Garden Styles

Many people are not clear about what their landscape design style is or "should" be.  Broadly speaking, garden style breaks into two major categories: formal and informal. 

Easy, isn't it?

Although much of what determines the style is a matter of the architecture, there is usually a bit of wiggle room in determining what the "proper" look should be.

We have installed formal gardens against cottage style homes and perennial gardens with lots of color against a stone, Normandy style grand home.  There are rules, but if you work carefully, you can sometimes ignore conventional wisdom and generate a wonderful end result.

                                                                                           
Here, in a very abbreviated fashion are some of the styles that can adorn a house. This is not meant to be a treatise on garden or architectural history. Hopefully this brief tutorial will allow you to formulate an opinion as to what resonates with you.

Formal Gardens

Frequently the architecture talks...and you have to listen. If you have a  Georgian home, or a French inspired manor house, odds are that you will be drawn to the linear, geometric and symetrical aspects of a garden, as befits a house built along those lines. Think Versaille. (OK, next door to Versaille.)

If you're not sure what the style of your home is, try searching Google Images for “architectural styles” and look for homes similar to yours.

Some Mediterranean style homes beg for the formal look. 

And the “Williamsburg” look can be a bit looser, but still maintains the lines you associate with when you think of formal gardens. This style can be used against many architectural styles. 

Informal Gardens

When the look is not structured and manicured, the garden would fall into the realm of informal.

Frequently this entails perennials and shrubs planted for a more “flowing” effect.

Although the maintenance of the informal garden would be less in terms of shearing evergreens for lines, informal gardens still need care to get that “uncared for” look.

 Cottage Gardens

The lack of symmetry, the dominant use of dense massings of perennials, annuals and some evergreen materials are thematic in the cottage garden. Think smaller homes with an English thatched roof cottage in the background (only not so much).

Contemporary Gardens [The New American Garden]

The melding of formal and informal styles could characterize the contemporary garden.

A snip of this, a line from there. It's what folks have done throughout history...the human propensity to take ideas from everyone and make it new.  A long tradition of taking the best and making it your own...so to speak.

Here's a good example of bending or ignoring the rules. The architecture of this house begs for symmetry...a formal garden would seem to be in order. But the client's love of color and looseness resulted in this American mix. Neither fish nor fowl, it still has appeal for many.

Natural and Naturalized Gardens

The somewhat recent discovery (in the last 200 years) that nature has something to offer the garden is a concept that is now firmly rooted in the landscape design community and their clients.

It almost looks as if nature could have done it.

Perennial Gardens

Although not really a “style”, the perennial garden is very important stylistically.

Merging some of the lines of formal gardens with the exuberance of the perennial garden is for many garden enthusiasts the best of all worlds.

Whether in shade or sun, the perennial garden offers color and lines that nothing else can.

To learn about Aardweg Landscaping's process for designing a garden suitable for you and your home style, complete the contact form below, or call us at 610-355-0703.

I need to screen a view or neighbor's yard so I can have privacy

At Aardweg Landscaping, we have experience using beautiful trees, evergreens, shrubs, ornamental grasses and perennial flowers to create verdant screens that provide privacy.  We can advise you as to the appropriate landscape materials and whether the situation necessitates all-evergreen materials or a mix of deciduous and evergreen. In our landscaping process we frequently add perennials and flowering shrubs to a privacy screen to give charm to the visual barrier. We will create a living boundary that deters curious eyes while providing the beauty that only nature can provide. We will start by providing you options that include three separate budgets for the landscaping ideas, and you select which option best suits your needs and your budget.

Aardweg Landscaping offers landscape design packages starting at only $3,500, and has created custom landscapes that cost more than $50,000. Our standards of customer service and professionalism are extended to clients of all types: We pride ourselves on providing the best landscaping for all customers on the Main Line. After you decide which option is best for you, sit back and let Aardweg Landscaping do the job. You are sure to become one of our many satisfied customers. See examples of some of our previous privacy screening projects and other landscaping ideas in our portfolio.

There are issues with drainage that need to be addressed

Improper grading of a yard can cause water to drain poorly or accumulate in unwanted locations, degrading your property values, and possibly even damaging your home. Standing water in a lawn has the potential to cause thousands of dollars of damage to the foundation of your home, let alone any landscaping that you have or wish to have. At Aardweg Landscaping, we can create a drainage system around your home that keeps your foundation dry.

