The Art of Landscaping: Extend Your Home to the Outdoors 

Many homeowners are on top of making home remodeling and renovations. They look at their bathrooms and kitchens and wonder how they can improve the layout, material, or design. And yet many times the exterior of the home is neglected. Before you know it, the yard is full of weeds and things get scruffy real quick. Sometimes the thought of yard work or lawn work is too overwhelming that people simply ignore it for months at a time. Yet, working on your home’s landscaping can not only improve curb appeal but it can extend the feeling of home to your outside space. The possibilities of what you can do with your landscaping are truly endless. So here at R Company, we don’t just work on the interior of your home, but also the exterior. Extending your home vision and adding a touch of style and originality to the outside will make a world of difference. 

So where do you begin?

Maybe you just moved into a new home or have simply been too busy to pay attention to your outside. If you find yourself looking at a barren yard or one covered in weeds and overgrowth, the initial question is the same: where do I begin? So before you go out and start buying random plants and flowers, let’s think about some fundamental principles of landscaping. 

Tip #1: Remember that form follows function

One of the first things to consider is how you want to use the space. Think about what you and your family usually do outside, like to do outside, or might do outside if space was more welcoming. Do you need open space for the kids to play ball? Are you looking to set up a garden? Are you looking to have dinner parties, family barbeques, or build a space to sit and read outside? Knowing how you want the space to function will help you think about how the form can bend to that. Make a list of your needs and use this as a starting point.  

Tip #2: Survey the land

What we mean by this is consider several practical considerations including the orientation of the house, how the sun travels across it, shaded areas, etc. Understand the path of travel or how you plan to move around the yard. Think about where the best spots to plant trees might be. 

Tip #3: Start small

Don’t try to do everything at once and overwhelm yourself. This is often the culprit for unfinished or neglected landscaping. Take one thing at a time and keep it simple. 

Tip #4: Don’t forget to factor in the local climate

It’s quite possible that if you live in El Paso, you envision a yard that is lush green with trees and plants of dark green foliage. And while it’s possible, you might consider El Paso’s climate and realize what you might be spending on watering costs, etc. That doesn’t mean giving up your dream. It just means to be smart about how you organize and divide the space. 

Once you know what direction you’re taking your landscaping, you can move on to considering the kind of plants, shrubs, or decorative material that you want to install. Here’s a couple of ideas that guide people’s landscaping plans. 

Create contrast. In order to make something really pop, contrast is often your friend. Many people will create a very eye-catching landscape design simply by contrasting to differing elements. For example, a theme of repeating tall cactus, with some succulents, or flower beds in contrast with desert plants. 

A unifying theme goes a long way. Even if you have one unifying element, it can take your landscape design to a whole new level. One element that brings cohesion to what might be a space with plenty of diversity, will help keep the design unified. 

Popular Landscaping Ideas for the Southwest

The Southwest has a lot to offer in terms of unique style and native plants that withstand the weather and dry climate. Some of the most popular desert landscaping ideas include:

Rock and stone landscaping. Using different colored rocks and stones is a great way to line paths, to create contrast, and to section off areas of the yard. 

Parry’s Agave: You’ve likely seen this cactus plant around. It’s native throughout central Arizona, New Mexico, and into West Texas. These are often considered the ‘backbone’ of desert landscaping. Very characteristic and large cactus plants really create the Southwestern aesthetic. 

Ocotillo: This wonderful shrub is often confused for a type of cactus, but it is actually a drought-deciduous shrub. It has long tall arm-like branches that grow upward and provide a red flowered tip that provide a source of nectar for hummingbirds. Forget about buying hanging hummingbird feeders when you can attract them with this beautiful shrub. 

Embark on the Landscaping Journey with R Company 

For many homeowners, landscaping is just the beginning of a long-term journey that continues constant modification, changes, and upkeep. It is a very rewarding aspect of housekeeping. For other homeowners, landscaping might be a bit of a chore. Regardless of how you feel about it, R Company can help you get started with unique and practical ideas for your exterior space. Call us today and we can talk about how to turn your barren yard into a space that spells “home.”