HOW TO DESIGN THE PERFECT LANDSCAPE FOR A FOURSQUARE HOME

IN THIS BLOG POST WE’LL SHOW YOU HOW TO DESIGN THE PERFECT LANDSCAPE FOR A FOURSQUARE HOME

How do we use design elements to really make the front yard complement the house? When thinking about designing a landscape for an American Foursquare style home it’s important to consider the architectural characteristics that make these tried-and-true homes so recognizable. In the pictured landscapes shrubs of different heights and small accent trees frame the foundation of these foursquare homes.

 

LOOK TO YOUR EXTERIOR FOR DESIGN DETAILS

An American foursquare is a two and a half story house topped with a hipped roof with a dormer window in the attic. Many smaller one and a half story house examples in Portland, Oregon have adopted this attic window feature to add the illusion of a larger building. The front porch of these homes is often large and covered by a smaller hipped roof. While the geometric box-shaped building is the same, the exterior can be clad in brick, wood siding, stucco, or stone. A combination of an orderly, fairly symmetrical foundation planting bed reflecting the house’s structure and the right plants will provide interest all year round, with foliage color, texture, and seasonal blooms.

 

USE BOTH OUTSIDE AND INSIDE DETAILS FOR INSPIRATION

The architectural style keeps the floor plan of earlier Victorian houses just without the ornate accents. The traditional details of a foursquare family house includes geometric clean lines using painted or stained wooden trim, wainscoting panels, and chair rail. The overall influence provides a feeling of order and comfort to each room, which you want to emulate in the landscape.

Take inspiration from the windows and entryway door to help guide the plant selections for each side of the front yard. The front door and first floor windows may be built symmetrically or asymmetrically. Consider the view from within the living room as well as from the front pathway leading to the doorway. These ideas will bring together a new landscape that is pleasing to your family as well as your neighbors!

 

PLANTS WE LOVE FOR MID-CENTURY MODERN AND RANCH STYLE HOMES

Use a combination of plants and straight forward geometry to support the bones of the house. Here are some of our favorites.

PLANTS FOR STRUCTURE:

Ilex Glabra    Inkberry Holly

Hydrangea Arborescens   Bella Anna and Annabelle Smooth Hydrangea

Buxus Microphylla ‘Winter Gem’  Winter Gem Boxwood

Mahonia Eurybracteata ‘Soft Caress’   Soft Caress Oregon Grape

 

FLOWERING PLANTS FOR COLOR:

Leucanthemum x Superbum   Shasta Daisy

Spirea Japonica    Japanese Spirea

Geranium Macrorrhizum ‘Bevan’s Variety’    Bevan’s Variety Bigroot Geranium

Hemerocallis ‘Stella de Oro’    Stella de Oro Day Lily

 

PLANTS FOR GROUND COVER:

Pachysandra Teminalis    Japanese Spurge

Lirope Muscari ‘Variegata’     Variegated Lilyturf Grass

Lamium maculatum ‘Beacon Silver’    Beacon Silver Spotted Dead Nettle

 

It’s all about unifying the landscape with the architectural style of the unique house. Now you have the inside landscape design tips to make it all come together.

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Content contributor: Emily Purdin | stonybrooklandscapedesign.com