The Best Landscaping Ideas for Custom Homes on LBI

April is Lawn and Garden Month, and as a custom home builder on Long Beach Island we share a lot of information about building  trends, styles for home design, and interior features and finishes.  So now we want to give the outdoors some love, so we are sharing some of our favorite tips and tricks for custom beach home landscaping.  With limited size properties and sometimes challenging weather elements than can affect plantings, like salt and sun, there is some planning needed to make your homes landscaping and curb appeal magazine quality!  Here are some of the best landscaping ideas for custom homes on LBI.

• Hardscape Areas Add to the Design – The opportunity to add things like patios, walkways, driveways, pavers, brick and other non-grass surfaces can be great, but always make sure you use porous materials to avoid water run-off. These materials tend to be environmentally friendly as well as cost effect and provide for much-needed traffic paths through landscaping. This hardscaped area on a home we built in Loveladies combines several materials for a beautiful, functional look all year long.
• Pick the Right Plants – When it comes to dealing with the saltwater, sun and maintenance factors for beach home landscaping, it’s important to pick the right plants and locations for those plants on your property. If your home is a close distance to the oceanfront you will want to choose salt tolerant plants like Japanese black pine trees, willow oak, oleander and confederate jasmine, which are just a few.  Always check with your landscape architect or builder for recommendations that will work on your particular property.
• Consider Sun Exposure – Before you start digging for landscape beds, make sure you consider the sun exposure on the area you want to plant in and choose plants based on their sun exposure requirements. It’s a good idea to analyze how the sun hits your property during different times of the day and keep in mind nearby buildings and structures that may provide shady areas too.
• Top it Off – A well designed and constructed pergola not only provides filtered protection from the sun, it can add beauty and definition to any landscaped area. Pergola’s can also be an extension of the home or can stand-alone, while providing protection for an open terrace.  There are many designs, shapes and materials that can be used to create a Pergola, so the options are endless.
• A Few Extras for Luxury – A Spill Over Spa is the perfect complement to any landscape design that can be added in a deck or pool. They work beautifully with flagstone too.  Many homeowners also choose to add a fire pit, which have come a long way from just a dirt hole in the ground with some sticks and wood.  Today you can find bar height gas fire pits, stone and concrete fire pits built right into your patio, and even coffee table fire pits.  Another great addition are landscape fountains that add a calm, cooling bubbly sound of running water. There are many residential landscape fountains that can be incorporated into your design, whether it’s in the front or the back of your home depends on your space, landscape design and preferences.

These are just a few of the best landscaping ideas for custom homes on LBI.  Since the possibilities are virtually unlimited, we recommend a meeting with all of our home buyers to determine what lawn and garden features would be appropriate to complement their home design and specific lot conditions.  Stonehenge Building & Development specializes in building custom homes on Long Beach Island, New Jersey.  If you are thinking of building your new home, please contact us for more information on lot selection and home plans.