By choosing a specific landscaping style, you give your property a unique character and a sense of cohesion. The approach you choose may be influenced by many factors, such as the architectural style of your building and the climate and weather conditions it is subjected to. Not all landscaping styles work well in the humid subtropical climate of southern Louisiana. For example, even if you like the look of a desert-inspired landscape, the plants may not survive moist conditions. Nevertheless, there are many landscaping options that are suitable for this naturally lush region. 1. Tuscan Tuscany is a region of central Italy with such a strong cultural identity that it is sometimes jokingly referred to as a separate country. Tuscany was the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance and is known for breathtaking scenery and a strong agricultural tradition that gives rise to delicious food and wine. You can emulate the Tuscan style in your New Orleans landscape by putting up a pergola and arbor as a centerpiece of your backyard and by growing your own vegetables and herbs, especially in pots. If you want to hearken back to the Renaissance, a labyrinth makes a nice touch if you have the space available. The climate of southern Louisiana is conducive to growing citrus plants, which can enhance the Mediterranean flavor of your property. 2. French French culture has obviously been very influential to that of Louisiana, making it a fitting style for landscaping Baton Rouge. However, French garden design initially took its inspiration from the Italian Renaissance, which started in Tuscany. Therefore, the Tuscan style and the French style are related, but the French added elements to make it their own. The French style of landscaping is all about symmetry. Cast-iron furniture, columns, trellises, and water features, such as fountains or birdbaths, are all emblematic of this aesthetic approach. Straight lines of columns, trees, or shrubs planted in a row should draw the eye toward your building, as this is typically the focal point of the French style of landscaping. Examples of French and Tuscan landscape design may include large estates that cover acres of property. Do not let that intimidate you; it is certainly possible to create these styles by incorporating elements on a much smaller scale. 3. English Garden The quaint English garden is a style that is reproducible in Louisiana despite the differences in climate. The plants you choose may be different than what would be planted in an actual garden in England, but many of the characteristic features of the English garden, including sculptures, cobblestone paths, benches, or a bridge over a small pond, could easily be installed in a New Orleans landscape to give it a cozy, home-like feeling. 4. Woodland If you are looking for landscaping styles that require relatively little maintenance, a woodland setting may be right for you. Once established, the flowers, shrubbery, and trees you incorporate can be left largely to their own devices and only need a little bit of human intervention. Wooden benches and stone pathways are structural additions that help enhance this style. Functional birdhouses can give a property a woodland feel, but if you do not want to attract birds to your property, decorative birdhouses can have a similar effect. For obvious reasons, a woodland style requires trees. If you already have some on your property, they can remain in place while the rest of the property is landscaped around them. If you would like to create a woodland setting but do not already have trees on your property, you need to decide between fast-growing, evergreen softwoods and slower-growing, deciduous hardwoods. 5. Tropical The climate of southern Louisiana can support a tropical landscape style in a way that would not be possible farther north. In addition to the bamboo accents, brightly colored furniture, and water features that could give a tropical feeling to any yard, you can also grow authentic tropical flowers, such as jasmine, orchids, and hibiscus. The 60 inches of rainfall the region receives annually can certainly sustain the greenery. Southern Louisiana falls in Hardiness Zone 9, so confirm that the plants you choose can sustain temperatures down to 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Even if tropical perennials do not thrive, tropical annuals should do exceptionally well, so consider these as an alternative when planning your landscaping. 