A beautiful landscape is a sure-fire way to increase property value. From xeriscape to tropical designs, to curb appeal makeovers and backyard transformations, homeowners can get creative with the endless array of landscaping possibilities. So, whether you are working with a blank-slate or your yard is in serious need of a makeover, Moon Valley Nursery has the perfect trees, shrubs, and plants for the perfect spot in your yard. Plus, with our expert design professionals ready to make your dream landscape a reality, it could not get any easier! Update your landscape and reap the rewards! Here are some of our best landscaping ideas and the trees, shrubs, and plants ideal for any size yard!
Front Yard Makeover Ideas
Let’s face it; your front yard can make or break your home’s curbside appeal. Coming home to a dull-looking front yard is not just uninteresting, it can also affect your mood. Line driveways with shrubs and taller plants that welcome you home with color, induce happiness, add curb appeal, and may be able to add privacy too. We like to plant Italian Cypress (Cupressus sempervirens 'Glauca') in rows near driveways, where their narrow, columnar form and lush dark blue-green foliage brings a stately, formal look, as well as creating a great privacy hedge.
Palm trees are always an excellent choice for a front yard, especially when placed on each side of a driveway or to create an inviting tropical appearance and a tranquil setting. The Pindo Palm (Butia capitata) is a small to medium palm ideal for smaller front yards, with silver-green, graceful arching fronds that add a big splash of tropical color wherever planted. King Palm (Archontophoenix alexandrae) features dark-green fronds that rarely drop below the crown shaft adding a vibrant color that makes the lime-green crown shaft pop, so they are an ideal focal point in any front yard, especially for coastal Southern California. Kentia Palm (Howea forsteriana), we love these palms for smaller front yards, especially in SoCal because they grow slowly and their fronds grow a deep green color and arch from the crown outward to create a tropical canopy for shade. Palm trees look incredible with night time landscape lighting too!
Another fantastic way to liven up a front yard is with Roses (Rosa). Let roses take over your garage, and they will welcome you home with a pleasant fragrance and an array of colors that are sure to make you smile. How about a floral walkway to your home? When used as hedge material, roses, as well as Hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinenses), with their very lush, dark foliage and beautiful flowers, are sure to get your yard noticed for all the right reasons as they line the pathway to your front entrance with beauty.
We do not always have the time to take care of trees and plants, which is why big oak trees, such as Live Oak (Quercus virginiana) are so perfect for a front yard. These natural beauties will thrive in your front yard with little to no attention. Drape them with Spanish moss or have one installed in a spot to where it can cool a hot side of your home. This oak is one the entire family will love, especially bigger trees that are just begging to be explored.
For Entertaining or Relaxing
Love entertaining guests? Your friends and relatives are going to want to hang out in a yard that excites, looks beautiful, and feels comfortable. Shade. If you plan to invite guests to your backyard barbecue or outdoor party they are going to need a place to stay cool, especially if the days are sunny and warm. Shade trees run the gamut from large palm trees to bigger trees with a wide spreading canopy. Magnolia trees, such as Magnolia grandiflora 'Little Gem' are the perfect size for smaller yards and can grow a large spreading canopy that provides plenty of cooling relief. As a bonus, powerfully fragrant white flowers bloom throughout summer and fall, delighting the senses whether you are entertaining guests or trying to get a little r&r to recoup from the party.
Of course, you may want to eat outside, and there is more to it than picking the right tree; the tree needs to be planted in the proper area for the best shade coverage. Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia) never get too big, so they will never take over your yard and are ideal for patios. Your guests will gush over the profuse summertime bloom, with colors that range from pink to purple, rose, lavender and white. Also, when the temperatures soar, the flowers are abundant, and the foliage is enough to provide shade, so they have a way of making people feel more comfortable and relaxed, even in the heat! As a bonus, these smaller trees look stunning, even when not in bloom, especially uplit with landscape lighting, showing off the multi-trunk form and attractive bark that varies from creamy white to cinnamon, gray and sandy brown.
After all your guests have left and you need a spot to chill, there may be no better place than resting on a hammock between two bigger Piru Queen Palms (Arecastrum romanzoffianum) with a refreshing drink in hand and nice soft pillow to rest your weary head. You can also create a quiet, private spot in your yard to relax by surrounding it with plenty of greenery such as vines, succulents, and bamboo such Timber Bamboo (Phyllostachys oldhamii) or Heavenly Bamboo (Nandina domestica), which is an upright evergreen shrub with soft draping foliage.
Landscaping with Edibles
Another great landscape idea is one that features trees with edible fruits, nuts, and citrus. An edible landscape is great on so many levels. After all, fresh really is best. You get to grow your own food, so you know exactly how it has been grown and where it comes from. Worried about feeding your family citrus and fruits sprayed with pesticides? Grow your own, and you never need to worry about that. Plus, most of the fruit and citrus trees are excellent shade providers too. Also, if you want to cover up any unpleasant odors, why not plant Lemon trees and Orange trees near open windows so their aroma can fill the room with fresh, citrusy goodness. Plant avocado trees on a slope or use them near fence lines to create a privacy screen. Of course, it pays to be a good neighbor, so be sure to share the bounty!