Get the Wow Factor: How to Optimize Color in Your Landscape
We’ve all experienced it. You know what we’re talking about, right?
That moment where we step outside, peek into a neighbor’s yard (or a business’ front entryway or a restaurant’s side patio, etc. etc.) and we stop dead in our tracks, totally captivated, entirely lost for words, struggling to do anything except open our mouths with wonder, desperately trying to whisper the word “wow.”
Landscaping—when done right—can do this. And there’s no reason why your landscape shouldn’t be able to get the “wow” whisper, too.
The key to making that happen with your landscape?
Drop-dead gorgeous color.
That’s right—color is key for bringing your landscape to a whole new level. It catches the eye. It gets people interested. It holds their attention. You could have a sustainable landscape, a virtually maintenance-free landscape, heck, you could have a totally modern landscape—but none of these things are going to hold attention or wonder the way color does (though, a combination of those features probably will—we can talk about that another time!).
In other words, if you’re searching for the wow-factor, you’re searching for color, and if you’re not quite sure how to add color to your landscape in a beautiful, thoughtful, and appealing way, then you’ve come to the right place.
Keep reading to learn how to add vibrant color that works for your landscape instead of against it! Because who said having a beautiful, colorful landscape has to mean extra work?
The Top Tips for Creating Color That Wows When it Comes to Your Landscape
Creating wow-inducing color in your landscape—whether it’s commercial, residential, an HOA, or something in between—doesn’t have to be as complicated as you think! That being said, if you’re new to landscaping, picking the perfect flora and fauna for your land can be tough—especially if you’ve got color on the brain.
To help, we’ve laid out some of the most important tips (well, we think so anyway) for creating clever, optimized, seasonal color that makes sense for your Florida landscape. Ready to dive in? We thought so! Read up and get ready to create a beautiful, colorful, wow-inducing landscape.
Keep it Florida-Friendly
This tip is listed as first on the list because we believe it’s the most important. It’s no secret that Florida can be a tough place to create a beautiful, long-lasting landscape. That’s just the way the coconut falls, friends. So, if you’re designing a landscape that’s going to work for you, instead of against you, it always helps to plant and install flora and fauna that’s first and foremost Florida-friendly.
Of course, that applies to your colorful blooms, flowers, trees, ornamental grasses, shrubs, and more. Unless you’re looking for a lot of extra work (and hey, we don’t judge, we love spending time taking care of ornery plants), we suggest going Florida-friendly over everything—that way you’re cutting your work in half by ensuring the colorful plants you’re putting in your landscape are going to work with the climate and not be hindered by it.
Not sure where to start? Check out our blog posts here for all kinds of Florida-friendly additions:
Optimize for Bloom Time
There’s so much more to optimizing color than just sticking a few bright pops of flowers into rows. No way—you’ll need to think about bloom time if you’re looking for a beautiful landscape full of wonderful color.
Bloom time is when a specific plant, flower, shrub, or tree will be in bloom—and more often than not, most plants will have specific bloom times. Other times, they’ll go dormant and there will be nothing appealing or remarkable about your plants of choice.
If you want your landscape to look good at all times, you’ll need to design your layout to have features with different bloom times, that way, even if one section of your landscape isn’t in bloom, you’ll have another one picking up the color slack (if you will). Ideally, you’ll design a landscape that has a variety of bloom times so that there’s always something vibrant happening in your landscape!
Make sure you coordinate your efforts so that you don’t have gaps in some spots—for example, don’t put all of your spring blooms in one spot and your winter blooms in another, that could leave you with an empty-looking landscape (depending on the season). Not sure how to design a landscape this way? Don’t worry—we can help.
Add Textures and Layers of Materials to Make Flowers Pop
When you’re looking to emphasize color, you need to focus on more than just color. That sounds confusing but hear us out before you scratch your head and start thinking we’re crazy.
If you want people to focus on the color of your landscape, you’ll need to put in extra work and effort in other aspects of that landscape in order to ensure the eye is being directed where you want it to.
The best way to do this? Design a landscape with a variety of materials and textures. Use a healthy mix of shrubs, trees, perennials, annuals, ornamental grasses, groundcovers, etc. You can even use decorative rocks, mulch, or a mix of the two! It also never hurts to add in some statement pieces—like large planters with vibrant plants!
Multi-Level Dimension—Add Height
Layers, layers, layers—that’s the secret to rich color and a gorgeous landscape. When you add in flowers, plants, shrubs, trees, and more that are all varying heights, you create a broader backdrop, interesting focal points, and a sophisticated landscape that never feels one-dimensional.
Don’t Ignore the Surrounding Areas
This point is two-fold. On the one hand, we suggest really paying attention to the maintenance of the surrounding areas of your landscape. If your colors are on point but your overall maintenance is sloppy, you’re not going to be able to emphasize that vibrancy—in other words, your wow-factor is going to fall flat.
On the other hand, you need to pay attention to the surrounding landscapes. Whether you’re a resident living in a neighborhood or a business with competing commercial spaces nearby, take a look at what the other landscapes look like. If you create something just like them, you’re going to blend in—and that’s hardly the way to achieve wow-factor.
Instead, create something super unique, exciting, and totally different—that’s the best way to really emphasize those colors!Can’t wait to brighten up your landscape? We don’t blame you. With these simple tips and tricks, your landscape will be brighter, better, and more colorful than ever—we won’t be surprised when your landscape is the envy of everyone who sees it.
We’d be happy to help you craft your unique, beautiful landscape—that’s what we’re here for! If you’re interested in a specialized landscape with a specific focus on color, texture, maintenance, sustainability, or more, we can help. Reach out to us at (727)-201-3540 or contact us directly through our website right here! No matter what service your landscape might need—from mulching to design to irrigation check-ups—we’ve got your back!
Brent Wastney
