Old School Green Design: Keep the Trees!
Trees in the landscape add a sense of place, connection to nature, shade — and great beauty
I am a freelance editorial and wedding photographer and Houzz contributor based out of Hershey, PA. Come visit me at 'A Nest for All Seasons' where I write about design, photography and modern garden living!
I am a freelance editorial and wedding photographer and Houzz contributor... More »
One of my biggest pet peeves with some home building practices is the careless waste of plants and soil that can happen. Trees can be needlessly cut down and topsoil sometimes removed by the ton. When new homeowners move in, they may suddenly find themselves with shadeless exterior spaces and little useful soil to plant in. What a disaster!
Luckily, many architects, builders and designers are respectful of the Earth and use all the benefits of an existing site including existing trees and other plants. Here are some beautiful examples of homes where trees were allowed to remain nearby, offering a beautiful natural environment for the homeowners.
Find a landscape designer
Luckily, many architects, builders and designers are respectful of the Earth and use all the benefits of an existing site including existing trees and other plants. Here are some beautiful examples of homes where trees were allowed to remain nearby, offering a beautiful natural environment for the homeowners.
Find a landscape designer
This tree is almost a piece of sculpture in the way it frames this cleanly-designed home. The home's boxiness plays off the wavy nature of the branches, and the entryway gets a nice arched botanical ceiling.
Wouldn't it be a shame if the gorgeous, massive trees had been cut down before this house was built? The height of the tree canopy is a beautiful contrast to the low, linear design of the home and offer a wonderful, shady spot for an outdoor room.
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| Here is a beautiful home where many trees stand in close proximity to the back of the house. The sunroom still receives plenty of light, but the trees offer a sense of protection, a practical windbreak and give the home a feeling of being nestled in. |
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| It's likely some trees were removed for the building of this house, but thankfully, the chainsaw stopped when it came to that beautiful row of pine trees situated behind the home. They offer a perfect frame — a sweet little pocket of space for the home to nestle into. The deep green of the trees contrasts with the lighter tones of the home, grounding the space. The row of mature trees also provides a welcome wind break for the home at this high altitude. |
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| Trees frame the entry to this home, providing an allée to the back door that will only get better as the trees and plants fill in. |
Imagine how stark this facade would look without this beautiful tree? Building a deck to surround an existing tree is a classic strategy to create liveable space without sacrificing shade and beauty.
Building a deck right up to the very edge of a treeline is another way to seamlessly integrate nature into your design. These plantings create a visual and physical boundary at the edge of this decking — a perfect solution!
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| Whether you have a modern home, a traditional Colonial or a rustic cabin in the woods, trees are always welcome. A few well- placed trees give a home a sense of place, a connection to the environment and welcome shade and wind protection. If you are building your own home, make sure you check out the existing trees before you dig, and tell your architect to protect the trees! More: See How Designers Build Around Trees |
Comments
Nat We did this with our 35 year old frangipani tree - instead of moving it, we just built the fence around it and now it's a feature at our front gate and its beautiful scent blows in with the afternoon sea breeze into the living room
17 months ago · Like
mugsy1703 We also managed to save two aged maple trees on our property. We designed the house around them. 
17 months ago · Like
nnicolaisen I so agree with this! The trees are there before we are, and they not only provide beauty and interest, but homes to birds, and insects. They also offer shade in the hottest months of the year. I wish this was the rule, and never the exception.
17 months ago · Like
luckykats Sigh.......I wish there HAD been trees to save when we built our house!
17 months ago · Like
larryphd The recent Pasadena hurricane winds knocked down the Pear Tree in our front yard and an old Oak tree. Now we have so much light coming in the front room we are getting Plantation Shutters and replacing the trees. We are so glad that we had the insight to replace a huge diseased Split-Toothed Maple or with the recent winds it would have destroyed our home. Lesson learned: Even though you may purchased the home based upon landscape and trees; when an arborist tells you it has to go, safety is the priority over sentimental feelings. We now have a grove of birch trees and Plum trees in our back yard.
17 months ago · Like
Ideabook published on Jan. 14, 2012.
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