As people are now spending the bulk of their time at home, nature becomes an important part of daily self-care. If you want your backyard to be closer to nature, here are some ideas for tailoring your landscape design to complement your natural surroundings in Port Jefferson, NY.
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High and Low
To integrate your backyard into its natural surroundings, look at the height of what’s around you: are there many tall trees, or is the landscape around you mostly shorter plants like shrubs and grasses? Mirror what’s around you to some extent. This doesn’t mean you have to plant dozens of trees if you are surrounded by tall, dense woods; you can have plenty of open space, but use taller elements to create balance, such as an outdoor fireplace instead of a fire pit; a pergola-covered grill station instead of a grill station with no shelter; and masonry seat walls instead of ground-level edging. Or, if your landscape is lower and open, embrace the spaciousness of life under the open sky. Integrate your landscape into its surroundings with an expansive patio, an open and airy shelter structure like a pergola, and softly billowing ornamental grasses instead of chunky evergreen shrubs.
Moving Outward
Draw the eye to the natural surroundings with an outward progression of manmade to natural. A paver patio can be made to feel more integrated with nature by using warm colors, and by creating an easy transition: for example, go from a paver patio to several feet of large individual paving stones with groundcovers or grass between them, before finally stepping onto the lawn.
Levels and Curves
Integrate your patio into its surroundings by designing several levels instead of one flat space. Nature isn’t perfectly flat, and having two steps between each level not only helps separate various activity zones, but it also feels like the patio really belongs in the environment. Curves also give your landscape an organic freestyle feel. Curved spaces offer a sense of relaxation that is unlike the rigid linear look of most manmade structures and surfaces. Curved spaces also appear bigger because the eye doesn’t “shoot” along a straight line, and they allow for more natural placement of features and furniture.
Use Natural Materials and Native Plants
Natural stone, or concrete pavers made to resemble natural stone, will help your patio blend in beautifully. Choose colors that blend in rather than contrast, to blur the line between manmade and natural.
Native plants fit right in, while exotics stick out. Native plants are perfectly adapted to the area which means you’ll spend more time enjoying the landscape than maintaining it. Natives are also beneficial to local wildlife and there are plenty of choices for year-round color and interest.
Add Water
Water brings serenity to a landscape. A boulder-lined waterfall cascading into a natural pond surrounded by native vegetation will attract birds and wildlife - and what’s better than relaxing beside the soothing sounds of moving water? A small pea gravel beach or paver patio is the perfect place for a comfortable bench or even a swing, where you can relax, read, or even work under the open skies!
Add Interest
Add visual interest to a suburban landscape by embracing contrast. Contrast an expanse of lawn with softly billowing ornamental grasses, rocks, native wildflowers and shrubs. A variety of plants will add texture, color, and dimension to your backyard. You’ll be rewarded by a serene natural setting that brings peace to your mind no matter what is going on in the world around you!
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