If you own waterfront property or are currently searching for a property to purchase, enhancing your outdoor landscaping can transform your property from just a piece of land by the water to a safe haven for fun, relaxation and enjoyment of all the recreation that water brings.

In this article, we explain what landscaping is, what you stand to gain from enhancing your waterfront property landscape and simple ways to upgrade your landscape.

Read the full article or jump to a specific section: 

• What is Landscaping?
• Benefits of Enhancing Your Waterfront Property Landscaping
• Ways to Upgrade Your Outdoor Landscape Design
• Why Plastic Docks are the Best for Your Waterfront Property
• Enhance Your Outdoor Landscape with EZ Dock Products

What Is Landscaping?

Landscaping simply means making changes to your property by changing the shape of the land, adding plants and installing new structures, such as patios, walkways and walls. Landscaping enhances the beauty of your waterfront property and makes it more functional and valuable for your use.

Benefits of Enhancing Your Waterfront Property Landscaping

Waterfront property already has an appeal that other properties don’t — a view and access to water and a long list of fun and recreational activities that access provides. Improving the outdoor landscaping at a waterfront property makes it even easier to enjoy the water and offers many other benefits as well.

Here are eight benefits of enhancing your waterfront property landscape.

• Increased property real estate asking price: A well-landscaped waterfront property has a significant real estate cost advantage over a property that can only boast of being by the water. Landscaping your waterfront property can increase the value of your property dramatically. According to HomeLight, nearly 75% of landscaped properties are worth between 5% and 10% more than homes without a good landscape.

• Ease of selling your property: Even if landscaping doesn’t increase the value of your property, it can help attract buyers when you’re ready to sell. A well-landscaped property can bring more prospects to your doorstep and save you time when you want to sell your property.
• Increased usability and functionality of your property: When done right, landscaping helps you define a specific use and function for every part of your property or ensure a flexible, multipurpose space, increasing the usefulness of your property. For example, building a patio creates a specific spot for entertainment and relaxation, while installing a dock on your waterfront property designates a place to get in and out of the water easily. These structures carve out the locations where they are placed for a specific use.
• Improved safety for your property: Landscaping can make your property safer. For example, constructing well-defined walkways throughout your property and installing proper lighting on the walkways will enable people to move around your property safely and access the waterfront round the clock.
• Increased beauty and pride of ownership: A well-nurtured lawn, trees, a floral garden, a dock and proper lighting increase the color, aroma and beauty of your property, making it more appealing to you and your guests and giving you more pride in your property.
• Increased satisfaction from the location: Installing a fire pit, seating and a patio or a lounge on your property can increase the quality of relaxation you and your guests get and provide a place to enjoy the breathtaking view of the waterfront. It can also provide an ideal spot to entertain friends and bond with family.
• Better drainage control: Landscaping your property can help you control the flow of water and prevent issues of erosion from runoff water or melting snow and ice on your property. Controlling water away from structures also helps you avoid rot or other water damage to your property.
• Reduced spending on energy: Planting trees, shrubs and other plants at the right locations in your property can provide shade for your buildings and structures. During summer, this shade can reduce the temperature inside, in turn reducing the cost of running your air conditioner. Additionally, during stormy winters, trees can act as windbreaks against cold winds, reducing the cost of running heating systems.

Ways to Upgrade Your Outdoor Landscape Design

The water will be just one of the many benefits of your property if you invest in a well-done landscape design for your property. Imagine sipping a glass of wine from a well-positioned patio, overlooking a sparkling river or lake while surrounded by fresh trees and flowers. Down by the water is a dock where you can safely swim, fish, boat or enjoy any of the other fun activities the water provides.

You’re only a few landscaping steps away from realizing that. You can take a few simple steps to design the perfect waterfront property landscape. First, we outline important factors to consider, then discuss how to plan your landscaping. Finally, we’ll present a list of features such as structures and plants you can add to your landscape.

Things to Consider in Enhancing Your Outdoor Landscape

Here are four key factors to consider before lifting a spade on your waterfront outdoor landscape. 

• Local waterfront and housing laws and regulations: Consult your local and state regulations on zoning, preserving wetland and landscaping to understand what you can and cannot do to your waterfront property. This will save you from wasting time and money on activities or supplies that you may never be allowed to use.
• Your goal and use for the property: What you want to use the property for will determine how much you invest in landscaping and what modifications you can make. Perhaps you plan to use the property for a full-time residence or a vacation home. Maybe you’re starting a business or investing in the property. What you plan to do with the property will help you decide on the next major factor.
• Your budget: What is your budget for improving your property landscape? How much are you willing to spend on the needed labor and resources? Your budget will help you decide what you put in and the design you adopt.
• The type of water body: Whether your property is by a river, a lake, a pond or the ocean will determine your design and the plant life you bring in.

Carefully considering these factors will help you plan and execute your waterfront landscape design more efficiently and effectively.

Plan Your Landscape Design

After considering those four key factors, use the information you gathered to create a landscape plan for your waterfront property. Here are the general steps you can take to plan your landscape design.

1. Choose a Theme

Start by choosing a theme for your waterfront property landscape. Choosing a theme for your outdoor space can provide a focus for designing your landscape and also help narrow your options of designs and what you need to add to your property. For example, the trees and flowers you plant for an English Garden will likely be different from the plants for a Japanese Garden or a Woodland Landscape. The same goes for the kind of materials you’d use and any hardscaping or structures you may want to include.

2. Structure Your Landscape 

Carefully decide where each component will go on your land. Choosing the exact spot for every item you want to add to your landscape will help you make any necessary changes to your design before placing anything permanently. Consider the view of your property from all angles as well as the view you want to enjoy from specific spots after you finish creating your landscape design. Be sure you carefully position everything that goes into your landscape to give you the view you want.

