Planting Around Your Home

When designing your landscape, always start with how the front walk will be laid out—it is important to make a well defined entrance from the parking area to your front door. The configuration of the walkway along with the plantings should be in unity and in accordance with the style of your home.

Allow for a walkway width at least 4’ wide — consider making the shape curvilinear rather than a straight line which will make for a more inviting and gracious entrance. The walkway should invite family and friends to savor and linger along their way—providing a sense of harmony and welcome to your home.

As you layout your walkway, allow for a generous planting bed that will frame and enhance your home. If space allows, create garden beds that are 7-10’ wide to accommodate groupings of shrubs and perennials massed together and layered in graduated heights and differing textures.

Consider how the beds will look throughout the garden year, a balanced combination of dwarf evergreens and compact flowering shrubs underplanted with perennials and ground covers will anchor the walkway as well as lend a sense of permanence and refinement to your home. Well-designed borders always have something in bloom and provide wonderful color and texture throughout the year.