6. Japanese Garden The Japanese garden style is intended to be closed off to encourage peaceful contemplation of spiritual matters. Therefore, a traditional Japanese garden may not be ideal for commercial landscaping. However, if you would like to create a sense of serenity, there are elements of this style that you can incorporate into your overall landscaping scheme. A Japanese garden uses an asymmetrical style that nevertheless provides a sense of balance. Ornaments, plants, rocks, and water are all essential elements of the style. Stone basins, waterfalls, and koi ponds are all ways to incorporate these elements naturally into your landscape. 7. Spanish The Spanish were in Louisiana before the French and have also had an influence on the culture. Spanish style may be difficult to incorporate into a New Orleans landscape because the climate in Spain is drier than ours. Nevertheless, it can be recreated through the decorative elements that you choose for your landscape, such as blue-glazed ceramics and terracotta pots. It can also be represented through structural elements, such as multi-tiered fountains, walkways, walls, benches, and reflecting pools. 8. Quasi-Prairie
The prairie is a semi-arid climate very different from that of southern Louisiana. Therefore, an authentic prairie environment may not be feasible to recreate through landscaping in Baton Rouge. However, it may be possible to create a prairie-inspired landscape using native grasses. The prairie is a region with few trees, and the trees it does have often do not grow very tall. If your property is already devoid of trees, a variation on this type of landscape could work very well for you. Instead of trees, a prairie is covered with grasses of varying sizes, as well as wildflowers in shades of red, purple, and yellow. With a little creativity, you can create a prairie-style environment using grasses and wildflowers native to Louisiana. A quasi-prairie landscape offers unique advantages. Because the whole point is to allow the grasses to grow as tall as they will, it does not need mowing and requires little maintenance otherwise. If you plant native grasses, they should already be adapted to the amount of rainfall that we receive in southern Louisiana, so you shouldn't have to water them. 9. Modern Modern landscaping is focused on the architecture of an outdoor space more than the landscaping. The space is pleasing to the eye using clean lines and iconic shapes. Look for poured concrete or cut stone that stands out. The flowers, shrubs, and trees are meant to compliment the space. Plants tend to be low maintenance and low growing. Whatever style you choose, it is important to get the details right when planning your project. GreenSeasons Landscaping offers both design and installation services. Come to us with your ideas for your dream landscape, and we can help you make them a reality.
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Do you ever wish that you could travel to somewhere like the coast of France, Italy, or Greece? Simple things like bright greens, earth tones, the sound of flowing water, rustic wood, and organized tiles can transport you to a Mediterranean style environment. Mediterranean Plants:There is such a large range of different plants you can choose to help create a Mediterranean landscape. Plants that can help you add more texture to your landscape include plants like the anchor plant, canary island foxglove, lizard plant, and cunco rujo. Plants that can help give you garden a pop of color include plants like bugle lily, kangaroo apple, and the rock purslane. Mediterranean landscapes can be enhanced by adding wonderful trees such as lemon or olive trees. Additionally, clipped hedges will not only make your landscape look nicer, but it will also add to the aesthetic if done correctly. Plants found in the Mediterranean mostly consist of plants that can survive long period without water such as succulents, coronillas, or bupleurums. There are some Mediterranean plants that you might have to water more often such as camellias or hydrangeas. It is important to keep in mind that you might want to choose plants that are more suited to your enviorment if you are taking care of them yourself. For instance, if you live in a very dry climate and you are not able to water your plants often, then purchasing plants that are more suited to the hot climate which do not need consistent watering may be a better choice for your lawn. Mediterranean Features: Designs found in the Mediterranean usually have a warm and neutral color scheme. Mediterranean landscapes generally consist of features such as statues and columns. Other things that can be included can be rustic features, wood features, fountains, tiles, stones, rocks, and gravel.
