The perfect landscape design ideas for your garden, patio, porch, or yard. We’ve got you covered with inspiring photos of great landscapes and the best plants for your backyard.
Is it time to give your Walnut Creek landscape design some love? Maybe you just moved to a new home, or maybe your yard isn’t as nice as you’d like it to be. There are plenty of reasons to want a fresh Walnut Creek landscape design in a city that gets more beautiful year after year. Whatever the case, read on for landscape architect-approved ideas for your perfect outdoor oasis.
Contents
Perfect Landscape Design Ideas
First Things First: Draw the Blueprint
When designing a new yard, always start out by measuring the entire space you will be creating your landscape on. First, measure the boundaries of the area and draw them to scale on a large piece of paper: this is essentially your floor plan, or blueprint, of your outdoor landscape. Edges and boundaries may be fences, retaining walls, sidewalks, or planter boxes. Next, draw to scale and label large objects in your yard that will stay in place during the redesign; for example trees, tree stumps, pools, hot tubs, boulders, gazebos, pergolas, telephone poles, garden beds, or bushes.
Now that you have drawn the bones and basic framework of your yard, it’s time to call on your creative side to imagine completely new features and greenery.
Solidify Your Vision
Your perfect landscape design may be different from someone else’s perfect landscape design, and that’s okay! When considering elements to include in your design, think about your unique needs, tastes, and desires. Specifically, ask yourself these questions to get a better idea of what “perfect” means for your outdoor space.
- Are there problems in my current landscape that could be solved with the removal or addition of something?
- Do I have any favorite plants? If not, what are my favorite colors, textures, and smells? Can I curate a list of trees, shrubs, groundcover, or fruit and vegetable plants that reflect my tastes?
- How much time can I realistically devote to maintaining my landscape per week?
- What are my absolute requirements for my new landscape, and which elements am I willing to compromise on?
- What “story” do I want my landscape to tell? Is it designed for entertainment, with clusters of seating arrangements and hidden speakers, or designed for play, with a large expanse of lawn and a small garden?
Specific Features
Once you have hammered out the basic details of your vision, consider these features:
- Steps: Stone, brick, concrete, timber
- Paths: Flagstone, loose-fill gravel, crushed stone, concrete pavers, brick
- Walls: Brick, stone, timber
- Structures: Pergola, trellis, arched arbor, lattice arbor and fence, picket fence, retaining wall, seating area, privacy screens, storage shed, children’s play structure, compost bins
- Patios: Brick; tile; stone
- Decks: Wraparound; geometric
- Gardening: Garden plot, planter box, window box, irrigation system, rain garden
- Water features: Basin fountain, waterfall fountain, pond, pool, hot tub
Don’t hold back at this stage! Dreams are free, and you’d be surprised at the creative and economical ways you can execute your vision. Finally, once you have a clear vision and a list of specific features for your new design, contact a professional landscape architect and bring your dreams to life.
Contact Us for Perfect Landscape Design Ideas
A professional landscape architect can help reinvent your yard into a space that you enjoy every season. If you are looking for a professional to help with your Walnut Creek landscape design, contact Meadowbrook Design today! You can schedule a consultation by clicking here. Our office can be reached at (925) 200-3661.