Posted on 05/02/19 by Tera Stubblefield
When guests arrive at your property, there are a few things they notice right away. This is your opportunity to welcome your visitors and set the stage for what’s to come.
A welcoming entryway doesn’t start at your front door. Your driveway is possibly their first impression, so use it as an opportunity to frame the experience for your visitors. If you really want to make a statement, go with a gated entry.
As the portal to your home, your entry or driveway should draw guests seamlessly from the curb to the front door.
Lush greenery and maintained flowers could suggest a country retreat, where stark stonework and geometric hedges suggest a more modern approach. Choose elements that align with the aesthetics of your home, without clashing with the surrounding landscape.
Contrast and Complement
Color, texture and balance are important aspects to consider in your landscape design. Use a color wheel to find a few choice colors you may like to incorporate and which colors best complement your primary options.
Height and Depth
Add depth by creating focal points between the street and the house. A natural rock wall also makes a beautiful backdrop. Unlike a front porch entry, where you may be inclined to go with more-is-better, the street entry can be a dynamic part of your overall design with a few, properly positioned, choice elements.
Low Maintenance
Low-maintenance and drought-tolerant plants are a great way to go in the Central Texas area. During the summer especially, if you don’t have irrigation installed along the street, you’ll want indigenous plants that are known for living through the toughest temperatures.
Lighting & Safety
To keep your landscape safer from cars and possible “plant pickers” use lighting around the edges or for specific focal points. If you have security cameras, especially at a gated entry where your car has to stop, using a camera-floodlight combo is a proven deterrent for burglars.
Set the stage for your guests from the very beginning and enhance the beauty and security of your home in the process.
