The Important Role Plantings Play in a Landscape Design in the Short Hills, NJ Area

If you’re looking to refresh your landscape design in the Short Hills, NJ area, some time can be given to the importance of plantings. When you’re adding a patio, fire pit, and other amenities to your backyard, the new plantings are what will incorporate nature to your landscape. With a large variety of plantings to choose from, you can find a combination that enhances the outdoor beauty and can provide functional benefits to your space.

Related: ENJOY BEAUTIFUL PLANTINGS ALONGSIDE YOUR PERGOLA IN THE MOUNTAIN LAKES, NJ AREA

Beauty and Function

Adding plantings can do more than just make your area look gorgeous. Different plants can provide different functional benefits that support your landscape and even help the surrounding area to thrive. Trees can cast shadows that help cool an area down—this may be where you want to have a seating area with outdoor furniture. Trees can also be safe havens for birds or other wildlife looking for a place to rest. Flowering plants can help sustain local butterflies and hummingbirds, allowing them to continue pollinating and perpetuating the native beauty. For natural barriers between areas, sound dampening, and additional privacy, shrubs and hedges can be added. Common along walkways or along a fence, these plantings come in a variety of sizes and can be pruned to the shape and size you want. Adding plants with strong root systems can also help prevent erosion and minimize damage done from water runoff.

Including plantings in your landscape design can break up a space that’s otherwise uniform. While dedicated flower beds around a house are nice, it’s not the only way to enjoy the addition of plants. Adding flowers or shrubs around a paver patio introduces a little more nature to the space and can add fun colors that contrast well against earth tone pavers. A retaining wall can make a special area for showcasing favorite plantings. You can even train creeping vines along a retaining wall to create a unique green backdrop.

Types of Plantings

There are a few different types of plantings to consider when planning a greenery update for your outdoor space. One of the most common types of plantings is flowering plants. Annuals work well in seasonal displays and need to be replaced every year while perennials return year after year. Flowers can provide pops of color to your landscape and by choosing flowers at bloom at different times of the year, you can keep your outdoor space colorful regardless of the season.

Shrubs and bushes can create natural borders along walkways or fences. Smaller than trees, these plantings come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Much like flowers, shrubs and bushes, may change colors or have flowers that appear at different times of the year. Plantings like the burning bush can give you a bright red color in the fall, while American holly shrubs produce red berries in the winter for a pop of color while other plants hibernate.

Vines or creeping plants are also great additions to your outdoor space. These plantings can be trained to grow on fences or walls, giving you some extra privacy. This greenery can also make nice ground cover for other colorful plantings to stand out.

In addition to the type of plantings to include, there is also the consideration of native versus nonnative plants. Nonnative plants often bring bright colors, uncommon leaf shapes, and unique additions that may not be seen in other nearby landscape designs. These options are certainly beautiful and will need to be cared for properly to ensure they receive enough sunlight and water to be healthy. Native species of plants are well-suited for our climate and tend to thrive without much additional help.

Related: TIPS FOR ADDING COLOR AND TEXTURE WITH PLANTINGS FOR SHORT HILLS AND MILLBURN, NJ LANDSCAPES

About the Author

GreenNature Landscape Design offers viable solutions to our clients. We provide residential landscaping services that are innovative yet competitively priced. Why choose us? We treat each client like our only client. We have the experience and knowledge to turn your most ambitious ideas into reality. You are the driving factor in our designs. Our designs are focused on meeting your unique preferences. Let us create beautiful landscapes you can be proud of, and outdoor living spaces you can’t wait to spend time in.