Seasonal Landscape Tips from a Pro

Seeking fresh air, you step into your backyard space. You spot welcome evidence of spring: early blooming plants and trees and an increasingly green turf.

But you may also get a sense that you’d like something from your haven. A fire pit might look nice over there. That tree would look good at night if it was illuminated. The soothing sound of running water might be nice.

Now, before summer is underway and while you still have time at home, is a good time to start planning for ways to enjoy your outdoor space during the temperate season.

Robert Milani, senior landscape architect at Bertog Landscape Company in Wheeling, offers his advice for creating beautiful, meaningful and well-used outdoor surroundings.

Style file: “People often ask me, ‘How do I figure out my style for a landscape?’ I tell them that their style is a combination of what they like and how they want to use their outdoor space, and it depends on their lifestyle and the architecture of the home,” says Milani. For example, someone may have a formal interior and want their outdoor area to match their home or create a seamless transition from that space. Another might want a departure from their structured interior, viewing their back yard as a different kind of respite for relaxation.

Spaces and places: One common challenge in landscape design is how to create spaces that have unique benefits and functions, but tie into a cohesive look and feel. “That cohesiveness is important – you don’t want to have an English cottage garden in one part of your yard and a Japanese Zen garden in another,” says Milani. The goal is a series of dedicated spaces within one property, like a vegetable garden, an intimate seating area with a fire pit that overlooks the back of the house or a main patio, all connected by some design element, like a flagstone pathway or an arbor.

Room for blooms: A key part of effective landscape design is choosing plants with seasonal interest, so you can enjoy continual blooms from spring through early fall. “You want to design a landscape that has constant color changing throughout the season. I’ll ask homeowners what combination of colors they want to see over spring, summer and fall – do they prefer a palette of soft color or do they like combination of bold colors, like oranges, reds and yellows?” says Milani. “I’ll ask what types of plants they like and don’t like, when they want to see in the peak of the garden or if they have dogs or allergies to bees.”

Ultimately, a landscape should reflect both the interests and needs of who is using the space. “In my own back yard, I have yellows, blues and whites to start with in the season, and then that turns into pinks and yellows. My surroundings change throughout the year and when I get home, I look forward to seeing it,” Milani says.