It was a short distance from the hotel to your parked car, but the walk took a little longer than it should have because you stopped to look at the bright, waxy holy and ivy bushes that made up a significant portion of the hotel’s front landscaping. You had never really thought that this Christmas plant could serve as a shrub, and that got you to thinking again about the landscaping and hardscaping project you are ready to begin at your own home.
While most people are familiar with the term landscaping, the term hardscaping is less familiar. Hardscaping refers to the placement of nonplant elements like fences, walkways, paving, and lighting in a designed outdoor area. The best hardscaping design ideas create a high impact home exterior that is both an art and a science. Both landscaping and hardscaping design ideas can transform lawns and outdoor living spaces from Delaware, Maryland, and Pennsylvania where ivy grows easily, to the warmer and more varied climates of Phoenix, Arizona.
While providing beauty, the right kind of landscape ideas can also help the environment. Specific types of landscaping can reduce air conditioning by up to 50% by shading the windows and walls of a home, according to the American Public Power Association. For example, a single urban tree can provide as much as $273 a year in air conditioning, pollution fighting, erosion and storm water control, as well as wildlife shelter benefits. Furthermore, trees can reduce outdoor temperatures by as much as nine degrees Fahrenheit, as stated in the publication American Forests.
In addition to providing landscape planting design, expert technicians can work with award-winning designers to turn home exteriors into living, breathing works of art. In the process they can also incorporate hardscaping design ideas that will not only extend your outdoor living space, but also reduce the amount of space you need to water. These same skilled carpenters and landscapers can provide a full menu of landscape and hardscape services, including patios, walkways, stone masonry, ponds and water gardens, irrigation, lighting and more.
Whether you are looking for a full exterior makeover, or just refreshing a few flower beds with new plantings, respected landscaping and hardscaping personnel have the knowledge, experience and artistic ability to bring out the best in any home. By combining native plant and regional climate expertise, these craftspeople can create the perfect landscape layout. By balancing color, fragrance and texture they can build a compelling exterior that impresses the senses.
By designing and developing outdoor living spaces that are both functional and fabulous, homeowners are not only creating a beautiful outdoor living space for themselves, they are also adding to the value of their home. In fact, Money Magazine wrote that landscaping can bring a recovery value of 100% to 200% at selling time.
