Your landscaping is often the last thing on your to-do list when it comes to home design and decorating. It really shouldn’t be, the landscape that surrounds your home is just as important as the interior and Craftsman homes were designed to work with the surrounding landscapes.
Whether you’re a fan of simplicity such as a manicured front lawn with interlocking stone walkways or want a more intricate garden design your landscaping deserves as much attention as your house. You can use shrub, flowers and plants to compliment your design, and increase curb appeal using color, texture and scent.
Before you pick up a shovel for the first time have a critical look at the space you have to work with, some Craftsman Bungalows and older Craftsman homes are on pretty small lots. You have to get creative with what you have to work with. Have a look at how landscaping is done on other Craftsman homes. If gardening is your thing then really the sky is the limit you can have vegetable patches or rose bushes in your space.
If you have a young family you may want something more focused on play. What will your family use the most, BBQs, swimming pools, playgrounds or swing sets? Bear in mind that front and backyards are two totally different spaces and should be landscaped as such.
Here are 5 gardening tips to compliment your Craftsman home:
1. Keep it Natural
Craftsman homes are meant to blend and work with the natural environment, make use of plants, trees and shrubberies that are native to the area. Trees and shrubberies serve two purposes they add greenery and curb appeal along with providing privacy and shade. Use flowers to add splashes of colour. Rather than poured concrete walkways resembling sidewalks try using natural stone pathways. Look to the environment around you there is plenty of inspiration.
2. Keep it Simple
Just like your Craftsman is built with simplicity in mind, open floor plans and clean simple lines, approach your garden with the same principles. Start with a clear plan of the hard-scaping, keep trees and shrubs as focal points, then move on to creating flower beds and vegetable patches if you have the space. If you don’t want or have the time to spend hours weeding and pruning the garden, simple will work.
3. Keep it Casual
Large formal gardens are not in keeping with the design principals of Craftsman homes. These homes were meant to have a strong link between the home and the surrounding environment. In small lots in urban neighborhoods there isn’t the space for a formal, fussy garden. Use natural elements like stone pathways or a wooden gazebo will offer more bang for your gardening buck.
4. Keep it Useful
Don’t overthink how you should make use of your yard space, there is no right or wrong. Remember that the front and back of the house are two very different spaces. Focus on landscaping the front to blend with the style of the home and add curb appeal. Make the backyard the oasis you want. You want a play area for children, have one. Prefer to put in a swimming pool to cool off on those hot days, have one built. Casual conversation area to enjoy the outdoors, that works too.
5. Keep it Maintained
Even the simplest garden will need some love from time to time. If you are fortunate enough to have purchased an older Craftsman landscaping can be a big challenge, overgrown shrubs and trees that haven’t pruned in decades can make a beautiful home look uninviting and neglected. Landscaping is meant to complement the home, so dedicate some time to making your garden look as beautiful as the rest of your home.