Rustic and wood features can be added through furniture. Tile work is often found in Mediterranean style landscapes and can be found on the ground, in fountains, or on stairs. Stones, rocks, and gravel can be added around the landscape beds to contrast with the foliage. You can also add stepping stones in your lawn as well. Statues and fountains can also add a more ornate feature to the landscape that you might have not had before. You can find gravel, stones, tiles, and rocks at home improvement department stores. Putting in a fountain or statue might require you to do some research in order to find a style your prefer and a place which sells them. You can find rustic and wooden furniture can be found at department stores, online, and of course local furniture stores. Make a Mediterranean style garden of your dreams and bring the vacation to you. What is sod?Sod is grass that is held together by roots and a little bit of soil. This easily transportable grass can be rolled out like a carpet when it's time for installation. Sod is a wonderful invention, because it can be placed in areas where it is hard for grass to grow. Sod can also come in the form of artificial turf which is fake sod that is made to look like real grass. What type of sod should I choose?There are several different varieties of grass. It is important to choose a grass that is best suitable for your climate. There are grasses that are best suitable for warmer weather and others that are more suitable for cooler weather. There is also transitional grass for areas of both large amounts of heat or cold. Another factor to consider when choosing the correct grass is the amount of shade your grass will be getting. How to lay sod:Sadly, you cannot place sod on top of existing grass and expect it to work out perfectly. In order to lay sod properly, there is several steps you should take. First, you should first measure the area and make sure that the soil is in good condition. The soil should be stripped of any remaining weeds or grass that is in the way. You should also make sure that your lawn is properly graded and leveled making sure to balance the soil's pH levels with sulfur or lime as needed. Additionally, layering organic material on the top of the soil can help balance the amount of water that the soil holds. After the soil has been layered, it is ready for the soil to be tilled. Try to lay the sod in a straight line. Try using the side walk, driveway, or another straight landscape surface to help guide the placement of the sod. As you lay down sod, make sure to water it occasionally so that it does not dry out. When you reach the end of the lawn, you can cut off any overhanging or additional the sod with knife. After the sod is laid, check to make sure that air has not been trapped underneath. A surplus of air might cause complication or cause your lawn grow improperly. Be careful not to place too much pressure on the sod when trying to remove excess air as this could result in the sod being damaged. After you have successfully laid the sod and adjusted placement for air trapped underneath, you are now ready to start watering your grass. Maintenance after installation:For the first the first few weeks, you should water your sod regularly. Maintaining a good amount of moisture in the grass is important to ensure that your lawn grows properly. It is also important not to over watering your lawn.
After watering your new sod for the first few weeks, then you can go back to watering it on a regular like you would a normal lawn. Make sure that the amount of water is proportionate depending on the weather and other circumstances.
The short answer is yes, and here are some reasons why. Landscaping is an extension of your home. Poor planning for your landscaping reflects directly back on both your home and you. Not only can an inadequate landscape design look bad, poor landscape designs can lead to a slew of costly redesigns, structural problems and drainage issues. Landscape IdeasThe obvious benefit of a professional landscape plan is the great ideas shared with you. Landscape plans reach far beyond the usual shrubs, trees and flowers generally thought of as landscaping. A professional landscape plan may also include an outdoor kitchen, retaining walls, irrigation, a swimming pool, landscape lighting, fruit trees, vegetable gardens, gazebos, ponds, water fountains, decks, patios, awnings, gutters, stone pathways and many other ways to come alive outside. Landscape designers will show you great ways to utilize the space you have outside. A Landscape Plan Will Save You Money and TimeA professional landscape plan will save you money, really. A professional landscape architect will enhance your landscaping vision while choosing plants that are best suited for the environment in your yard. Light, soil condition, wind exposure, climate zone, insect damage and fungus vulnerability all affect the long term cost of a landscape choice. Irrigation coverage and water drainage can either make a landscape look great or lead to huge problems. Too little water and your plants can die. Excessive water can cause plants to drown, mold and slime to grow, washouts, insects and even foundation problems. The construction cost to fix existing landscape problems can be three to four times the cost of new landscape projects. Taking the steps to get it done right the first time is a wise investment. A Master Landscape Plan Allows You To Take Your TimeLandscaping an area takes a lot of resources. The beauty of a master landscape plan is you can simply install your new landscaping in phases. Breaking down the a plan into phases allows you to gather your finances so it is not such a financial issue all at once. A master landscape plan can be done when you are ready for the next phase of development. Professional Landscape PlanGreenSeasons will work with you to provide a professional landscape plan that brings your vision to life. We provide landscape consultation in the greater Baton Rouge, greater New Orleans, Slidell, Prairieville, Walker, Denham Springs, Gonzales, Baker, Zachary, Hammond and Covington areas. If you would like to meet with our landscape designer, just click here and we will give you a call.
If you would simply like some advice on landscaping, please contact us and we will be more than happy to help. |
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