Your home entryways should be created for easy access through your landscape and yard. First impressions count for a lot, so aesthetic appeal surrounding your landscaping and entryways is important. It's easiest to start with the highest traffic access area which is usually how you'll reach your home from your parking area. Next, assess the paths and walkways to and from all access areas of your home. Planting ideas that surround these spots should help guide a visitors eye towards your entryways or exits. If you have a side entrance that you use as often or more than your front door, consider those areas as well. Colorful blooms, walkways, foundation beds, and outdoor lighting may be used.
If you're planting areas for height, start by building up towards your house. Start lower and slowly increase the height of your plants as they get closer to the house. This will help direct attention to the entrance. Landscaping beds that border a walkway can distract attention away from the entryway. Think of the beginning of your path or sidewalk simply as an opening directing you towards your door.
Your entryway should have a sense of invitation as well as being safe. Good lighting and visibility ensure safety at night when walking from where you park into your home. If your home has any type of utility room, mudroom, laundry room, or outdoor kitchen that matches up to your front or rear entrance, plan for something that's easy to look at as well as functional for traffic flow.
So how do you best guide folks through your access areas? Most professional landscaping companies basically follow a common pattern here. Walks, hedges, borders, edging, fences, trellises, screens, and railings are all good ideas. You can use planters to highlight entryways to certain areas. Fences, raised beds, and screening can also be used to hide spots that have visible utilities from view.
When utilizing plantings to define access areas, space them with their mature size in mind. This is often an overlooked consideration in landscaping plans. Since paths, walkways, and other access areas will usually lead to or near your house, plants should have enough spacing from your foundation so that you can take care of both the plants and home. Space any plants far enough from your house so that you can work all the way around them to maintain them once they are fully grown. Shrubs and hedges given time to grow provide a natural boundary and screen, while fencing offers immediacy once installed.
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