- The rustic environment surrounding your cabin begs for enhancement. Determine which plants grow best at the location of your cabin. Take a walk around the woodland area near your cabin with your camera and take pictures of appealing plants, trees and shrubs. These plants grow naturally in the area and can form a functional backdrop for your cabin landscape.
If you edge your gardens with bricks or create retaining walls, you should incorporate the overall nature theme. Cabin landscaping looks best when you consider continuity with nature. Additions should be subtle, and plantings should be tailored to the wild environment. The goal in landscaping is enhancing the home and adding features to complement the surroundings. - Apply basic landscaping design principles to your cabin landscape just as you would with a standard home. Each garden should complement the entrance of the home, leading visitors to the front porch or steps. Balance is a key element in creating a unifying design. Create similar gardens on each side of a front entryway, or use similar plants in a slightly different arrangement for variety. Edge gardens with similar materials to provide continuity.
Enhance the verdant green surroundings with light splashes of color from flowering annuals or perennials. Intersperse these plantings with evergreens and shrubs such as red barberry or junipers. Careful choices will enhance the home without drawing attention away from the warm brown earth tones of the landscape. Vary heights to create interest in the landscape, but don't place plants in front of windows, porches or pillars. Landscaping should complement the cabin exterior without hiding the home's best features. Landscape features should flow from one accent to the next to avoid overpowering the ambiance of the cabin. - Lirope ornamental grass
Evaluate the sun exposure of your cabin property before purchasing any plants. Wooded areas with considerable shade require choosing certain plants that can tolerate the soil conditions. Check the landscape for areas of partial shade (2 to 6 hours), dappled shade through tree branches and deep shade. Shade plants have different soil and water requirements than full-sun plants.
Deep shade plants such as ferns or hosta offer beautiful foliage with relatively little care. Partial shade plants include a variety of perennials and annuals. Astilbe is a spiked flower that will enhance your landscape with delicate color. Heuchera decorates any garden with a variety of vibrant leaf textures and colors as well as small flowers. Ornamental grasses such as lirope and fescue or ground covers soften the look of a garden. - Container garden
Add pockets of color to the cabin landscape with container gardens. These smaller versions of a standard garden bed can hold just about any combination of perennial or annual plantings. Place flower containers near your porch steps, along a walkway or at the corners of the home for accents. Consider wood half-barrels to complement the exterior of the cabin or wooden plants to blend with the landscape. Rustic containers could include old-fashioned watering cans or troughs. Wrought iron pots also blend well with a rustic landscape.
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