Put the finishing touches on your hardscape with the right plants that will serve as a backdrop for outdoor living. And while plants may be a backdrop, they deserve just as much attention as the hardscapes in order to create an attractive and functional landscape. Here’s how landscaping companies choose plantings to complement their projects in Glenview, IL.
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They Understand Your Vision
A good landscaping company will take the time to thoroughly understand your vision. People know how they want to feel in their space but may not know how to achieve that feeling. For example, should the finished space feel private and separate from the surroundings, or spacious and airy? Should the landscape feel formal, casual, or a little of both? Are there any color themes that should dominate—for example, a monochromatic landscape with various shades of green that emphasizes textures, shapes, and sizes, or should you seek out a landscape that’s a cheerful riot of color? Your landscaping company can recommend the plants that will give you the feeling you want.
Understanding your vision also includes knowing who will be using the landscape, and how. Kids and pets have different needs than someone who loves formal gardens. Will you be entertaining a lot, or do you prefer a tranquil retreat? Do you love spending time tending the landscape, or do you want to put your energies elsewhere?
A landscape incorporates all the senses. The sounds in your landscape are affected by the plants in it, such as plants that attract songbirds. Certain fragrant plants will delight your senses with wonderful aromas, and your landscape company could recommend fragrant flowering plants that bloom throughout the whole season. Textures are important too, such as ornamental grasses that ease the transition from hardscape to softscape.
They Understand the Land
Expert knowledge of the regional climate, topography, and soil type will ensure that your landscape company recommends plants that will thrive, not merely survive. Each property is its own microclimate of sun exposure (full, partial, shade, or deep shade), existing landscaping, topography, and drainage. Landscapers choose the best plants for your outdoor space according to your landscape’s unique situation.
They Make Plants Work for the Landscape
Plants are more than just decorative. They are also functional. Shade trees, privacy hedges, edible gardens, pollinator gardens, and xeriscapes are just a few examples of putting plants to work to create a landscape that is beautiful to look at, and minimizes maintenance. A good landscaping company will help choose the right plants, and position them so that they create and link spaces. Your landscape can become a series of outdoor rooms that can be strategically separated by shrubs, ornamental grasses, flower beds, or trees; and they can be linked using the same elements through thoughtful placement.
They Create Balance
Balance, symmetry, and layers all affect the overall feel of your landscape. Landscaping companies can help you understand the landscape from both a bird’s eye view and street view, taking into consideration not only the major plants but the small ones that fill in the details. Plant groupings, planting distances, and the creation of focal points will keep your landscape interesting.
They Think About the Future
The passage of time affects your landscape. Different growth rates and mature sizes need to be considered when choosing plants so that the landscape looks as good when it’s freshly planted as it will a half-century from today.
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