As the calendar begins to point to spring (we can’t vouch for the thermometer), it’s time to begin planning outdoor landscape upgrades. That 20-year-old juniper bush may still be evergreen, but it’s also starting to get reedy and disheveled, despite your attempts to prune it. When you introduce plants that add visual texture into your landscape, you create a scene that’s interesting and eye-pleasing. Want to go a step further? Luminocity inspired lighting can help you integrate your outdoor landscape into a lighting design destined to create its own illuminated artwork.
Let’s talk about some good foliage to consider when it’s time to get your hands in the dirt this spring.
It’s about the texture
When you’re planning your trip to the garden center, consider the texture of the plants you’re going to see. Plants typically come in three main textures: fine, coarse, and medium. Fine textured plants are the ones with thin, lightweight foliage. They might be ornamental grass plants, or they may have thin stems and fluffy leaves that create an interesting balance. Coarse textured plants are the ones with the large leaves or blossoms. They tend to grab your attention when you scan your yard. Medium textured plants fall somewhere in between. They aren’t overly large, but they’re not little and delicate either.
As a rule of thumb, you want to plan for 1/3 fine textures and 2/3 coarse and medium textures. But if you’re drawn to the fine textures, by all means, populate your landscape with them. It’s your home, after all.
Fine textured plants
The fun part about fine textured plants is that they give your garden or landscape a casual, fun feel. Their delicate silhouettes complement the bigger foliage and blossoms that threaten to steal the show. By adding these airier textures, you’ll get a sense of natural balance in your garden:
- Tall verbena
- Pretty sedge
- Fennel
- Baby’s breath
Coarse textured plants
Let’s talk about shadows. Coarse textured plants tend to create broad shadows, rather than the wispy shadows created by their fine textured counterparts. Think about painting with a broad brush – that’s what you’re doing with coarse textured plants. Many people think of tropical settings when they see coarse textured plants, thanks to their lush, oversized foliage and brilliant green hues:
- Hostas – especially big-leaf hostas
- Rhubarb
- Dutchman’s pipe
- Rhododendrons
Medium textured plants
Somewhere between fine and coarse, medium textured plants work to link the different sizes and textures in your landscape. They can also add elements of color and whimsy to the outdoor setting:
- Impatiens
- Daisies
- Viburnum
- Camellias
Bringing in the light
Outdoor lighting adds additional elements of depth and value to your landscape. Sure, a few solar-powered lights from the hardware store can illuminate the garden and cast shadows. But an experienced outdoor lighting professional can design outdoor lighting that creates its own artwork among the plants you so carefully selected. Using a combination of uplighting and downlighting, the lighting professionals at Luminocity can intentionally draw the eye to various areas in your landscape design and create depth and highlights, helping your home stand out during the day and at night as well.
Are you ready to update your outdoors this spring? Finish your landscape revival with outdoor lighting from Luminocity. Call us at 317-537-8055 for a quote or reach out to us here to start a conversation.
