Are you having a hard time deciding on a landscaping style?
Believe it or not, there are just as many landscaping styles as interior styles, making the selection process overwhelming for homeowners. It’s still best to match your landscaping style with your home’s architecture and overall theme, but if you can’t decide on one, the transitional landscape design is the perfect option.
What is Transitional Landscaping?
Transitional landscaping combines both contemporary and traditional elements to achieve a refreshing but timeless look. It’s the perfect style for those who want to merge the tame and restrained look of modern gardens with the raw and wild look of traditional ones. Although you might think that this style is simply a safe option for those who can’t decide, transitional gardens have their own distinct character and aesthetic, as well as functional benefits.
How to Achieve a Transitional Landscape
In essence, a transitional garden is a contemporary homage or modern interpretation of traditional landscapes. To achieve this look, here are key elements to include:
- Go bold with geometric patterns
Lines, waves, lattice, and other geometric shapes are key elements of a transitional garden. A technique borrowed from formal gardens, these patterns help define specific areas and create flow and structure. Hedgerows and terraces, for instance, help create boundaries among plants and provide a visual pathway guiding you through the garden. Vertical elements such as lattice and concrete walls help confine the garden and provide homeowners with privacy — a very modern concept.
- Include subtle hardscapes
Hardscaping is a common feature of modern gardens, but they take on a subtle form in transitional landscapes. Hardscapes such as paving, steps, and borders are typically melded in the landscape. You’d often see grass allowed to grow through permeable pavers or crawlers spilling over stone steps or walkways. Materials that are subtle and earthy that blend with the surrounding landscape are also a defining feature. This technique softens the boundary between human restraint and nature’s wildness, resulting in a refined piece of landscape.
- Choose native plants
Modern garden designers are big on using native, endemic plants to improve water efficiency, attract local wildlife, and introduce biodiversity. Native plants are also low maintenance as they are already well adapted to the environment. On top of that, native plants help enrich the soil and reduce water runoff, so you can be sure that your garden stays thriving even throughout weather extremes without the need for pesticides and fertilizers.
- Add water features
A transitional garden is all about quiet reflection and restful meditation. It achieves this not only by using visual elements but also by appealing to all the senses. In other words, a transitional garden is not only pretty, but it’s also a garden where you’d want to run barefoot, touch the ground and hold the soil, smell the flowers, and listen to nature sounds, and water can help complete that experience. Nothing beats the sound of running water from a fountain or waterfall or simply seeing that mirror of light.
- Embrace your own quirks
The rule of thumb when designing a transitional garden is that it should reflect your style and personality. It’s a design process that lets you define how you want to experience nature and the private outdoors. Whether you want to blend Japanese elements with Western elements or add an eclectic touch, it’s completely up to you. The transitional garden pays homage to traditions while also celebrating the times.
