Landscaping Access Areas And Entryways
The entrances to your home should provide easy access through your landscaping and yard. First impressions count for a lot, so aesthetic appeal surrounding your landscaping ideas and entryways is important. It’s easiest to start with the highest traffic access area which is usually how you’ll reach your home from your parking area. Next, assess the paths and walkways to and from all access areas of your home. Plantings surrounding these areas should guide visitors’ eye towards your entry/exit points. Side entrances that you use as often or more than your front door, should also be considered. Colorful blooms, walkways, foundation beds, and outdoor lighting may be used.
If you’re planting areas for height, start by building up towards your house. Start lower and slowly increase the height of your plants as they get closer to the house. This will help direct attention to the entrance. A note of caution is that garden beds bordering a walkway or path can distract attention from your entrance; the best way I can explain it is to think of the beginning of your walkway as a starting point leading your entry as a vector opening directing you towards your door.
Your entryway should be inviting as well as safe. Good lighting and visibility ensure safety at night when walking from where you park into your home. If your home has a mudroom, laundry room, or any other type of utility room that sits next to your front or rear entryway, plan for making it look good as well as functional for traffic.
How do you guide traffic to and through your access areas? Most professional landscaping designers basically follow a simple pattern here. Walkways, privacy hedges, shrubs, border gardens, edging, fencing, trellises, screens, and railings are options. You can place planter boxes to frame and accent entryways to certain areas. Screens, hedges, raised beds, and fencing can also be used to mask areas that are more utility-based from view.
When planting to define access and entry areas, consider the mature size and spread of the plants when spacing. This is often an overlooked consideration in landscaping ideas. Since paths, walkways, and other access areas will usually lead to or near your house, plants should have enough spacing from your foundation so that you can take care of both the plants and home. Space any plants far enough from your house so that you can work all the way around them to maintain them once they are fully grown. Shrubs and hedges given time to grow will create a natural boundary, while a fence offers immediacy.
