Creating A Lush and Welcoming Landscape

Mailboxes are primarily a functional tool for homeowners. But they can also be part of beautifying the front yard by making them the focus of a mailbox garden. How should you design your own mailbox garden? Here's a quick guide.

Understand Your Theme. The garden needs some kind of theme or style to make it cohesive. This style should generally reflect the overall feeling you want from the front yard as a whole. Is the yard cottage style? Modern? Formal? Expansive? Retro? This is a basis for the mailbox area as well. Look to the actual mailbox for inspiration as well. This centerpiece will serve as the most obvious carrier of your theme, so pick one that can project the image you really want. The garden should serve to complement it rather than overpower it. 

Keep it Hardy. Because of their placement, mailbox areas can be subjected to harsher conditions than the rest of the yard. It may be next to a road, bombarded by road debris, de-icer, and exhaust fumes among other things. In addition, sprinklers may not reach it as fully. It may also be either in full sun or full shade depending on the landscape. So make sure you choose hardy, native plants that are drought resistant and good for your specific sunlight conditions.

Decide How Much to Include. How much work do you want to put into the mailbox garden? If you want a low maintenance spot, consider using perennials, succulents, or decorative grasses. You could even put the mailbox and associated flowers in a large container. If you want a real statement, though, go bold with a bunch of flowers that provide a smorgasbord of colors to greet guests. Or install a flowering vine that will climb upward to blend the mailbox with the surrounding garden. 

Incorporate Practicalities. When installing a mailbox garden, take the time to be practical about your landscaping. Connect a drip irrigation system to keep it well watered. If you have a lot of neighborhood dogs that will trample it, consider using low containers rather than plant directly in the ground. And make sure that whomever delivers the mail can easily reach the box itself without getting stuck in your beautiful new garden. 

Take the time to plan out your mailbox garden before digging. Doing so will help ensure that you come out of it with a welcoming area that will be functional and yet beautiful for many years to come. Contact a landscaping service for more help.