Outdoor Landscaping Ideas

Do you need outdoor landscaping ideas that tolerant to the dry weather? Most homeowners enjoy having a lovely lawn in their front yard. But that requires a lot of maintenance and water of course. We should all have take care and concern about how we use our water. Below are a few "zero-scape" outdoor landscape ideas.

One idea is to tear out the grass in the front yard. Replace it with a woodland garden, patio or grassy meadow. An alternate outdoor landscaping idea would be to create a natural looking pathway to the front door. Turn the front into a woodsy garden that includes concrete or natural stone slabs. The walkway becomes more intriguing with a variety of small evergreen shrubs and delightful perennials lining the path.

The northern areas of the east and west have plant varieties that last all year around with little maintenance. One showy perennial that does very well is the hellebores. It is a buttercup varietal that can have up to 50 blossoms and will grow to 18 inches.

For the Southwest drought resistant outdoor landscaping ideas are commonplace and many homeowners have created small patio areas in their front yards and will compliment it with a few shade trees. Instead of lawn they use gravel in a variety of colors and place native plants such as cactus varieties in their garden areas. A pergola is often added to create a nicely shaded area to enterain in.

The west can been severely affected by droughts every few years. Low maintenance and outdoor landscaping ideas that require very little water should be a top priority. Rosemary and lavendar are very useful plants for cooking, aroma and color. They don't depend on water or human care to thrive. In the west a "zero-scape" or hardscape of concrete or stone slab with a water feature could be installed. Consider it an intimate area to sip your cup of joe in the morning.

Look online to find the perfect plants for landscaping ideas in your region. They will display photos so that you are then able to purchase them from the local nursery or even order the plants from these sites. A money saving suggestion would be to purchase small four inch potted plants instead of more mature plants. They will fill in quickly and look great.

Front yard landscaping is not often considered an area for entertaining or for sitting and enjoying the sun. The front yard is commonly only used to get from the driveway to the front door or for curb appeal. This part of your home can become your favorite spot with the proper planning and creative outdoor landscaping ideas. You pay taxes on all of your property you might as well use and enjoy of every square inch.

A large front yard space is the most ideal for creating entertaining areas. If privacy is a concern it can be achieved by using trees and shrubbery. Trees with great autumn color that sit in pots on the front porch, or grow at the edge of the yard and reappear in the middle of the garden will also add interest. Carpet the path to your front door with drought tolerant ground covers. Wooly thyme is a great choice. It will cover the bare earth and keep down the weeds. For more visual impact try blue star creeper. It produces masses of sky blue flowers and takes light foot traffic well.

River Rock Landscaping

If your neighborhood allows fences in the front yard this would also help create privacy. One idea is to add a low wall around the property's perimeter. Consider a Japanese garden with river rock landscaping that can represent water, symbolically separating the house from the street.

Water features created out of various types of rocks are beautiful and dramatic. They can offer tranquility and peacefulness. River rock landscaping used for the borders and to line pathways, or as part of the facade on the front of your home, and in water features, give a country garden feel to the landscape. A wooden or stone bench and garden swing can provide resting places for your guests. A small table with a couple of chairs is a great place to visit with your neighbors and watch the children play.

A landscape architect or a well trained employee at your local home and garden shop are great sources for your outdoor landscaping ideas and solutions. Your computer is also a great resource. There are many items available to order online that may not be available at your neighborhood home improvement center.

Add value and ambiance with creative front yard landscaping that will invite your friends to meander and sit a spell. Be the envy of the neighborhood with interesting river rock landscaping and decorative borders and water features. Use your imagination!