The country side and small town scenes in the Lakes Region are ‘quintessential’ New Hampshire. Spectacular inland lakes give way to gorgeous uplands and bold mountains. Charming old world small towns dot the countryside. There are countless enticing views and the entire area seems thoroughly welcoming. It’s no wonder that so many people choose to live and vacation here. When planning your landscaping projects, “Landscapes by Tom” would like to offer the following thoughts for your consideration.

Many properties here will have natural granite ledge or ‘outcroppings’, which can be unique building blocks that practically beg to be featured in your landscaping. For example, a large imposing ledge can be softened in appearance using plants, and can serve as a ‘wall’ in your outdoor living room if you put your patio adjacent to it. Using stone for other applications such as patios, retaining walls and steps is a great way to keep your yard looking like it is part of the natural surroundings. One of the most preferred landscaping styles of this region would be aptly described as “making it look completely natural – but better”.

Using native plant species is often preferred, especially on lakeshore properties. Natives are beneficial in many ways, and sometimes they are required to be used if you need a permit for landscaping on shore land properties. Plants in this region often times need to be ‘deer resistant’ too due to the population of hungry deer that we share our land with. Using a palate of plants that offer color and texture at any time of the year will enhance your enjoyment of your property. If you are a vacationer, you may also want to use “low-maintenance” plants so that you can devote more time to vacationing than property maintenance.

Whether you own waterfront property or simply enjoy visiting the lakes region, you probably know that water quality is an important issue. Using careful landscaping practices on waterfront properties is essential for maintaining water quality. You should plan ahead for the permit process if it applies to your land. Your shore land property may be best suited to using native species, limiting mowed lawn areas, limiting ‘hardscaping’ (which are hard surfaces such as patios, walks, etc), and increasing a ‘shore land buffer’ of plants.

Since the Lakes Region area attracts so many summer people, the landscaping that you see here inevitably incorporates many features which enhance summertime activities. Many people wish to vacation right in their own back yards, so there are many fun landscaping features that you will see in this region. The list of these features includes things such as fire pits, perched beaches, boat docks, patios, permanent BBQ pits, outdoor kitchens, woodland hiking paths, gourmet kitchen gardens, outdoor living rooms, outdoor showers, horse shoe pits, etc.. etc… etc… What are your goals?

The professional team at ‘Landscapes by Tom’ would love to show you the great possibilities that your property has for landscaping. We have professionals on hand in all areas of landscaping expertise who can advise you on the ways to achieve your goals. With a little planning and some creative vision, your yard could be transformed into a summer vacationland! You can reach us at 603-279-0376. Happy Landscaping!