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Each style of home has a certain aesthetic that can be accentuated with smart landscaping choices. Some depend on color, while others might focus on the variety of vegetation. If you are contemplating the types of plants and hardscape design to install in your yard, consider these recommendations from landscape experts on pairing garden styles with house styles.
Whatever style or theme you choose, note how much maintenance the landscape design will require. The pairings below are sure to inspire you.
Colonial House Style: Formal Landscaping
Defined by triangle roofs and rectangular or square windows, colonial homes are relatively uncomplicated designs. For this type of home, landscaping that brings simple elegance and classiness to the table is best, says Todd Hendricks of Louisville Landscape Pros in Louisville, Kentucky. “You don’t want your landscape to be too grand, as that will take away from the simple beauty of colonial homes. You also don’t want a plain landscape, as that would make the already simple beauty seem dull.”
Formal landscapes are the best option to complement the aesthetics of colonial homes. They focus on predominantly greenery for simplicity and add elegance with their neat, well-maintained shapes. Think hedges, manicured lawns, and geometric planting beds with no loose growth. Eduard Negodenko, landscaping expert and gardener at Avanti Landscaping in Toronto, Canada, recommends boxwoods, holly, and azaleas to create beautiful edges and structure.
For hardscapes, opt for straight pathways made from pavers, brick, or gravel accompanied by evenly spaced plantings, such as roses and flowering perennials. Make sure everything is neat and clean with no loose, wild elements. Doing so is the hardest part of a formal landscape. To keep up the neat appearance, trim vegetation regularly. Hendricks recommends choosing greenery that grows slowly to ease some of the maintenance burden. Also, make sure to choose plants that grow neatly and that can be shaped easily.
Adobe House Style: Modern Southwestern Landscape
Adobe homes—with their earth tones, flat roofs, and rounded edges—call for a modern Southwestern garden. Clay Tully, landscape architect and contractor at Clay Tully Landscape Architecture in California, recommends installing modern concrete pathways or concrete floating pads with gravel, stone, or decomposed granite joints. Steel planters or terraced retaining walls also fit nicely, along with decorative rock or gravel mulch and strategically placed boulders. “For planting schematics, you will want to keep it simple and low maintenance, using mass planting of hardy succulents or tough plants that can withstand neglect and harsh temperatures,” says Tully.
Additionally, Negodenko prefers to incorporate xeriscaping with drought-tolerant plants like yucca and agave for adobe style homes. He says cactus is a perfect desert plant; “moreover, they bear a striking architectural quality when added to the landscape,” says Negodenko. He also plans a water conservation design for the garden, employing efficient drip-line irrigation and grouping plants with similar watering needs. “Let me assure you, an adobe garden would need very little maintenance, so an occasional check on the irrigation and an occasional trimming of overgrown plants would keep it looking pristine,” he says.
Cape Cod House Style: Coastal Landscaping
Cape Cod homes are considered the classic North American house, with their small size, simple design, steeply pitched roof, central chimney, and symmetrical facade on the front of the house. For Cape Cod homes, Negodenko likes to use coastal plants like hydrangea, roses, and lavender. “Not only do they put on a colorful and fragrant display, but they thrive in the temperate climate that New England generally provides,” he says.
As a coastal landscaper, he focuses on planting salt-tolerant plants that flourish within a good drainage system so the landscape doesn’t become waterlogged. As for maintenance, he suggests pruning regularly, especially hydrangeas and roses, to help maintain shape and prevent them from overgrowing. “The use of low-maintenance ground cover like creeping thyme also reduces the upkeep needed, while providing that soft natural look,” he says.
Log Cabin House Style: Rustic Landscape
For log cabins, a natural rustic look works best, says Negodenko. He recommends integrating the design of the garden with the wilderness around it. “I try to grow some native wildflowers, conifers like pines and firs, and hardy shrubs,” he notes. “The rustic charm of a ‘cabin’ garden means letting some patches remain wild, while regular maintenance will keep the wild ones from taking over.”
Seasonal cleanup is one of the most important maintenance practices for the cabin garden. Clear fallen leaves, cut back dead plants, and keep pathways free from plants or litter.
Modern Farmhouse Style: Farmhouse Landscaping
The landscaping around farmhouse-style homes should match that vision. While there isn’t an official term for this look, Hedricks says that landscapers usually refer to it as farmhouse landscaping. “Stick with rustic materials and elements and keep everything plain and simple,” says Hendricks. He also suggests incorporating an edible garden, as they fit well with the farm vibe.
Negodenko loves to incorporate some raised garden beds on the property, filled with heirloom tomatoes, herbs, and lettuce. Also, intersperse them with ornamentals such as sunflowers and zinnias. Planting some citrus and other types of fruit trees is another great addition. Use flower beds to showcase clusters of flowering perennials, evergreen shrubs, and ornamental grasses.
For hardscape elements, Negodenko suggests emphasizing concrete and metal, such as steel planters. “The key here is to keep things simple and not overdo it with the hardscape layout.” When it comes to maintenance, focus on soil health and drainage through amendment of the soil with organic compost. “Allow the plants to spend the whole year thriving; rotation of crops also becomes easy, thus, soil depletion is prevented,” says Negodenko.
