3 tips for creating curb appeal with your landscape

There are several ways you can add curb appeal to your front yard. Everyone talks about the importance of curb appeal when you're trying to sell your home. While that's important, it's equally important to simply enjoy coming home to a beautiful front yard after a long day at work.

From simple plantings to elaborate construction projects, just about anything can be done to add curb appeal. Depending on your vision and budget, you can scale a concept up or down to meet your needs. Here are a few curb appeal ideas to get your imagination going.

Complement your home's style
A core concept in design is creating harmony between elements. Applying this concept to your landscape means thinking about the style of your home and choosing plants and landscape features to match. For instance, is your home modern in design or more traditional? Is there a regional influence, such as Spanish design or English Tudor? Look up traditional plantings and features for homes built in the same style or era as yours. This approach will create a harmonious feel between structure and landscape.

Consider the seasons
When flowers are bloom, every yard has curb appeal. But, what about the rest of the year when plants are not flowering? Consider upgrading the plantings in your yard with varieties that bloom during different seasons. Or, if not blooming, that have vibrant hues during otherwise gloomy times of the year. With this approach, you'll have visual interest year-round and a yard your neighbors will envy.

Consider your terrain
Not all homes are built on flat parcels. In fact, if your home is in the Willamette Valley, chances are your home is constructed on a grade. Knowing this, you can consider how best to work with a sloped yard. For example, if when it rains you get a river or a lake in your yard, you could install French drains or a dry creek bed. These are both beautiful and functional. Or, if you like working in your yard, you can consider installing retaining walls to terrace your yard, creating multiple flat sections for plantings or other uses. 

If you would like more ideas or a professional consultation to see the possibilities for your landscape, please contact us. We service homes in the Eugene/Springfield area, as well as other communities throughout the Willamette Valley. At Graham Landscape and Design, our team of professionals can help you design, install, and even maintain your landscape so you can enjoy it for years to come.