A successful landscape is more than the sum of its parts. Flow is important between spaces to create a cohesive look and feel while maintaining the individual charm of each activity zone. If you’re not sure how to tie it all together, here are some landscape design ideas for improving the flow between different spaces in your Lake Forest, IL, property.
Related: How Landscape Contractors Renovate Dated Outdoor Living Spaces In Northbrook, IL
Guide Traffic
There may be nothing more annoying and ultimately destructive to the landscape than not knowing how to get from point A to point B. Poor flow creates inconvenient spaces that people are less likely to use.
Backyard traffic can potentially damage the landscape if the obvious route is awkward such as walkways in right angles (people don’t walk in squares). If there’s no clear path or if the path is obstructed by overgrown shrubs or tree branches, people will make a path they like... and it may not be through areas you want them walking through.
Gravel, concrete pavers, natural stone, boardwalks, or stepping stones are a few styles of walkways that guide traffic to various areas of the landscape.
As long as walkways are designed with human preferences in mind—making the walk pleasant and efficient—people are unlikely to take a shortcut through planting beds or trample the lawn.
Landscape Lighting
Outdoor light fixtures are essential for improving flow between various parts of the landscape after dark and for making spaces feel separate yet connected. An outdoor kitchen needs bright task lighting, a walkway needs to be illuminated for safety, and a seating area needs just enough light for ambience and safety. To tie an outdoor kitchen, walkway, and seating area together, use the same types of light fixtures in each space; the only difference is the intensity of the light (achieved by using bulbs with different wattage), to give each space a unique ambience. In this example, there’s a clear progression from the hub of activity (the outdoor kitchen) to a separate space. The intensity of light could be bright in the center and gradually less intense as you move outward, away from the kitchen.
Landscape Features
When you’re focused on flow, you may want to avoid placing prominent features such as an outdoor fireplace or large planting beds in areas where they create a visual or physical barrier. Wherever possible, position such features so that people are drawn toward them and can clearly see and reach them. For example, a large planting bed with a walkway circling around it looks pretty on paper and gives a clear view of both the patio and what’s on the other side of the planting bed, but this configuration serves to separate the spaces. The solution? Put a walkway through the planting bed as a way to get close to nature while moving between spaces.
Retaining Walls
Retaining walls can be used to create multi-level living, define spaces, guide traffic, and serve as a physical barrier that draws the eye.
Patio
Although it’s considered a destination, a patio actually serves as a transition between the home and the landscape. To accomplish this, it should be a style that complements the home yet blends into the landscape. You may want it to feature comfortable spaces (like you would find indoors) but have an open, airy feel that makes it clear you’re outside. Choosing a unifying theme such as a specific type of paver helps to visually connect separate paver areas such as a patio and a pool deck.
Related: Landscape Design Ideas That Utilize Different Textures In Northbrook, IL
