5 Ways To Add Depth To Your Landscaping Design

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A flat yard can seem one-dimensional. Adding depth to your landscaping can be done in part by choosing plants of various heights, colors, and textures. It is also helpful to use a few techniques beyond plant selection when looking to add depth to your design. 

1. Stacked Beds

A quick way to add a bit of depth to a garden area is to use stacked raised beds. This technique uses a cluster of raised beds of various heights. These can be simple rectangular wood-framed beds, or the beds can be constructed from brick or pavers in any shape desired. Beds can even be stacked into each other, either symmetrically to form a pyramid shape or asymmetrically for a more free-form appearance. 

2. Terracing

Terracing is usually used to slow erosion on an existing slope, but it can also be used to create raised areas and depth in otherwise flat landscaping. The simplest design using terracing is to put in short retaining walls and increasing heights, such as with bricks or railroad ties, to create a stairstep effect in a section of the yard. The area between the retaining walls is then filled with soil and the plantings of your choice. 

3. Dry Creeks

You can add depth by digging down as well as by building up. A dry creek is simply a trench that is lined to prevent weeds and then filled with decorative rocks to create the appearance of a stream bed. Dry creeks work especially well to add depth to areas that tend to drain poorly, as they will solve any soggy soil problems. The verges of the creek bed can be planted with flowers to further add depth to the dry creek's appearance. 

4. Planting Berms

Berms can serve several purposes in the landscape, but for purposes of adding depth, they are typically placed within planting beds as opposed to lawn areas. A berm can affect drainage and water flow in the bed, so careful planning is necessary to avoid moisture availability problems. Soil is built up into mounds throughout a planting bed so that the plants are growing at various heights.

5. Vertical Structures

Don't overlook structures when adding depth. A pretty arbor, pergola, or trellis can be planted with vines to add both a living and inorganic bit of depth to the yard. Structures can be freestanding, like a pergola, or they can be attached to walls or used to span supports on a patio, such as with a trellis. You can also use structures of varying heights to create hidden areas and layers of texture.

Contact a landscaping design service, such as Ray's Landscape Company, if you are ready to begin renovating your yard. 

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18 January 2023

Beautiful Landscaping Can Transform the Look of Any Home

When my husband and I bought our house years ago, we thought it would be our "starter" home and we would move in a few years. We soon had two children, and we then decided against moving since we live in a great school district and we love our neighbors. However, I was growing very tired of the appearance of our home. We painted it a different color, and it still seemed like the "same old house" that we were tired of. We finally deciding that maybe good landscaping would "do the trick" and make our home more enjoyable to use again. We were right, and I now love our home! I now love spending time in our yard and just enjoying the scenery. I have such a passion for landscaping now I decided to create a blog about it. I plan to share many landscaping tips, so come back!