Garage Landscaping Ideas
Your garage or carport area is a significant chunk of your home’s exterior, so why are you pretending it’s not there? Whether it’s part of the main structure or a separate building on your property, your garage deserves to be more than an afterthought. A landscape plan that includes specific design elements for the garage will bring visual continuity to your lot and enhance its appearance.
If your garage faces the street, don’t ignore it. Instead, “reduce its impact, ” says landscape designer Tara Dillard.
The look of the door is important (see “Hide and seek” section below), but don’t just focus on the type or color of the door, she says. Consider your garage door as part of an overall plan that also keeps the driveway, plants, lighting, and siding in mind.
For example, Dillard says that exterior lights should be installed close to the top of the garage door for a sleeker look; brick walls may need less plant cover than wood siding; and driveway edges should never be barren.
When a garage door “takes up too much visual real estate, ” Dillard says, “softening with plants is the best option.”
“Azaleas billow and give roundness, while a star jasmine or grape vine on the house provides softness. The vine is especially important if there is little planting space between a concrete walk and the driveway.”
The new soft touch of visible foliage also extends to the interior of your home, making for an improved view, Dillard says: “Tendrils from the vines will soon peek in the kitchen window.”
Want to minimize your garage altogether? Make your garage doors disappear by painting them – and any trim or gutters – the same color as your home. Glass garage doors work well within contemporary architecture to create the feeling of oversized windows (just be sure to keep interior clutter out of the picture). Overhead fiberglass doors provide the convenience of space (with energy-saving insulation and a handy remote control). Reclaimed double barn doors, which open in the middle, serve as a proper entrance, aesthetically.
