Love Your Landscape – November 2017

Sometimes it’s easier to begin with a clean slate when you’re embarking on a landscape construction project, but often there are important existing landscape features that benefit the final results by incorporating them into your new outdoor space.

Existing decks, fences, pools, and large trees are common elements in a landscape that typically remain for several reasons. Large trees (depending on the species) are usually great assets in a landscape plan. Replacing them can take years to replace the beauty and shade they create, making leaving them a serious consideration.

If an existing deck or fence is in good condition, it may be good to consider tweaking the design and shape and or looking into refurbishing or replacing the deck/fence boards themselves with a newer materials.

Blending the old with the new takes planning and paying attention to existing details. The overall style and architecture of your home is important to consider, especially here in Jacksonville. What are the major themes inside and outside? What are the dominate architectural lines of the house? How will the new landscape need to be installed, considering these important factors, and your goals for new outdoor living spaces?

Considering these things in the design and planning stages will make all the difference in the finished product.

When the project is complete, the hope and goal is an outdoor area that connects stylistically and architecturally with your home and the landscape elements that remained, and also the new landscape areas that were introduced. Finding the best elements that exist in a landscape and blending them with the new project can bring greater aesthetic reward than simply creating a project from a clean slate.