by
Dawn West, All About Lawns Columnist
Sure, there are lawns in every neighborhood that are the envy
of the block (hopefully your lawn is the one, in fact). But now and
again there are yards that impress for entirely different reasons -
sculpture gardens, reflecting pools, wild flowers. Here are just a few
landscaping ideas from truly standout yards. You
can't go wrong with a great lawn, but with a more daring landscaping
choice, your yard can wow in a whole new way.
Bowling Ball Gallery
My neighbor George finished a major
remodeling a few months ago and then set about landscaping. I expected
him to put back in his lawn, and for the most part he did -- except for
in a little side yard. There, he instead went some large stone gravel
and peppered throughout it, George's collection of colored bowling
balls. Much to my surprise, those bowling balls look great. The
landscaping take home lesson for you: think creatively about color and
texture, especially in borders and out of the way corners.
Koi Pond
Last year, an acquaintance of mine threw a dinner
party. Sure dinner was good, but the real treat was his yard and its
little pond, full of koi (those large Japanese goldfish). The pond was
a high maintenance endeavor for sure, but the beauty made up for it.
Not every yard has the scale (or an owner with the interest) to support
a pond, but the
landscaping idea to take away is that
water and
movement work wonders. If you can't have a pond, consider a fountain.
If you can't have Japanese goldfish, how about a wind chime.
Hedge Maze
On a garden tour last year I wanted to get a closer
look at some tress across the way (that's just me) but guess what? A
hedge stood in my way. Seems like an easy enough problem, except that
the formal hedges weren't so maneuverable. I had to walk down and
around and around again, all to get where I was going. So am I saying a
hedge maze is a
landscaping idea with mass appeal? No. But the
geometrical lines and the way it created a flow for the yard are pure
inspiration.
Even if you're sticking to fairly standard
landscaping, try out some creative choices in the details of your yard.
Whether it's an innovation in the borders, the accessories, or in the
visuals paths you create with your trees and flowers, a little extra
wow goes a long way.
Dawn West B.A. holds a B.A. in English from Harvard University and teaches writing at Oregon State University.
