Backyard Beauty Can Be Yours

Yards come in all shapes and sizes, but whatever their dimensions, they function best when fully integrated with the home.   

“If you are embarking on a new build, have your architect and landscape architect work together,” says Daniel Bruzga, owner of db Landscaping LLC in New London. “How your outdoor spaces relate to your home can influence everything from window placement to elevations and driveway location. Getting your vision for your home and your outdoor areas in sync from the beginning can save time and money.”

Bruzga notes your outdoor spaces are not just the patio. 

“You see outdoor areas from inside and in all seasons. They should be appealing wherever you look. By adding features, such as four-season color, a water feature and trees with interesting shapes, you can create a year-round environment that is peaceful and lovely.” 

Given New England’s long winters, Bruzga creates “winter-scapes” using trees with interesting characteristics, such as the colorful, peeling bark of birches or paper bark maples, pops of color from red twig dogwood and winterberry holly, or the varied shapes of different yews and spruces. “Ornamental grasses, if left uncut, also provide color and movement,” he adds. As an added bonus, many of these plantings support wildlife. 

Revamping the landscape of an existing home can seem daunting, Bruzga admits. “If your home is surrounded by overgrown evergreens, it can be more efficient to remove them and plant fresh than try to trim them into shape. Trimming can work, but some homeowners don’t want to go through the ‘ugly’ phase after the trees are cut back and before they grow into their new shapes. Your landscaper can advise you as to the best move.”

A large amount of yard space creates an opportunity for multi-level landscaping that includes outdoor “rooms,” stone steps and a variety of plant material. Photo by Great Island Photography, Tom McHugh & Lindsey Holmes

If your yard butts up to an overgrown woodlot, Bruzga advises hiring a pro with a brush cutter on an excavator to cut some “windows” into your woods: “Opening up the woods not only allows access, but lets you see into the woodlands, creating new vistas.” 

Whether your home is new or not, taking a moment to walk through and consider what you see outside can improve your yard. “Adding flowering trees or shrubs, selective plantings or stonework can soften the landscape with color and shapes,” he says. Even a water feature need not be a big expense. Bruzga suggests buying a premade element that you simply fill up and plug in to get the soothing sound of flowing water. 

While larger estates may enjoy a number of garden “rooms” serving various functions, even small spaces can create areas for dining, cooking and relaxing through judicious use of plantings and screens. “Open plan is fine, but if you want separation, use latticework and climbing plants to create walls of greenery for privacy, or add a row of planters to create a boundary. Even changes in the hardscape, from pavers to crushed stone, can delineate areas,” Bruzga says.

Bruzga primarily works with native plants as these are bred to withstand the regional climate, are hardier when it comes to disease and are more economical. “A plant or shrub that is meant to be here is more likely to last longer than one that is not,” he says.

Whatever your outdoor vision, a professional can help you make it a reality and advise on choices that accommodate your budget. “There are so many options out there,” Bruzga says. “Transformation is always possible with the right planning and expertise. Anyone can see beauty out their window.” 

For more information, visit dblandscaping.net.