14 Easy Landscaping Ideas to Create Lots of Visual Variety (2024)

When you need inspiration for using plants in your garden for maximum impact, try a few of these easy landscaping ideas. They'll help you to use basic design concepts to create a gorgeous outdoor space you can enjoy when relaxing in your backyard, sitting on your front porch, or driving up to your house after a busy day.

Master the Art of Garden Colors

01of 14

Create Swaths of Color

14 Easy Landscaping Ideas to Create Lots of Visual Variety (1)

One easy landscape idea that's simple to implement is to grow big swaths of the same plant for bold interest. Here, for example, this planting bed offers a bold burst of chartreuse from a mass of golden creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia 'Aurea'). It's contrasted (in color and texture) by a planting of blue fescue (Festuca 'Elijah Blue').

19 Rock Garden Ideas to Add Visual Interest to Your Landscape

02of 14

Repeat Colors and Textures

14 Easy Landscaping Ideas to Create Lots of Visual Variety (2)

Planting one of everything gives your garden a hodgepodge look. Avoid that by reusing the same colors, shapes, or plant varieties all around your landscape. Here's a perfect example: To the left of the deck, golden creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia 'Aurea') echoes the color of golden sweet flag (Acorus gramineus 'Ogon'). The sweet flag amplifies the texture of the blue fescue (Festuca 'Elijah Blue'), which plays off the silvery-blue color of a potted false cypress (Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Baby Blue'). The shape of the false cypress, in turn, is a repeat of the Japanese maple next to the deck.

03of 14

Make Plants Do Double Duty

14 Easy Landscaping Ideas to Create Lots of Visual Variety (3)

If your yard has limited space, it's important to make the most of it! One easy landscape idea that makes the best use of plants is to take advantage of those that serve more than one purpose. This espaliered apple tree, for example, offers privacy from the neighbor on the other side, provides an attractive backdrop for the curve in a path, and, in autumn, gives a harvest of delicious apples.

04of 14

Contrast Bold Colors

14 Easy Landscaping Ideas to Create Lots of Visual Variety (4)

One of the most basic, easy landscaping ideas is to create contrasts. Also, consider color; when you pair rich burgundy-purple with chartreuse, the gold hues become brighter, and the purple tones become richer and darker. Together, the colors are much more effective than when used alone.

Complementary Flower Combos in Purple and Yellow

05of 14

Add a Few Whimsical Plants

14 Easy Landscaping Ideas to Create Lots of Visual Variety (5)

Enhance what plants do naturally. Espalier is a perfect example of this. Here, for example, a simple climbing rose goes from ordinary to extraordinary with careful training and pruning. Don't worry: It's easier than it looks (it just takes some pruning once or twice a year) and makes a big impact.

06of 14

Mix Materials

14 Easy Landscaping Ideas to Create Lots of Visual Variety (6)

You can easily add a level of interest to your yard by incorporating a variety of plants and hardscape materials. Here, the natural feel of lawn and cut flagstones makes an eye-catching contrast against smooth Mexican beach pebbles and gravel. The color of the flagstone mimics the beach pebbles and ties the two together; it's an easy landscaping idea and a good example of using repetition.

07of 14

Play with Geometry

14 Easy Landscaping Ideas to Create Lots of Visual Variety (7)

Take advantage of lines, shapes, and angles when reviewing your gardening ideas and laying out your yard to add drama and impact. Here, a square patch of lush green groundcover stands out when lined with palm trees and edged in smooth beach pebbles. This is an easy landscaping idea for the front of the house⁠, too; just run a walkway between the trees up to the front door.

08of 14

Frame Your Garden with Hedges and Fences

14 Easy Landscaping Ideas to Create Lots of Visual Variety (8)

Add interest to your yard with structures. For example, use low fences or hedges to divide spaces and give each space or room its unique identity. Plus, the structures add interest all year long. In this playful example, curvaceous boxwood hedges draw the eye into the garden and look attractive every day of the year.

