Discover The Perfect Garden Design For Your Home Style
Your home's architectural style sets the tone for the overall look of your property. But have you ever thought about how your garden and landscaping can add to or take away from your house's unique look? Creating balance between your home and garden is super important if you want to increase curb appeal and make the outside of your house look better. Read on to learn some expert tips for matching different garden styles with popular house styles so that you can create an outdoor space that really adds value to your home.
Modern Farmhouse: Mix Rustic and New Designs
The modern farmhouse style is the perfect mix of rustic charm and sleek, contemporary design. Create a garden that plays into this balance by mixing traditional farm elements with modern design principles.
Try out raised garden beds for growing vegetables and herbs, mixed with showy plants like sunflowers and zinnias. Use a mix of different materials like concrete and metal for planters and design elements. Plant flower beds with clusters of perennials, evergreen shrubs, and decorative grasses. You can even add fruit trees and berry bushes to boost the farmhouse feel while still sticking to a clean, modern aesthetic.
Colonial Homes: Pair With Structured Landscapes
Colonial homes have a timeless charm with their symmetrical exteriors and simple, elegant designs. To complement this classic style, go for formal landscaping that matches the home's clean, tidy, appearance.
Formal gardens have neat, geometric layouts with clearly defined borders and well cared for plants. Choose boxwoods, hollies, and neatly trim your hedges to create structure and symmetry. You can add in straight pathways using pavers or gravel, with evenly spaced plantings like roses or flowering perennials on each side. The key to achieving the structured look is to make sure your garden looks tidy and well-groomed so that it boosts the classic charm of your colonial home.
Cape Cod Homes: Go with Seaside-Inspired Gardens
Cape Cod homes perfectly capture the quaint charm of New England coastal living. Add to this style with a garden that embraces the region's natural beauty and can stand up to coastal conditions.
Choose plants that can tolerate salt and thrive in mild climates, like hydrangeas, roses, and lavender. Add in elements like weathered wood fences, shell pathways, and beach grass to create more of a seaside atmosphere. You can create pops of color with flowering perennials and cut down on maintenance time by using hassle-free ground covers like creeping thyme that will still give a soft, natural look.
Adobe Homes: Stick To Modern Desert Gardens
Adobe homes, with their earthy tones and rounded edges, need landscaping that also embraces the beauty of the desert. Create a modern Southwestern desert garden that complements your home's unique style and can survive in the hot conditions where these homes are most popular.
If you haven’t heard of it already don’t worry, but anyone with an adobe home should learn about xeriscaping. Xeriscaping is a way of landscaping that focuses on conserving water, making it perfect for anyone living in dry, drought-prone areas. Mix the practices of xeriscaping with drought-tolerant plants like yucca, agave, and various cacti. Use decorative gravel, boulders, and steel planters to make your yard look more interesting. You can even add modern concrete pathways or floating pads mixed in with gravel or decomposed granite. You should focus your landscaping on low-maintenance, water-saving designs that celebrate the rugged charm of the desert.
Log Cabins: Embracing Nature with Rustic Woodland Gardens
Log cabins call for landscaping that easily blends in with the surrounding wilderness. When landscaping for this style of home, you’ll want to plant a rustic garden that adds to the cabin's natural charm and leans into the beauty of the forest.
Use native wildflowers, conifers like pine and fir trees, and hardy shrubs that do best in woodland settings. Make sure to leave some areas looking a little wild while maintaining clear pathways and defined garden beds. Use natural materials like stone and wood in your design, and include features like bird baths or rustic benches to add to the cabin's cozy atmosphere.
How to Keep Your Garden Looking Its Best
No matter which garden style you choose, proper maintenance is super important if you want it to stay beautiful and match with your home's architecture.
For formal gardens, regular pruning and shaping are super important for maintaining crisp lines and tidy appearances. Desert gardens need less watering but benefit from trimming and removing debris every once in a while. For coastal gardens, having a good drainage system is super important. Woodland gardens are the least maintenance heavy, and do best with only seasonal cleanups and regular pathway maintenance. Finally, farmhouse gardens need you to pay attention to soil health and keep on top of any plants you grow in your garden beds.
Add Your Own Unique Touches
While making sure that your garden design matches your home's architectural style is important, don't forget to add personal touches that make your garden feel more unique to you.
Think about adding in elements that reflect your personality and interests, such as a cozy seating area, a water feature, or some garden art. Don’t be afraid to choose plants in your favorite colors or that have a special meaning to you. These can create focal points that draw the eye and add interesting pops to your landscape. By balancing our suggestions for a matching design with your own personal flair, you'll create an outdoor space that not only looks beautiful, but also reflects your personality and lifestyle.