Are you building or extensively renovating your home? If so, you know that taking on a huge project like this can be very challenging, but it can also be a delight when it’s completed. You’ll have a home that is uniquely yours, one that meets your expressed needs. As you create your dream home, remember to think about the landscaping. While it might seem secondary to the home itself, your home and your landscaping need to complement each other.

1. You Forgot About Water

It’s common to build homes in the drier seasons of the year, but don’t let this make you forget about designing for water. As you design your landscaping and your home, think about where the water will flow, especially if you live in a place that receives a lot of rainfall or snow melt. Install gutters that facilitate easy water flow using gutter covers or heating, and place downspouts in areas where the water can easily drain away. If you have wet places, landscape with wetland plants.

2. Your Inside and Your Outside Don’t Connect

In an exceptional home and landscaping design, your inside and your outside should flow together. Choose a single theme or feel to your home and extend it to the outdoors. A home that’s packed with family memorabilia might suit an English country garden, and a minimalist home could work with clean flowing garden lines.

From mudrooms to patios, you live indoors and out, and your designs should recognize this. Provide a transition area between the outdoors and the indoors to make it easy to put shoes away, or create a garden room that extends out into the garden. Strive for unity between the two areas, rather than a disjointed approach to your interior and your exterior.

3. You Didn’t Think About Your Front Yard

The backyard is a living space, but the front yard is your welcome mat. Consider how you’d like to show your style to the world. Whether it’s with a cheery display of sunflowers, lettuce, and beans, a child’s swing on a tree, or a neat patio leading up to a broad front porch, think about ways to use your front yard to show your visitors who you are and welcome them to your home.

4. You Forgot About Function

In your focus on beauty, remember to make sure that your garden is functional as well. Consider how your dog will move from the doghouse to your home or how you’ll get to and from the garden shed, and place pathways there. Think about how you’ll water your plants and whether you’ve installed plants that require constant watering. Add outdoor seating if you plan to eat outside, and put a play area close to the views from the kitchen or the living room.

5. You Planted Too Close or Too Much

Succession happens: trees get larger, shrubs grow leaves, and ultimately, everything loses leaves and branches over time. As you plant your garden, remember that those tiny trees and shrubs will grow. Plan for this by giving them space and keeping them away from your home.

When you’re planning your new garden, make a point of connecting your landscaping and your home. Install gutters, patios, awnings and porches that work well with your landscaping, and make sure that larger plantings integrate with your plans for your home and garden. As you plan your new home, Harry Helmet is here to help. Our gutter products can help you make your home and your garden compatible. Contact us today for more information.

Written by Del Thebaud