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Landscape Design
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Steal This Landscape View
If your own landscape just isn't enough, widen your perspective by opening up to a whole other view
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 »
Most typical homeowners would like more land. But if you can't purchase or maintain more than what you have, the next best thing is to steal a view.
If you are blessed with beautiful landscapes around you, a beautiful garden next door, a mountain range in the distance or a peek of the ocean, you should play it for all it's worth. Plan your garden hardscaping to maximize views, plant to enhance the lines of the surrounding countryside and expand your living space visually by pretending those vast expanses are simply an extension of your backyard. Here are some guidelines.
If you are blessed with beautiful landscapes around you, a beautiful garden next door, a mountain range in the distance or a peek of the ocean, you should play it for all it's worth. Plan your garden hardscaping to maximize views, plant to enhance the lines of the surrounding countryside and expand your living space visually by pretending those vast expanses are simply an extension of your backyard. Here are some guidelines.
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1. Don't Block the View
The first rule of thumb when stealing a view is simply not to block it. If you have a forested mountain view off your back porch, make use of see-through railings instead of solid walls. The open spaces create a sense of oneness with the surrounding area.
The first rule of thumb when stealing a view is simply not to block it. If you have a forested mountain view off your back porch, make use of see-through railings instead of solid walls. The open spaces create a sense of oneness with the surrounding area.
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Open latticework can provide a sense of enclosure while still capturing the views of greenery and sky beyond your backyard.
| 2. Blur the Boundaries This garden has plantings and a pathway marching right toward the pond, gaining height as they progress. The taller plantings visually bridge the gap between the short lawn grass and the view of the pond, creating a connection for the viewer. It doesn't matter where the property lines are; the lines of sight have no boundaries. To see another example of a landscape that blurs the boundaries, check out this new home set within a reclaimed meadow in Maine. |
3. Mimic the Scenery
Perhaps your property overlooks commercial farming enterprises. Take notes from the color blocking and mimic the designs with your own plantings. Your garden will flow visually into the farm, and your property will seem to greatly expand.
Perhaps your property overlooks commercial farming enterprises. Take notes from the color blocking and mimic the designs with your own plantings. Your garden will flow visually into the farm, and your property will seem to greatly expand.
| You might not own the lake or the wooded property next door, but who's to say you can't take visual cues from them? Follow the curve of the lake with curved planting beds and plant trees that reflect the look of the wild forests beyond. |
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| 4. Open Windows Create windows in your garden by opening up views to the surrounding countryside. With an intentionally crafted view of the farm next door, the hillside becomes an integral part of your design. You do no work to keep the fields beautiful, yet you benefit from the visual impact. |
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If you are lucky enough to live in the middle of a wildflower field with wide open skies in every direction, take advantage with windows all around. Just don't throw stones.
| Whether you live in the countryside, on a wooded lake or in an apartment overlooking the surrounding skyline, maximize your fantastic view by blurring boundaries, opening windows and mimicking the scenery around you. More: Old-School Design: Frame Your Garden View Room With a View: Designing Around a Panorama Indoors Looking Out |
Comments
CAROLE MEYER There is nothing like a view you don't have to weed or mow yourself! 
14 months ago · Like
· 2
2
Fine Art & Portraits by Laurel Nice article. I especially appreicate #3, designing your yard in harmony with existing views, making those views an extension of your own land.
14 months ago · Like
Ideabook published on March 26, 2012.
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