Does your house connect you to nature?  The connection to nature, as seen from within your home, may be referred to as the Inside Outside connection. The soothing sound of water, the verdant color of trees, the undulating rhythm of plants, and the fragrance of seasonal flowers share a special relationship with your house. A thoughtfully designed landscape and your house can be merged into a striking harmonious whole.

According to Sarah Susanka, best-selling author of  The Not So Big  House, it is best to design the inside and outside environments of your home together by arranging windows, doors, decks, terraces and porches to take advantage of the key features of your landscape.

You can design the surrounding landscape features of your home to be enjoyed from within, through existing windows, walkways and doorways. To accomplish “composed views”, which take full advantage of exterior landscape features, such as a fountain, pond, tree, an urn filled with plants, stand at the doors leading out of your house, look out your windows, and think about the views you desire to create.

Consider outdoor spaces as an extension of your home that can dramatically connect the interior to the outside environment. The style of your gardens and landscape should reflect the style and harmony of the architecture of your house. A close relationship exists between your house and its landscape, “a physical connection as well as a marriage of style and atmosphere” that links your house to the outside. For example, a formally structured garden evokes a mood of classic elegance where balance and proportion play an important role, while a modern style is characterized by simplicity and strong geometrical shapes and artifacts.

Be conscious of the style, color, and décor of the inside of your home. Include elements of your inside décor/architecture that will be similar or complimentary to the outside surroundings. Artifacts displayed indoors, may link the house to the outside environment. Consider ways to visually connect from inside your house to the outside. What vantage points from the inside can be claimed for viewing the outdoor landscape?

Professionally designed and installed landscapes are an extension of your personal taste that adds thousands of dollars of value to your home and the entire neighborhood. You will enjoy your new landscape but so will your friends, your neighbors, and your environment. Has your garden been touched by an Angel?