Rooms With a View, Landscaping From the Inside Out.

Lisa's Landscape & Design ♦ 06/21/2013 ♦ 4 Comments

This is the view from our  master bedroom.  Roses add color all year and provide security on the form of stabbing landscape.

One of the important elements of landscape design is considering what room of your home looks onto which view of the landscape. When I design for a client I ask two important questions. One, “which neighbors would you like to hide” and two, “Which rooms over look this view?”.  In my space as in any other, it is important to consider what the view from each room will eventually look like. If you already have a spectacular view, we want to be sure not to cover it up as the landscape matures, if you are a visual victim of suburbia as many of us are, you need to be a little more creative.

I have positioned plants in my garden to not only strategically hide neighbors and undesirable views but to also act as sound barriers from the outside. By considering these issues in the landscape, I enhance the experience and the view from the inside as well.

This is the view from our master bath. There is a Crepe Myrtle and a Kidneywood that bloom all summer long, provide fall color and interesting structure in the winter.

Color and coverage are important considerations year round inside and out…In our master bath, the view of a neighbor is blocked all year long by this landscaping. I particularly enjoy the fragrance these plants provide during the cooler seasons when the windows can be left open.

In this  room  I positioned this small tree just outside the window to allow enough sunlight to keep the room bright, but  we  don’t have to look at the neighbor’s house across the street.

Be careful not to place a plant in front of your windows that will become too dense and block too much natural light , or allow for a burglar to access your home without being seen from the street. This is where a stabby rose or spikey shrub can work well.

This is my view from our 3 huge windows in the living room. Yoga at home is far more inspiring with a natural view.

Creating a landscape to be enjoyed from the inside out allows enjoyment even when it is too darn hot to be outside. I am able to keep my shades open all day and night if I wished because I cannot see you, and you cannot see me! Utopia….

This is my kitchen, and ohhh how I love this view.

Personally, I would love to live where the woods meets the rain forest, so I design my yard to resemble that as much as I can, and I like my view from the inside to resemble it as well. My kitchen faces direct West and if you are from Texas you know where the saying “if you can’t take the heat, get out of the West facing kitchen” might have come from. (I just made that up) Seriously though, this Italian likes to get her cook on and am not a big fan of sweating while I do it. So I planted a see through jungle to block the sun and reduce my electric bill in the process.

The view from our guest room.

Certain colors and textures bring me happiness so I created my landscape to bring me pleasure even when it is too mean outside to enjoy it. If you are from Texas or any place miserably hot in the summer, you know what I am talking about.

The view from my office.

While my double paned windows made the photos a little foggy, in person these views are glorious. I love this landscape from my office window and I enjoy the bird watching, lizard spotting and butterflies visiting throughout the day. It happies me in special ways and reminds me that there is more to life than cleaning and work, replenishes my soul when I need a pick me up and brings nature to the inside of my space. Sometimes all we need is a little flower and sunshine, and isn’t it a great gift to ourselves to feel regenerated just by glancing out our own window.

The best part of any landscape is that it should be what makes YOU happy. You should have your own special colors, textures, aromas and visual composition that takes you to your happy place. Before beginning your landscape plan, take a look at your space from the inside out.

Besides, your not the only one who enjoys a good view…

Now go get your garden on!

Lisa LaPaso

“Saving the Planet One Yard at a Time”

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