Landscape Design

The implementation of an accent hardscape can dress up even the simplest of walkways.

Depending on the city, the abilities and the types of landscape design will vary. Focusing on the eastern portion of the Lehigh Valley, Bethlehem is leaning in a positive direction for landscape and garden design. Bethlehem is fortunate because despite its average spread, it is still covers a wide spectrum of design being that it holds urban, rural, and suburban characteristics.

Bethlehem residential landscape design is rising in popularity, and regardless of the location, there is always potential for design. Although every landscape company has their own approach, Garden Design takes advantage of existing conditions as well promoting the usage of appropriate vegetation, hardscape design and materials, and landscape lighting.

To start, urban sections and older neighborhoods in Bethlehem tend to give off a small town feel, so simple planting and walkway and patio design is common. Throwing in a few perennials and a unique paver pattern and layout will add a splash of color and aesthetic to a formerly drab landscape. If space for planting design is limited, utilizing planting containers on and/or near the walkway and patio can produce a more welcoming feel to the landscape.

The suburban classification in Bethlehem covers a majority of the land.  This creates overwhelming potential for many forms of landscape design. Depending on when the house was built, a spectrum of conditions can coexist. In some of the newer neighborhoods, there is very little well-developed vegetation, in comparison to some of the older neighborhoods that have vegetation that has been growing for many years.

Large quantities of the houses built in the past ten years or so are typically built on a ‘clean landscape’ , which will be used in the context of little/minimal standing vegetation that existed pre-development. While this could pose ecological problems in the long run, this at least open the gates for more design opportunities for the home owner. Experimenting with front walkway design using different hardscapes can make one landscape stand out from the rest. Flagstone is not a common paver type in newer sections of Bethlehem; however, there is much potential for these materials considering its easy accessibility and attractive appearance.

Sizes of back yards in Bethlehem vary depending on the housing type, location, and year in which the house was built, but most yards are large enough to fit at least a small patio. One of the many benefits of patio design is that there are so many options to explore that can create a solid landscape design. Patio layouts and materials can easily be customized to each individual user.

Bethlehem is moving a steady rate toward more modern designs in the field of architecture and landscape architecture. Taking a look at other designs outside of the residential realm, Steel Stacks displays innovative design methods that will hopefully become translated and integrated into more forms of design.