The entrance to your home should be a completely customized introduction in the form of a landscape that reflects your personality: equal parts welcoming and secure, tasteful and grand. Most of all, it should be a long-lasting hallmark of your landscape. There is a wide variety of design styles and paving materials, and while you’re choosing those materials you can simultaneously plan additional features such as lighting strategies or retaining walls. As you begin to put together a plan make sure you’re knowledgeable on what materials need to be used. Do you need landscape materials for the perfect front walkway in Ulster County, NY? Visit our landscape supply at EP Jansen’s.
Choosing the Right Pavers
First, consider the architectural style of the home. Whether it’s rustic or contemporary, pavers should be chosen to pair with the visual aesthetics of the home to maintain a harmonious look. Base texture and color choices on dominant features of the home such as the roof (which is replaced far less often than siding color); the texture of the home; and any exterior masonry. Natural stones provide a timeless and exquisite front walkway that will stand the test of time. Small format pavers such as bricks provide a similar feeling but with a more eloquent and organized feeling with interesting visual patterns. Large format pavers feature a simple elegance that pairs well with a contemporary home.
Safety Features
Safety is a main concern for any walkway. Slips and falls should never be a concern. As part of a front walkway renovation, consider including heating coils (which can be installed under natural stone or patio pavers) so that snow is melted as it falls and ice never has the chance to form. Another good solution is to use permeable pavers. Typically used on paver driveways, permeable pavers allow moisture to seep through the slightly larger joints, so that less moisture remains on the paver surface. Whether you’re using natural stone or pavers, be sure they have enough texture and/or are rated as non-slip (some patio pavers, even those with smooth textures, feature a non-slip finish).
Welcoming Lighting Techniques
Proper lighting installed along the walkway using low-lying light fixtures will add to safety, security, and a welcoming atmosphere. The reason for low-lying light fixtures is their ability to provide light directly where it’s needed - underfoot - without creating harsh shadows or being blinding (as you’d find with a post-mounted light fixture). Walkway lights could be installed either under or within various shrubs and plants or part of a masonry structure such as a retaining wall. Today’s LED technology offers not only significant energy savings over traditional bulbs, but an incredible array of creative options that will transform your front entry walkway into a nighttime masterpiece.
Landscape Additions: Native Plants
Today’s front yard is mostly used for little else than show. We spend most of our time outside in the backyard. This is the perfect opportunity to embellish a front yard and front walkway with some stunning plant life. The Nursery at EP Jansen’s is the perfect place to gather a wide range of native flowers, shrubs, ground covers, ornamental grasses, and trees that are known for their hardiness and their perfect adaptation to the sometimes harsh climate of the Hudson Valley. Native plants also use far less additional watering than their imported counterparts. With the incredible variety of native plants available in our Nursery, you’ll find many gorgeous specimens to add vibrant color to your front yard, and give your curb appeal a big boost.
Related: VISITING A MASONRY SUPPLY AND LANDSCAPE SUPPLY AHEAD OF A POOL INSTALLATION IN SUSSEX COUNTY NJ
