A beautifully designed landscape encourages people to spend time outdoors, enjoying the fresh air, sunshine and calming effects of trees and plants. This can also lead to improved mental and physical health through the release of endorphins.

Lines create focal points with landscaping objects like water features and flower gardens by naturally creating pathways for the eye to follow. Whether it is perceived or actual, these lines guide the eye and direct traffic. Contact Landscaping Companies Harrisburg PA now!

Soil is a living, dynamic ecosystem that makes up the top layer of the Earth. It’s a complex mixture of minerals, water, air and the decaying remains of once-living things, including plants and animals.

The teeming life within soil performs a host of beneficial functions, from converting organic material to raw materials for plant growth to absorbing and filtering nutrients and wastes. It is a medium for anchorage of roots, and the open spaces between mineral particles allow for oxygen to flow, which is essential for plant life.

While it’s not the same everywhere, soil is a natural system that constantly changes with time and place, due to a variety of factors. Five major ones determine how and where a soil forms: climate, organisms, relief, parent material and time.

A key factor that determines a soil’s texture is the relative proportion of different mineral particle sizes: the larger, sandy particles are called sand; silt and clay are smaller still, with a very fine surface area and little chemical activity. It is easy to estimate a soil’s textural class, even in the field: Simply crush a small sample of soil with your hand and work it between your fingers. A well-balanced loam soil contains equal parts of sand, silt and clay.

Soils vary by their chemistry and biology, but also by their structure and how much water they hold. They can be very shallow, a few centimeters deep; or they can be quite deep, going down for tens of meters. They may be very rocky, or they may have a smooth surface.

Purchasing the right kind of bulk soil is important to the success of any landscaping project. The best choice depends on your region, as soils have specific physical, chemical and biological characteristics that are dependent on the underlying rock (lithosphere) and climate conditions (atmosphere). Local suppliers can help you make this determination. They can provide you with a detailed breakdown of the materials that are included in their soils, including sand, manure and bits of rock. This information will help you select the best soil for your project and the type of plants that will thrive in it.

Plants

Plants are an essential part of any landscape and can serve a variety of purposes. They can provide shade, create privacy, and enhance a sense of place. They can also screen out unwanted views, buffer noise and wind, attract specific types of wildlife or repel insects. Plants can also add color and texture to a garden. They are available in a variety of forms such as trees, shrubs, ground covers, and flowering plants like petunias or daffodils. Some of them are perennial (they come back year after year) while others are annuals, meaning that they complete their life cycle in a single growing season and need to be replaced annually.

The type of plants used in a landscape depends on its purpose and design theme. For example, a tropical theme might include plants that are bold and coarse while a contemplation garden would feature more muted plants that evoke calmness. The plants selected for a landscaping project should match its climate and growing zone as well as its soil conditions.

Woody ornamental plants include trees, shrubs, and vines. They can be evergreen or deciduous, scented or unscented, and perennial or annual. They can also be hardy or tender.

When selecting plants, it is important to consider how long they will live and their aesthetic value. It is also necessary to select plants that are adapted to the site and its cultural requirements. For example, plants that grow well in a region with freezing temperatures should be selected in locations that will not freeze and plants that require a lot of water should be placed in moisture retentive soils.

Besides their decorative value, plants add to the health of a property by providing fresh air and reducing dust. They also help moderate the climate of a property by cooling the air and by trapping heat from the sun.

If you want to incorporate fragrant plants into your landscaping design, choose scented flowers like lilyturf and sweet pea. These flowers bloom in spring and are both beautiful and aromatic. Other fragrant flowers are scented geraniums, which are scented and tolerant of drought. Then there’s chamomile, a perennial with a pleasant scent and daisy-like flowers. The flowers of this plant are used to make a relaxing tea and the leaves can be made into a soothing sedative.

Hardscapes

The non-plant components of your landscaping are called hardscapes. This includes anything from walkways, patios and retaining walls to water features, fire pits, landscape lighting and pergolas. Hardscapes are made of materials like pavers, stone, brick, wood and concrete. The idea behind these elements is to complement and contrast with the living plants around them. For example, a stone pathway with pebbles contrasting against the green of your lawn makes for an attractive contrast in textures.

Hardscapes are usually built from durable materials that stand up to the elements. They also reduce maintenance since they don’t require as much water or other chemicals as grass, flower beds and trees do. For example, replacing grass with pavers reduces the area of your yard that requires regular care. And a sidewalk made of pavers and gravel eliminates the need for mowing.

Another benefit of hardscapes is that they create a sense of separation within your property. For example, a paved patio or walkway is a natural spot to have a cup of coffee in the morning or relax with family and friends in the evening. They also help you define the use of your outdoor space and can be customized to fit your style and needs.

Aside from adding aesthetics, hardscapes have many other benefits that can make your property more functional and enjoyable. For example, if you have a steep slope in your backyard, retaining walls can level it to make it usable and prevent the soft muddy soil from ruining your garden or lawn. And water features, such as fountains and ponds, can create a soothing ambiance while channeling the natural flow of rainwater and reducing erosion in your backyard.

When it comes to designing and implementing hardscapes, it’s important to balance form and function. Although your hardscapes should complement the overall design of your outdoor space, they should not be so imposing or out of place that they detract from the natural beauty of your property. To achieve this, it is helpful to consider their scale, incorporate softscapes to soften the lines, choose variants that serve a purpose and integrate them into your landscape plan.

Lighting

Landscape lighting enhances the aesthetic of your property and helps to make it safe and functional for guests to use at night. It illuminates pathways and walkways, showcases trees and other dense features, and highlights the nuances of your landscape design. There are a wide variety of landscape lights and techniques to choose from. Lighting styles range from classic to contemporary, and energy efficiency, moonlighting, smart home integration and dark sky lighting are common considerations when choosing a landscape light.

Uplighting is a great technique for highlighting tall landscape features like trees, statuary and architectural columns by placing the fixture at their base and pointing it upward. This highlights textures and designs while creating interesting shadows that create drama and add depth. This type of lighting is also useful for highlighting dense plantings and structures, such as wall cladding or stacked stone walls.

Shadowing, also known as backlighting, is a similar lighting technique that creates a silhouette of a feature by placing the fixture behind it, aimed towards an adjacent wall. This produces a darker outline that creates more contrast and is best used for highlighting a tree with open, delicate foliage or grasses that move in the wind.

Step and brick lights are used to safely illuminate stairways and walkways while providing a decorative accent for plant beds, retaining walls and patios. They can be placed in a ring around the walkway to create pools of light that guide visitors and prevent tripping hazards. These are commonly used in xeriscape designs as they illuminate the unique textures, shapes and height differences of the plants and stones that are often found in these types of projects.

Wash lights, which are typically manufactured in the shape of a satellite dish and produce a soft diffused glow, are ideal for washing the face of a wall with light without creating hot spots or increasing the density of the structure being highlighted. This is the most common form of landscape lighting for walls and other structures that need to be evenly lit. It is also very effective for highlighting stucco, brick and other materials in a masonry project.