21 of the Prettiest Flowering Shrubs for Hedges

09of 14

Make the Most of Trees and Shrubs

14 Easy Landscaping Ideas to Create Lots of Visual Variety (9)

Trees and shrubs are some of the most critical players in a well-designed landscape. It's easy to use them to make an impact, especially if you select varieties that have colorful foliage. Go a step further with some creative pruning. Here, for example, sheared golden false cypress and columnar holly make for a delightful contrast against sheared purple barberry.

10of 14

Place Garden Beds In Your Lawn

14 Easy Landscaping Ideas to Create Lots of Visual Variety (10)

It's easy to plant all your beds and borders along the perimeter of your property, but adding an island bed that floats in your lawn is an easy landscaping idea for a good-looking yard. Make island beds extra effective by adding height to the center. Plus, you need to walk around the planting to see what's behind it, so it adds a bit of mystery.

An Island Flower Bed That Looks Gorgeous from Every Angle

11of 14

Freshen Up Planting Beds With Containers

14 Easy Landscaping Ideas to Create Lots of Visual Variety (11)

If you have container gardens, chances are they're on your porch, entryway, deck, patio, or balcony. Too few gardeners consider mixing containers into their beds and borders. Large, colorful glazed or plastic containers add a bright splash, even without blooms. You can move them around to highlight different parts of your yard, plus it's easy to change out container gardens each season to liven up a tired look.

12of 14

Mix and Match Plant Textures

14 Easy Landscaping Ideas to Create Lots of Visual Variety (12)

Our eyes are attracted to color, and many gardeners stop there. But an easy landscaping idea is to add another layer of interest to your garden by incorporating texture. This landscaping idea features tidy mounds of blue fescue punctuated by an upright pyramid of Colorado blue spruce and dwarf black pine. A potted variegated yucca repeats the texture of the grass and adds a new color.

13of 14

Break Up Monotony With Boldly Shaped Plants

14 Easy Landscaping Ideas to Create Lots of Visual Variety (13)

Embrace plant shapes and use them in your landscape. Tuck in a few tall, upright plants to draw the eye up and break up the monotony of repeated mounding shrubs and perennials. Design yards with weeping plants, too: They add excitement, visual energy, and a unique, graceful shape to your yard.

14of 14

Plant Shades of Green

14 Easy Landscaping Ideas to Create Lots of Visual Variety (14)

Using a variety of shades of green helps add depth to your plantings. Bright chartreuse greens (seen in these 'Frisia' honey locust trees) catch the eye and stand out in the landscape, especially compared to the darker, richer tones often found in evergreens. Blue-greens add a softness and almost always harmonize well with other shades.

8 Garden Trends That Will Be Everywhere in 2024

Front Yard Landscaping for a Warm Welcome

  • How to Landscape Front Yards and Entryways to Maximize Curb Appeal
  • Front Yard Flower Bed Ideas for a Colorful and Bright Entryway
  • 23 Ways to Add Curb Appeal for the Best Front Yard on the Block
  • How to Build a Simple Entry Arbor for a Charming Front Yard
  • 8 Small Front Yard Landscaping Ideas to Make the Most of Your Space
14 Easy Landscaping Ideas to Create Lots of Visual Variety (2024)

FAQs

What are the 7 steps to landscape design? ›

  1. Step 1: Plan a Landscape Project. Like any home project, planning is one of the most important aspects of re-landscaping your yard. ...
  2. Step 2: Remove the Lawn. ...
  3. Step 3: Install Hardscape. ...
  4. Step 4: Build a Healthy Soil. ...
  5. Step 5: Install an Irrigation System. ...
  6. Step 6: Purchase & Install Plants. ...
  7. Step 7: Water Efficiently.

What are the 7 principles of landscape design PDF? ›

Design principles include unity, balance, transition, focalization, proportion, rhythm, repetition and simplicity.

