Landscape Design Arlington MA | Ranch-Inspired Ideas
While ranch-style homes and landscaping became popular in the mid-1950s, the simple scale and design of the plants and trees are quite desirable today. These ranch-style landscape design ideas can be exactly what you are searching for to refresh your Arlington, MA, yard.
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Trees
Ranch-style landscape plans rarely include large trees in the front yard because the ranch house is all one level so large trees can look out of scale. While your home might be more than one level, to keep the ranch look a landscape professional could choose trees that stay small such as crabapple, maple, and cherry trees. These add interest and texture while remaining a smaller size and shape.
Shrubs
Shrubs are also generally low growing so as not to obstruct the view from the windows. Keeping shrubs trimmed into an oval or round shape, which goes well with a mid-century modern or a two story home, can provide a direct contrast to the angles of the house. Large groupings of the same low shrub within a planting bed can also be a common choice as this brings a geometric proportion to the landscape.
Plants and Flowers
Many homeowners want some color and flowers in the yard so a landscape expert might add in azaleas, grasses, succulents, and hosta. Spiky and ornamental grasses can also look quite at home in the ranch-inspired landscape.
Pathways
Another distinct feature of this look can be pathways that provide easy movement around the property. Since the presence of grass can tend to be minimal, pathways are part of the landscape plan but they tend to be direct and geometric. There are no wandering paths here but instead clear angles and of tiny gravel that is held in the boundaries by larger stones that border the path. Even red, worn bricks can provide an excellent border for gravel paths.
Shade
Since the trees in the landscape can tend to stay small, a beautiful way to provide shade can be as arbors and pergolas. Arbors can be long and run the span of a pathway while a pergola can be the shady spot that you gravitate to when you want to read a book on a pretty afternoon or relax after dinner.
A pergola can be an ideal covering for a patio or porch that adjoins your home or it can be free-standing as a focal point of the landscape.
Lighting
Adding landscape lighting to the design can make those parts of the property that blend in during the day stand out after the sun sets. Highlighting portions of your property can be a delightful way that a landscape specialist changes the focus of the appearance as one unique tree can take center stage or perhaps there is a row of low trees that create a geometric space that should have nighttime lights.
Most any feature within the landscape can be illuminated to bring a completely different look to your property once the sun goes down.
A talented landscape design and masonry service can listen to your wishes for a ranch-style and create a plan to transform your Arlington, MA, property into the outdoor space you desire. With over 17 years of experience in landscape design, they can bring any landscape preference to life.
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