Create a lasting 'hello effect' in your garden

They say that first impressions last. Creating an inspiring entrance space gives your home a worthy introduction and sets the theme for the rest of the garden. At the very least, the arrival and entry space should comfortably usher your guests into the front door of the house in a safe and orderly fashion. The route should be obvious and easy to negotiate during the day and at night.

But a well-designed entrance space does more than fulfil these utilitarian functions.

It also displays an attractiveness that complements the house and provides a pleasant and an unforgettable experience for visitors. Here are some tips to help you create a lasting hello effect:

Experience

The entire entrance space is typically divided into several subspaces for arrival and entry. These include the public zone, the semi-public and the private zones.

Your aim will be to create a memorable experience for a person as he proceeds through each of these zones when arriving and leaving.

The “public” zone occurs at the curb or property lines. Whether on foot or in a vehicle, a person begins the arrival sequence the moment the property is in view. Having an attractive fence coupled with a welcoming gate therefore make a significant difference.

The “semi-public” zone occurs on or along the driveway.

The major use of this zone is usually to provide adequate space for parking cars and moving people on foot through the space up to the front door. Unfortunately, this is usually the least defined or enjoyable part of the sequence.

Walkway

Interest can be added by providing a beautiful walkway that extends along one or both edges of the driveway in a different material from the driveway itself.

Other landscape features such as edge planting and trellises can then be introduced to increase interest as one walks up to the private zone.

If the walkway to the front door does not extend along the driveway’s edge, there should be an obvious indication as to how to get to the front door. This can be done by providing an expanded area or landing at an appropriate place along the edge of the driveway.

Think of the landing area as an outdoor lobby. In plan, it should resemble a funnel to permit easy recognition and to gently guide people into the entry walk itself.

And as with all lobbies, the landing space offers you an opportunity to get creative and give your entrance space some character.

A worthwhile accent such as a sculpture, an ornate light fixture, an arch or harbor not only directs attention towards the entrance, but also lingers on in the visitor’s mind thus making the experience memorable.

A change is as good as a rest. You want your entrance to stay fresh and interesting. It is therefore a good idea to leave some room for changes and updates every so often.

Update

Provide a bed for annual flowers that bloom and die off in a matter of months and have to be replaced.

Use some containers that you can move around to alter the look and feel of your entrance garden whenever you need to.

Above all, ensure that your entrance garden is constantly in a great state of repair. A neglected entrance undermines the best of your home and garden.

— The writer is a landscape architect

Photo: Hosea Omole/Standard