North Kingstown Villager

Getting the Most from your Landscape Design
By Kristine Barnett
North Kingstown Villager; February, 2003

    Often as gardeners, we focus out efforts in the backyard, creating thriving vegetable patches or flower gardens, and encircling decks and patios with perennial beds and container gardens. Maybe we hang a lone flowering basket on the front porch. And once a year or so, we prune our foundation plantings in the front yard. (Foundation plantings are usually shrubs that are often placed in a straight line in front of our homes to “hide” concrete foundations.) Foundation plantings are utilitarian, certainly, but can be unattractive and blasé.


This year, I challenge each of you to focus your attention on the front of your house, and to increase your curb appeal. This may seem like a daunting task, but there are two ways to handle the challenge: contact a design professional to help you or do-it-yourself.


    To get your creative juices flowing, I contacted to local designers who enlightened me on common landscape faux pas, and more importantly, how to correct them to increase your landscape’s appeal. Here are some tips: Hali Beckman, of Beckman-Weremay, Ltd. offers this idea to consider before undertaking a landscaping project: if you intend to recoup your landscaping investment upon resale, plan to spend approximately 10 – 12% of your properties value. Anything you spend beyond 12% of your property value is not likely to be returned upon resale, and therefore will probably be money spent purely on enjoyment.


Landscape Designer Cristin Larson recommends that you take the time to thoroughly investigate the growing conditions in your yard before planting anything. In fact, both designers agree that you should test soil and full understand the micro-climates, including wind and light patterns, so that you choose the appropriate plants. As Larson says, “Don’t fight the site.”


It’s a lot of fun to go to the nursery and pick out plants you love, but I think it’s more important to have a plan before choosing plants. The biggest project I have undertaken in our current house is he installation of a 65 foot long winding border bed, complete with about 30 shrubs and trees and numerous perennials. My husband and I investigated and measured the site for a few months, then designed a plan using home landscape software. We made a plant list and then chose the best places for them in the border, depending on drainage, sunlight, and purpose (privacy in some areas, sheer beauty in others). We changed our minds on plants several times but finalized our decisions before spending a weekend visiting numerous local nurseries to purchase the best plants at the best prices. We installed the border early last spring, and watched it thrive throughout summer and fall. Even with the drought and water ban, we managed not to lose any of the shrubs and trees….quite a feat for us, seeing as we still consider ourselves to be amateurs.


    Also, both designers stress the importance of knowing the full size of a plant. You might really like the idea of planting a butterfly bush outside your window, and for the first year you will really enjoy it. The second year, you are probably not going to see anything beyond the butterfly bush as it will grow bigger than the window. So when picking plants, talk to the garden center staff and carefully follow the planting and care instructions once you install your plants. Remember to install woody plants to the depth noted on the instructions or you are likely to lose the plants.

    Larson advises homeowners to avoid what she calls “mulch volcanoes,” which are mounds of mulch piled too high up the trunks of trees. This causes the bark to rot underneath, and since the bark allows nutrients to be carried up the tree, the plant may die if the bark is not healthy. Furthermore, mulch volcanoes are not aesthetically pleasing, in other words, they look kind of goofy.

    As far as design, both Beckman and Larson agree that you should aim to mix evergreen and deciduous plants. Layering makes plants look more natural, and is kinder on your budget because evergreen can be quite pricey. People tend to choose evergreen foundation plantings because they will stay full and green during the winter but if deciduous plantings are layered attractively, you can maintain your curb appeal year-round.

    Note that nature does not prefer perfect symmetry as plants don’t spring up in straight lines. Curved beds and mass plantings are much more attractive. I have yet to find a garden book that advises the gardener to line up tulip bulbs in one perfect line. Larson elaborates that perennials and annuals look best when they appear in groups of five to seven. She adds that gardeners should repeat plants and colors, using complimentary colors whenever possible. For example, in my long border, despite my desire to plant one of every sun-loving plant I’ve ever wanted, I repeated clumps of plants such as white Echinacea and black-eyed Susans.

    Beckman offers this tip on lawn care: if you have a choice, opt for seed lawns versus sod. Not only are you likely to enjoy cost savings, but also seed lawns such as fescue have deeper roots and will go dormant during a drought instead of dying off completely.

    To enjoy additional labor and cost savings, Beckman urges homeowners to consider ground cover plants rather than mulch. This will alleviate the need to purchase and spread mulch annually, and may better control yard erosion. The ground cover you choose will depend on the area you need to cover. Ivy, myrtle, creeping phlox, and pachysandra are some attractive examples.

    Keep this in mind when choosing plants: use specimen plants as focal points. Too many weeping trees or highly ornamental plants may look unnatural, unless your intention is to create a formal garden. Also, you want to choose as many native plants as possible, because they are better for the environment and they are generally disease-resistant.

    So do some research or contact a qualified professional if you plan to tackle your curb appeal. If you do, you can become a highlight in your neighborhood.

Cristin M. Larson; The Garden Consultant and Landscape Design