When you envision a fabulous Kansas City backyard, you’re likely dreaming of more than just a well-kept expanse of lawn.
Today, people want to spend more time outside. And no wonder! Researchers have proven we get boosted good moods from spending time outdoors, as well as a reduction in anxiety and depression.So you want your yard to be inviting – an extension of you indoors where you can have meals, relax, entertain, or just enjoy some quality time with nature.
You want a space that suits you and isn’t the same old thing. You want something that elevates your landscape from bland to glam. You want a luxury backyard.
As you try and figure out how to describe your needs, you may have a hard time putting your vision into words.
Let’s look at what luxury home landscaping is and review the differences between conventional and luxury landscape practices so you can better understand them and know how to achieve the look you want in your space.
What is Luxury Home Landscaping?
You might be wondering why luxury landscaping is such a trend for Kansas City home landscapes today. This is because people put significant effort into their homes and want their outdoor spaces to mirror the quality and beauty of their interiors.
Luxury style backyards are investments that people tend to make when they know they’ll be staying in their homes for longer periods of time so they can enjoy their relaxing, elegant spaces.
You may hear the word “luxury” used quite often. But when you actually look around, true luxury home landscaping is elusive in practice. In fact, today people are frustrated with trying to find a landscape company who understands the level of detail and style possible in luxury gardens. The reality is very few professional landscape organizations are able to deliver a real luxury product or experience when it comes to outdoor living.
A luxury landscape is quite different from a run-of-the-mill landscape. In fact, 4 key areas separate a luxury landscape company from an average landscape company: visual impact, the process, the details and the people.
Luxury Landscaping Differentiator #1: Visual Impact
There is a clear visual distinction between landscapes done conventionally and those done through a high-end source.
In every neighborhood, there are homes and gardens that stand out. It’s clear they’ve invested in creating the best outdoor experience for themselves, their families, and their guests. It’s clear they take pride in their home.
A conventional landscape can create impact, but it often misses opportunities to maximize a space to its fullest potential. It usually lacks a distinctive style. That’s when you get that “cookie-cutter” or “builder-grade” look.
When you’re interviewing landscape designers in the quest to find a company that can provide that resort style backyard, pay attention to their projects. Do they all look the same? That’s a sign they can’t do the work you’re seeking. Some other clues they are the wrong company for you:
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Their designs are mediocre. There is no style distinction between projects.
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The company provides free designs just to get the work, rushing the design to get the sale.
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They miss opportunities to better use or visually improve a property.
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All of their projects look the same.
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Little to no effort is put into considering the comprehensive experience the end users will have in the space. If the company doesn’t sell a landscape feature, they aren’t thinking about it; some examples of these features include urns, pots, art work, flowers, relaxation, etc.
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You see a lot of singular rows of shrubs or flowers along walkways or foundations in their designs. They lack texture and layering.
Luxury backyard design and outdoor living projects create a memorable impact. The homes and gardens surrounding a property with luxury landscaping and outdoor living benefit from a distinctive difference in their visual appeal and functionality. Some things you’ll notice include:
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Sophisticated designs utilizing distinctive styles while maximizing functionality. Designs are primary construction documents and are considered worthy investments.
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Detailed site analysis work before a design ensures that full functionality and optimum beauty are achieved both with the design and also with the construction.
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Each property is unique with special attention paid to the architectural style of existing structures, as well as the landscape style preferences of the clients.
Luxury landscaping considers all aspects of outdoor living, including furnishings, urns, containers, flowers, electronics, sounds, fragrance, and light.
Luxury Landscaping Differentiator #2: The Process
Conventional landscape companies tend to view each project as a singular event with a beginning and a completion. There may be little to no energy invested in trying to find ways to enhance the life of the family or client after the project.
Companies who specialize in luxury backyard design focus on enhancing the lives of those experiencing their landscapes and outdoor living spaces. For instance, at High Prairie Outdoors, our approach revolves around creating processes tailored to creating and maintaining spaces engineered for relaxation, entertainment, and connection. We call this the Experience-Driven Design Process. Our belief is that once we identify all the ways we can help your family relax, play, and connect, you’ll begin living the Experience-Driven Lifestyle. Our Experience-Driven processes are intended to help stressed, busy families connect and make meaningful memories in their outdoor spaces for years to come.
Luxury backyard service providers also offer the following:
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Comprehensive fine gardening and hardscape care packages tailored towards maximizing a property’s beauty with effortless ease for the homeowner.
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Education for homeowners explaining that gardens are works in progress because they are filled with living things. They don’t just become spectacular at the end of the project and then remain there indefinitely. Landscapes and gardens need to be nourished and cared for just like any other living thing.
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A true luxury experience doesn’t stop once a beautiful space is designed and installed.
“Luxury Landscaping gets better with time due to the level of detail and design required to achieve luxury outdoor living spaces. Conventional landscapes and patios often decline over time never looking as good as they did on completion day”
Luxury Landscaping Differentiator #3: The Details
When it comes to luxury home landscaping, there are a lot of unique details that make it stand out compared to conventional landscaping. Some of the the things that are done that often keep a landscape in the conventional category include:
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Not equally spacing plants or rotating them to show their most attractive sides.
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Metal tree baskets may be left fully intact even though it could kill the tree in a few years.
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Having bumpy or jagged paver and stone cuts.
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Weak or poorly reinforced patio bases and edges.
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Not treating soil for proper plant establishment.
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Neglecting to address drainage.
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Not repairing turf damage.
By contrast, luxury-focused landscape companies are masters of the details and craftsmanship. In addition to addressing the above bullet points, luxury backyard design includes:
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Seasonal color rotation plans.
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Horticultural needs assessments for irrigation plans and installations.
To identify the difference between a landscape business that offers conventional versus luxury landscaping, study the details in a company’s portfolio photos using the lists above. You’ll begin to notice craftsmanship that stands out. A business’ portfolio and reputation speak for themselves.
Luxury Landscaping Differentiator #4: The People
The people designing and installing your high end patio or landscape are what really help you achieve a luxury landscape look.
This type of landscape mastery requires a reliable team of talented, passionate individuals. As you seek a company to deliver this level of service for you, look for the following:
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Team members who have passed local and national background checks, which helps ensure your security.
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Educated team members with college degrees, in-depth training, or certifications.
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Regular, clear, and frequent communication.
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Core values that they embrace.
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A low employee turnover rate. The industry average is roughly 50%. A low turnover speaks to a trained team with consistent quality. At High Prairie Outdoors, our turnover rate is 2% significantly beating the national average.
Pro Tip: As you look for a luxury landscape service provider, ask the companies you’re interviewing about staff retention, level of training or education, and if they perform active background checks on their employees.
You Can Have a Luxury Backyard in Kansas City!
Now that you know what a high end, luxury landscape entails, we hope these tips help you identify the right partner that can help you achieve your landscape goals.
If you are still finding yourself questioning the differences between a conventional and luxury landscape, High Prairie’s landscape experts welcome your call. We can walk you through these variations and show you some examples so you can better understand what you’re seeking and get a step closer to creating your relaxing, colorful, personal Kansas City oasis. This way you can feel confident knowing you’re going to get the outcome you’ve been dreaming of.
Ready to see how High Prairie can transform your Kansas City home landscape with our unique and proven landscape design-build process and luxury landscape experience? We’d love to share our design and installation expertise with you. Get started today with a free consultation. Together, we can prepare a design that you will love and your neighbors will envy.