The Aardweg Landscaping team can create a French drain system or dewatering well that removes standing water from your lawn. We can repair damages to your existing landscape, restoring the beauty to your yard and home. Alternatively, we can offer you landscaping ideas to create a whole new beautiful outdoor oasis. Sink holes, decaying tree stumps and other unseen problems can be under your grass, adding to water problems.  We can find these problems and provide a permanent fix. Our customer testimonials speak to the professionalism and personal attention you can expect to receive from Aardweg Landscaping.

Contact Aardweg Landscaping to talk to a landscaping professional about these and other services available to you. Our convenient location allows us to serve all of the Main Line. You can reach us by phone at 610-335-0703.

• I'd like to discuss ideas for the design. Not sure what I want, but I know it when I see it.
• I have some ideas of the direction I want to go, but need to bounce them off a professional and then get the process moving along.

Taking on a new home and its landscape can be both an exciting opportunity and a challenge.  Whether your new yard is a blank canvas or you've inherited an existing garden that's in need of an update, narrowing down the myriad landscape ideas can be overwhelming.  Enlisting the help of Aardweg Landscaping can start you off on the right foot, setting you up for success and providing a beautiful outdoor environment you'll enjoy for years to come.

Entry redesign for French inspired home in Radnor

Landscaping Ideas
Achieving the perfect landscape is a combination of several factors.  Your personal taste is a big part of it, but so are your lifestyle and the architecture of your home.  Truly great landscaping ideas will do more than just look pretty; they will also accommodate how you'd like to use your yard, how much maintenance you're prepared to invest, and solve any site problems, such as poor drainage, lack of privacy, or less-than-pleasant views.  Aardweg Landscaping’s knowledge and experience can incorporate all these factors into a design, creating a beautiful result that is incredibly functional and works harmoniously with your home's style.

It isn't just brand new gardens that benefit from the landscaping ideas Aardweg Landscaping has to offer.  Aardweg Landscaping can help you tame a neglected or overgrown garden and breathe new life into a landscape that's simply boring or un-extraordinary!

Costs
When it comes to the cost of hiring a professional landscape designer, pricing is more flexible than most people think.  If you're like most people who are looking for landscaping ideas and don't want to do your own installation, Aardweg Landscaping can work with you to design a plan that suits your needs.  If you don't have the funds available immediately, Aardweg can do the installation incrementally as your budget permits. Aardweg Landscaping jobs start as low as $3500.00. Once the garden is in place, Aardweg Landscaping can also handle the maintenance.

Aardweg’s landscaping ideas can actually save you time and money in the long run.  The trial and error of designing a garden yourself can lead to costly mistakes in terms of plant and landscaping material, and the time you spend thinking and re-thinking design choices is worth something as well.  Aardweg Landscaping offers master plans, photo images, and 3D renderings of the final result so you can be confident you're getting the garden you want.  

Contact us today to schedule a free one-hour consultation and learn how our landscaping ideas can improve your new home's yard.

• The existing shrubs and trees are overgrown and need pruning/removal/transplanting
• The front of my home is BORING and does not meet my needs.
• I have areas that are OK, but there are areas that need help.

If your new or existing home's landscaping has overgrown bushes on the foundation, you have a lot of company. Removing plants that have grown so large that they obscure the house is a common occurrence for many home owners as they move in or reassess their current home . The root problem was a poorly designed landscape from the start. Even “professionals” who should know better, install plants that will outgrow the area, leaving the homeowner with more maintenance than a well-planned landscape design. Some homeowners have educated themselves about the proper maintenance and care for these plantings, but if you are like most people, you either do not have the time or the knowledge to do the work yourself.

Creating a landscape that fits your aesthetic and the architecture of the home requires designing, installing and maintaining it.

Whatever your landscape requirements, you can find the services you need at Aardweg Landscaping.  Every homeowner wants their home to appear attractive, with unique and interesting curb appeal.  Having a properly landscaped home can make it the standout in your neighborhood.  The first step to accomplishing the look you want for your home is creating a plan that works for you.  Browse the amazing transformations we've made for our customers for some great landscaping ideas.  

Maybe you are satisfied with much of your current landscaping design, but there is an area you are unsure of.  It may be an area at the back of your property which has been neglected because of the location, or because the soil is inhospitable to plants.  It could be that all you need is a visual concept of landscaping ideas to inspire you.  Our talented landscape professionals can help you realize your dream of a perfectly landscaped home.  Just call us at 610-355-0703 or enter your contact information in our website contact form to work with one of our professional landscapers on your unique plan!