Landscaping Access Areas

Your home entryways should be created for easy access through your landscape and yard. First impressions count for a lot, so aesthetic appeal surrounding your landscaping ideas and entryways is important. It’s easiest to start with the highest traffic access area which is usually how you’ll reach your home from your parking area. Next, assess the paths and walkways to and from all access areas of your home. Planting ideas that surround these spots should help guide a visitors eye towards your entryways or exits. If you have a side entrance that you use as often or more than your front door, consider those areas as well. Shrubs, colorful blooms, walkways, border and foundation beds, and lighting may be used.

If you’re planting areas for height, start by building up towards your house. Start lower and slowly increase the height of your plants as they get closer to the house. This will help direct attention to the entrance. Use caution here as any garden beds bordering a walk or path can distract from your entrance. Try to think of the beginning of your path or sidewalk as a starting point leading as an opening directing you towards your door.

The entryway to your home should be inviting with safety in mind. Some moderately good lighting and visibility can help ensure safety at night when walking from your parking area into your home. If your home has a mudroom, laundry room, or any other type of utility room that sits next to your front or rear entryway, plan for making it look good as well as functional for traffic.

How do you guide traffic to and through your access areas? Most professional landscaping companies basically follow a common pattern here. Sidewalks, privacy fences, border gardens, edging, walls, trellises, screens, and also rails are more choices. You can use planters to highlight entryways to certain areas. Fences, raised beds, and screening can also be used to hide spots that have visible utilities from view.

When using plantings to define access areas, consider their mature size and spread when spacing. This is often an overlooked consideration in landscaping plans. Since paths, walkways, and other access areas will usually lead to or near your house, plants should have enough spacing from your foundation so that you can take care of both the plants and home. Plant plants so they’re spaced far enough from any buildings so that you will be able to tend to them once they are full grown. Given time to grow, shrubs and hedges create a natural boundary and screen while fences create an immediate boundary.