgraded Landscaping – A Fresh Property
Our homes are our castles. But even kings and queens can get a little restless and tired of their homes. That’s why they were always conquering! Want to make your home feel fresh and fun without an invading army? How about upgrading your yard?
Landscape installation takes a lot of planning but can add significant value to your property, literally and from an enjoyment perspective. So if you’re thinking about upgrading your landscape, take the time to do it right, and make sure you talk to Bluegrass to help you with all the details.
Timing
When planning your landscape installation, timing is essential. What time of year will plants flower? When does the sun shine on your flower beds? When is the best time to plant a particular variety of shrubs?
All will factor into your landscape design and installation.
Another critical timing issue is how plants will look in different seasons and in a few years. You may love a little tree in the corner of your yard, but do you want a big tree in 5 or 10 years? If not, we need to pick a variety that tops out at the size you want.
When choosing larger plants, you have to decide whether you’re willing to wait or not. It can be a joy to watch a tree grow through the years, but if you don’t have the time (or patience) to wait, you can buy a fully grown one. That said, we also need to account for your budget.
Existing Plants and Structures
What you already have in your yard and nearby is just as important as what you want to add to your garden design. So before we begin your yard design, Bluegrass will discuss what you already love (and don’t) about your landscape architecture.
Manmade Structures
Do you have a patio? Maybe a beautiful shed? Perhaps a, let’s say, not so beautiful bungalow? When beginning your yard design, we need to think about your home and its structures.
If you have a functional, yet boring, outdoor living space like a patio that you would like to be a focal point of your yard, we will pick plants to enhance it. But, at the same time, if you have something you want the eyes to be drawn away from, we can block it or plan accordingly.
Natural Beauty
Equally important or more so than your manufactured structures are the beautiful trees and shrubs that already exist on your property. Do you have a favorite tree that is stunning at a particular time of year? Then, we’ll plant the perfect flowers to frame it.
Maybe there is a mountain in the distance that you love to gaze at while you sip your morning tea. We don’t want to block that with a tree that will grow to cover it in a few years!
Living With the Land: What Works Where You Live?
Different flowers, shrubs, and trees grow better in different climates. While we at Bluegrass know the weather in Lexington, Frankfurt, and Georgetown well, we also need to consider the microclimate of your own home.
The soil acidity, shade, and drainage can affect what you can grow and where. Of course, with landscaping, very little is set in stone as we can amend and fertilize the soil and improve drainage situations to better suit the particular plants you want to grow.
That said, you ain’t gonna grow a palm tree in Kentucky! So we’ll ensure your dreams are possible and help you achieve them.
How Will You Be Using Your Yard?
Another important consideration is what your backyard design is for. Will it be a place to gather? Is it easily reachable for your family and/or guests? The question is whether your landscape installation will primarily be functional or aesthetic.
Functional Garden Design
In Landscape design, function can have several meanings. For example, a garden can be functional in feeding a family. A yard can serve the role of a playground for the kids. A tree can be for climbing, and a clubhouse and patio can be a lovely gathering spot.
When designing your yard, we will consider how you’ll use it, which will affect your landscape installation. For example, prickly plants can be lovely, but you don’t want them where the kids play! Likewise, you don’t wish to have shedding trees too close to a fire pit.
Aesthetic Garden Design
While all of our yard installations will take aesthetics into account, what we mean when we say “aesthetic garden design” is exclusively aesthetic design. If there is a part of your backyard you know you won’t be using, then you don’t need to consider its function similarly.
Places where you would have to worry about aesthetics exclusively, might include a steep embankment or a piece of a large property that is too distant to spend a lot of time in. If you’re just worried about how it looks, we’ll supply and install just what you need.
Maintaining That Beautiful Landscape
Finally, when we are planning out your yard landscape design and installation, you need to consider not just how much time and money you want to put into it today but in the following years. Will you enjoy this tree next year? Do you mind pruning bushes (or having us do it)?
Some plants require more maintenance than others. Consider perennials if you want something that requires less work, and you can see bloom every year. Transversely, if you want more of a pop and don’t mind replacing flowers regularly or crave variety, we’ll plant annuals.
Likewise, some trees and shrubs require less work, maintenance, and upkeep. And let’s not forget there are always lawns!
Whatever you want in your landscape design and installation, Bluegrass is here to make sure you hit all the right notes.