What are the 10 principles of landscape design? ›

The principles of landscape design include the elements of unity, scale, balance, simplicity, variety, emphasis, and sequence as they apply to line, form, texture, and color. These elements are interconnected. Landscape design is a process of developing practical and pleasing outdoor living space.

What is the first rule of landscaping? ›

01: OBEY THE "LAW" OF SIGNIFICANT ENCLOSURE

The law of significant enclosure says that we feel enclosed when the vertical edge of a space is at least one-third the length of the horizontal space we're inhabiting.

How do I simplify my landscaping? ›

Simplify Your Landscaping and Enjoy Your Garden
  1. Hardscape Your Garden. As you plan for a simpler garden landscape, invest in hardscaping elements that will add to your garden but require little ongoing upkeep. ...
  2. Plan for Seasonal Color. ...
  3. Choose Quality Over Quantity. ...
  4. Reduce Your Maintenance.

How do you make a minimalist landscape? ›

In a landscape, this means using a limited color palette, incorporating geometric shapes, and sticking to a few key plant species. It's important to make every element count and have a clear purpose, whether it's a sleek pathway, a single focal point, or a well-placed tree.

What makes a successful landscape? ›

Inviting atmosphere

Businesses with effective landscaping typically have benches for sitting, easily navigable pathways, unique elements of moving water, etc. At its best, effective landscaping may create an atmosphere that persuades a customer to come in and see what you have to offer.

What are the five most basic elements of landscape design? ›

An aesthetic landscape design incorporates five key elements: line, form, texture, color and scale. The perfect balance of these design features appeals to the eye and brings harmony to a space.

What is unity in landscaping? ›

Unity in landscape design occurs when all the different elements of a design composition come together to convey a sense of oneness. This is done through repetition and consistency. A theme should be chosen that is harmonious with the character of the house and land on which it is built.

How do I make one sheet landscape? ›

Change part of a document to landscape
  1. Select the content that you want on a landscape page.
  2. Go to Layout, and open the Page Setup dialog box.
  3. Select Landscape, and in the Apply to box, choose Selected text.

What is softscape landscaping? ›

Softscape is comprised of all the living elements in a landscape, such as trees, flowers, grass, shrubs, and other plants. Softscape can also refer to other aspects of landscaping, such as weed control, mulch, and other tasks like mowing, trimming, grading, and planting.

How do I make a backyard Layout? ›

The design process itself isn't hard at all. How do you design a backyard layout? Start by outlining all the fences, add a walkway, place utilities and plants, set out primary paths, and remember not to crowd pathways or patios.

What is the rule of three in landscape design? ›

Three plants creates balance

If you have enough space, group them in an equilateral triangle. This looks particularly good with mounding or vertical plants. Be sure to leave some space between the plants, especially if they are three different kinds.

What are the 5 elements of landscape design? ›

An aesthetic landscape design incorporates five key elements: line, form, texture, color and scale. The perfect balance of these design features appeals to the eye and brings harmony to a space.

What are the stages of landscaping? ›

Understanding the four stages – design, plan, construct and inspect – of any landscaping project is key to ensuring you have the beautiful landscape you want while remaining within budget. Keep in mind that you don't need to be a landscape architect to know what you like or don't like.

What are the three principles of landscape design? ›

Design principles guide designers in organizing elements for a visually pleasing landscape. A harmonious composition can be achieved through the principles of proportion, order, repetition, and unity. All of the principles are related, and applying one principle helps achieve the others.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Virgilio Hermann JD

Last Updated:

Views: 5372

Rating: 4 / 5 (41 voted)

Reviews: 80% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Virgilio Hermann JD

Birthday: 1997-12-21

Address: 6946 Schoen Cove, Sipesshire, MO 55944

Phone: +3763365785260

Job: Accounting Engineer

Hobby: Web surfing, Rafting, Dowsing, Stand-up comedy, Ghost hunting, Swimming, Amateur radio

Introduction: My name is Virgilio Hermann JD, I am a fine, gifted, beautiful, encouraging, kind, talented, zealous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.