When it comes to Knoxville landscape design inspiration, the team at Carex Design Group turns to their travels to capture and adapt great ideas from throughout the United States and abroad. From the vibrant streets of Spain to the historic charm of St. Augustine, Florida and the scenic beauty of Salt Lake City, Bob and Julie have shared countless travel adventures with you.

Taking a page from their book, I came home from a recent trip to San Francisco and Berkeley, California, feeling energized and brimming with new design ideas. Now, it’s time to get inspired for your next landscaping project with a few of my vacation photos …

Natural Sculptures and Cozy-Room Vibes

The dappled light in this area at the San Francisco Botanical Garden only adds to the feeling that you’ve stumbled into a room built by nature. What I love most about this photo is the dead tree trunk that’s serving as a natural sculpture for the space. It’s a great reminder that you can think outside the box when it comes to art in your landscaping.

To incorporate this look into a Knoxville landscape design, I would focus on creating a circular patio under a tree canopy and surround the patio with large natural shrubs such as rhododendron. If you’re looking to mimic the woodsy aesthetic, consider a natural stone such as flagstone for the patio material and opt for shade-loving woodland plants such as ferns and heuchera along with pine straw instead of traditional wood mulch for the planting beds.

Sun and Shade, Tall and Short

This garden at the San Francisco Perennial Garden has a lovely combination of shade and sun plantings with height variation from left to right that emphasizes the way the steps pull you through the space. The curved shape of the steps creates added mystery with the top landing hidden behind the taller plants.

To achieve this look in a Knoxville landscape design, I’d focus on a combination of taller plants such a viburnum and maiden grass with shorter plants such as hostas or fothergilla.

Secret Hedges

At the rose garden in Berkeley, Calif., you’ll see terraces formed by stone walls covered by vines that creep along the facade, mimicking a shrub hedge. Our clients in East Tennessee are no strangers to terraced landscaping with retaining walls being a common need to manage mountainous or hilly terrain. To achieve the look with a Knoxville landscape design, you could consider a series of natural boulder retaining walls with pockets of planting areas to allow for vining plants. Alternatively, some like the industrial look of gabions that can be used for retention as well as plantings.

The Path Less Traveled

This wide, bare pathway at the San Francisco Botanical Garden is a beautiful contrast to the lush plantings that border either side of it. To achieve this look in a Knoxville landscape design, I’d have to take into consideration the terrain. Most Knoxville-area residential properties are not flat, which can make a gravel or crushed granite walkway problematic due to erosion. Choosing permeable pavers in lieu of the gravel would prevent run off while maintaining a very clean and natural look.

Combine for Contrast

When I talk about design styles or preferences with clients, I often hear a preference for either “natural-looking” landscaping or “manicured” landscaping. What I love most about this photo from the San Francisco Japanese Tea Garden is that the designer gave the client the best of both worlds by combining the two styles. The contrast between the manicured evergreens in the foreground with the naturally maintained plants in the background add visual interest through the layered texture of the design. To achieve this look in a Knoxville landscape design, consider pairing manicured boxwoods with naturally-maintained evergreens such as dense yew or mugo pine for a showstopping juxtaposition.

Get Help With Your Knoxville Landscape Design

Whether you’ve found landscaping inspiration on your own vacation or need a little help pulling a vision together, the Carex Design Group team can help make a new Knoxville landscape design a reality. Fill out our contact form, or call us at 865-765-5550 to schedule a free consultation.