Since I distribute Lowcountry Vistas’s flyers myself (make sure to read my letter to the editor in the Post and Courier about the outrageous experience I had with the USPS), I visit hundreds of yards each week. Sometimes, I’m impressed by what I see. Other times, I’m disheartened by the number of elements some people cram into their yards. More often than not, the busier designs are choked by invasive plants.
This photo demonstrates what I consider good residential landscape design (albeit with some non-native plants). With just a handful of elements, the designer created an impressive, cost-effective, low-maintenance contrast of colors and shades and straight lines and curves. (The design could be enhanced with some colorful flowering perennials.) Maintenance is low, and aesthetic appeal is high year-round.
As is the case with many art forms, less can be more in residential landscape design.
Seth Mason, Charleston SC
