Bellas Landscaping's Blog

The Importance of Textures

2012-02-24T13:57:00.002-08:00

One key element to any type of design is texture and landscape design is no different. Texture also play an important part of elements such as scale and color. When planning a new landscape or a landscape renovation the textures of the plants, mulch, buildings, and hardscape should all be considered.

Plants can be arranged so that the textures make the space feel larger or smaller. Plants with a coarse texture can be placed farther away so that the detail of the plant makes it seem like it is closer. The opposite can be used if you want to make a space seem bigger. If a plant with really fine texture is placed further away it makes it seem farther away than a plant with a coarse texture planted at the same location. Coarse textured plants often gain more recognition from a viewer than fine textured plants. When lighting is installed on a coarse texture plant it will hold more shadows and interest from the lighting. If you are using a plant for a focal point you may want to consider a coarse textured plant that will stand out against some small textured plants.

The textures of the hardscapes should also be considered. Textures inside patios and walkways can lead a viewers eye to a focal point like a water feature or statue. Often different styles of pavers or concrete are used as an accent inside a patio for visual interest. Patios can have a natural texture, a smooth texture or an antiqued texture. Often patios may have two of the textures listed above. Whichever textures are preferred they need to be coordinated with the patios surroundings.

Textures of fences and walls should also be considered. A fine textured wall or fence will make the area seem larger, while a coarse textured wall or fence will make it seem smaller. Mulch textures are also important because different sizes of rock or mulch make a landscape bed look larger or smaller. Small rock gives the appearance of a larger area than bigger rock or chunks of mulch.

It is important to include different softscape and hardscape textures in your landscape design.

See more examples of textures from some of our work...www.bellaslandscaping.com

2012-02-07T17:42:00.000-08:00

If you have not heard of Pinterest we strongly suggest you look into it.

After you sign up you can "save" images that you stumble upon while web surfing and post to your "boards". You can create several boards that can range from food and recipe ideas to landscaping and ideas for your home. The boards can be themed however you want. With a simple browser plugin you can quickly "pin" photos or images that catch your attention. As a company we can also set up pin buttons on our pictures, posted on our website, that will allow others to pin the image to one of their boards. This is a way to get our ideas and designs out to a large audience. It is also educational to surf through images for future ideas and inspiration. After posting our first few photos, they were already being pinned and re-pinned by users. Users can also upload their own photos to their boards to showcase their photography, products or events. Pinterest is currently driving more traffic to websites than Twitter and Google+ and is one of the fastest growing forms of social media.

We encourage you to browse the amazing photos related to landscaping to get ideas for yourself that we can include in your landscape design. One thing that is certain is there will always be fresh content every time you log onto Pinterest. Follow us on Pinterest as we update our photos as well other users photos that we enjoy.

Design Software

2012-01-30T09:09:00.000-08:00

We are proud to introduce our new design software. The software allows us to create 3D images and videos to help clients see their landscape design prior to construction. It also helps the designers and installers picture what they are designing and installing. This is also very important because it can be difficult for installers to imagine what the designers had pictured when they were designing the landscape. The software will also allow us to create colored designs that we can present to our clients. The importance of color in a design is underestimated by most. Not only does color look better on paper it also helps showcase the element of color in the design and any themes that may have been implemented based on colors of plants and other items. There are also thousands of "components" that can be inserted into the designs, including plants, fireplaces, fire pits, water features, etc. These accessories will help show what your landscaping, or outdoor area, will look like once completed. It can also be a big asset when scale is in question. How much room you have on a patio or how large a landscape bed is in relation to the home is hard to imagine for anyone. This software will let you see for yourself, at eye level, what exactly has been proposed. All the above will help clients feel more comfortable with their choices of materials that they are adding to their landscaping. This will eliminate the surprise that a lot of homeowners get when landscaping begins to mature. Below are some pictures of a sample design that we completed.

We are also able to create visual walk through video for the client as well. This will help create a very powerful presentation for the clients to view. It will allow the designers to showcase their ideas before installation.

Rockwood Wall Fireplace

2012-01-23T13:32:00.000-08:00

After our visit to this years Mid Am show an item that stuck out to me was the fireplace wall from Rockwood, shown below. For those that are looking for a more contemporary look or ease of use this will meet your needs. A lot of homes are being built and renovated using gas fireplaces and a lot of those are similar in their sleek and contemporary look. Anytime you can bring a design element from inside the home to the exterior living area it ties the whole home together. Beside the convenience of the gas, you can also be assured that you and your guests will not leave smelling like smoke. We have installed a lot of gas fire pits for those two reasons. It is built using stainless steel so it will hold up very well with our weather. We will also be able to find ways to incorprate it into other landsdcape designs, walls, pillars, etc. We are excited about where the outdoor living part of our company, and the industry is headed. We can't wait to install one of these and see what it looks like working in an outdoor living space.