If you manage a corporate space such as an office and want to break the monotony of a formal outlook or introduce something unique to the exterior landscape, what should you do? The importance of the space surrounding corporate buildings has been recognised for some time now, leading to more innovative ideas over the years. One constraint that you may be having when embarking on this transformation is the budget. However, there are many viable options to solve that problem – like imaginative planting schemes, incorporating faux foliage, using recycled materials or positioning of inexpensive materials such as gravels. Ten tips that you can keep in mind for the transformation of exterior landscapes are:

Enhance the entryway

The entrance to a corporate office is important as it creates an initial impression when anybody approaches. Therefore, making the entrance appear aesthetically pleasing is essential. You can achieve this firstly by adding a cluster of plants along the foundation wall of the building, along with the front steps. It gives it a natural look to link with any surrounding vegetation. It makes for a harmonious, welcoming feel to the building entrance. Getting the correct hue and colour can also makes it look balanced and easy on the eye.

Geometric patterns give a sharp look

If you want to create great impact visually to the exterior landscape of your corporate office, go for geometric patterns like mosaic, rectangles or squares. This makes the exterior look well maintained and helps to delineate between the flower beds and the borders of the garden. This look doesn’t take much budget to maintain and is also very pleasing on the eye.

Use artificial trees and flowers

It may not always be possible to use original plants and trees, especially if you don’t have time and resources to maintain the landscape. Faux plants which can be used outdoors, do not need any looking after as such, like regular watering and pruning – and also have the advantage of not dying if neglected. When added to the exterior landscape, superior quality faux plants and trees give the necessary upmarket look. It’s often difficult to tell the difference between artificial trees and natural ones and, especially if disguised with topsoil or mulch at the base and planted in pots.

Use perennial plants

If you’re using real plants for your exterior landscape, go for perennial plants over annual ones. Annual plants survive only for a year and have to be replaced regularly making it a more expensive, time consuming prospect. Perennial plants return every year and thus are more budget friendly. Examples of perennials that can be used are allium, baptista, coneflower, sage, astilbe etc.

Ornamental grasses to be used

Informal, Prairie-style planting incorporating grasses and wild flowers has become popular over recent years. It counteracts the hard edges of buildings, adding subtle texture and movement. Ornamental grasses like blue oatgrass, flax and zoysia are very low maintenance too – in fact, they actually seem to prefer harsh weather and poor soil conditions.

Use gravels for the chic look

Gravels are one of the cheapest materials that can be used in budget-friendly, stylish exterior landscape design. It’s also extremely durable, especially if used in areas with low or no foot traffic. Combine it with cacti or succulents such as house leeks for a sharp, modern look.

Add materials which are not expected

Whenever you add an unexpected entity to your landscape, it can go two ways. Either it will enhance the overall look or will stick out like a sore thumb. With a bit of thought – and good quality craftsmanship, the chance of it looking good increases significantly. Recycled products like wood off-cuts, corrugated steel and weathered copper can also be incorporated where appropriate to make outdoor furniture and boundaries which will add an extra zing to the exterior landscape.

Soften the hardscape

You may want to make the exterior landscape look attractive by adding stone slabs to act as steps or walls. To make the rustic or cold looking stonework blend with the natural surrounding and to soften edges, plant low-growing, ground-cover such as thymes and dead-nettle. When planted along edges or in cracks they add contrast and reinforce the curves in a meandering path. The encroaching foliage makes the hard concrete or brick look even more appealing and natural.

Add climbers to the wall

If you have a small corporate office and you want it to look as unique as possible, you could add plants like lace-bark pines in a fan-like or geometric shape along the walls. One technique of doing so is espaliering which is an effective, space-saving way to decorate formal gardens which enhance the walls of the office manifold. This technique also restricts the growth of the climbers to a certain extent and helps to avoid damage to the building.

Repeat plants for unity and balance

It’s always better if you echo the same colours and shapes in an exterior landscape to give it a cohesive, balanced look. The eye follows these repeating themes providing visual flow. If you plan to give a formal design, balance the plants symmetrically so that the planted areas appear as a mirror image – or repeat colours, textures and forms intermittently to create the harmony. You could opt for colourful, fragrant flowers as an inviting welcome to your office building. Perhaps a strong, sculptural, bold look is your preferred option; this can be attained by the use of oversized foliage.

The tips mentioned above provide cost-effective ideas for bold, stylish looks to enhance the landscape of your corporate office or workspace – they could really transform your working environment for the better.

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