For example, if you want to look at a beautiful, smoothly flowing river from the window of your room, you don’t want to plant a tree or erect a structure in the path of that view. If you do not consider the various views in your landscape design, you could accidentally obstruct the view you love.

3. Design Around Your Landscape’s Strengths

Every landscape has its own strengths, and you should find them and design around them. For example, if your landscape has several elevations, you might create different tiers for different purposes on those elevations and design walkways that connect them to any buildings or structures and to the water. Perhaps your property already has an abundance of nice plant life and trees. You might design around them to preserve them and use their natural beauty to enhance your landscape.

4. All Designs and Structures Should Coexist With the Water

Everything you decide to add to your property should work in harmony with the water in beautifying your landscaping. Your choice of structures and plants should not compete with the waterfront and existing natural shapes in the land. Although you can design a waterfront landscape on your own and build it yourself, you can also hire a landscape designer to help you create the perfect outdoor space.

Nine Features You Can Add to Enhance Your Landscape Design

Here are nine features you can consider adding to enhance your waterfront property landscape.

• A patio: A patio that provides a clear and unobstructed view of the waterfront and the surrounding environment can provide an engaging and enjoyable experience for you and your guests. It is also likely to increase the value of your property if you want to sell it.

• A fireplace or a fire pit: An outdoor fire pit on your property extends the fun into the night and increases the satisfaction you have from your property, especially during chilly evenings.
• A walkway to the waterfront: Provide clear and clean paths to the waterfront from every part of the property. A walkway paved with natural or recyclable materials like gravel or rubber mulch can complement the natural feel that the waterfront already provides. Be certain to provide proper lighting for your walkways so you and your guests can move about safely after dark. Consider whether curvy walkways will suit your property better than walkways with straight lines.
• An outdoor kitchen or grill: Adding a grill or functional kitchen will enable you to prepare your favorite meals while enjoying the amazing view and atmosphere that your waterfront property provides. Consult local and state laws when planning an outdoor kitchen for your space to be sure you follow any guidelines or restrictions.
• A walkway beside the waterfront: Adding a walkway beside the waterfront can greatly increase how much fun and enjoyment you get from the water. You can design a concrete sidewalk beside the river or a wall. As with other additions, consult local and state laws to ensure you follow any regulations or guidelines.
• Trees, plants, lawns or gardens: Well-positioned trees, flowers with sweet aroma and color and a well-nurtured lawn can make your property a beauty to behold. Place your plants in areas that provide the best experience. For example, your trees should not obstruct your view of the beautiful landscape but should provide proper shade for your building and other outdoor spots during summer. Consider using native flowers and plants to ensure they flourish easily.
• A natural fence: You can add a fence to your property to prevent strangers from wandering into your property. Using a natural-looking fence can enhance the charming look of your property instead of looking like an obtrusive barrier. Wood is a traditional natural material for fences, but you might also consider stone and brick walls or planting bushes as a natural fence.
• A swimming pool: Adding a swimming pool to your property can enhance your landscape and provide a safer place for young children to play. Design your swimming pool to supplement the natural waterfront rather than competes with it to provide a unified and complementary experience.
• A dock: Simply adding a dock to your property can increase the appeal and value of your property. Install a dock that connects to your walkway and improves access to the water. Having a deck can greatly increase the satisfaction you get from the water activities you enjoy, whether swimming, boating, fishing, jet skiing, canoeing or kayaking. A floating plastic dock is likely the best choice.

Why Plastic Docks Are the Best for Your Waterfront Property

Here are six reasons you should choose plastic docks instead of traditional wooden docks for your waterfront property.

• Ease of maintenance: An easy-to-maintain dock will reduce your landscape maintenance concerns and ensure you have a reliable dock throughout the year. Wooden docks are not very easy to maintain, requiring yearly painting or refinishing to reduce rotting. Wooden docks can also splinter or crack easily, causing you to replace them more frequently. All this maintenance is an added cost for you. However, plastic docks require minimal maintenance. They never need recoating and can easily be cleaned with a hose.
• Buoyancy: A floating dock ensures you have direct access to the water, no matter the water level. Wooden docks typically have fixed heights, which means when the water goes high, your dock could disappear under the water, and when the water goes too low, accessing the water from your dock is difficult, if not impossible. Plastic docks, like EZ Dock polyethylene docks, are buoyant and float with the water, so they always provide easy access to the water.

• Eco-friendliness: An eco-friendly dock ensures the plant and animal life in or near the water is not threatened. While wood can be eco-friendly, treated wood can be hazardous for wildlife. Additionally, the process of installing and maintaining wooden decks often introduces harmful substances into the water that can harm wildlife. Plastic docks are eco-friendly since they float on the water, are easy to install and require minimal maintenance.
• Slip-resistance: Slip-resistance is critical, especially if little children will use your dock. A slip-resistant dock promotes the safety and enjoyment of your waterfront property for everyone. Wooden docks can be slippery when wet, becoming a safety risk to users. However, plastic docks often have a textured surface, making them slip-resistant even when wet.

• Durability: Your dock must be durable. You don’t want to have to install a new dock every other year. Wooden docks are not as durable as plastic docks and are susceptible to cracking and rotting. Fixed wooden docks are also vulnerable to water eroding them. Floating plastic docks move with the water and cannot be damaged by waves.
• Strength: Your dock must be able to handle the weight placed on it without giving way. Wooden planks can only carry so much and can splinter when too much load is placed on them. Plastic docks are strong and tough enough to handle the weight of both humans and machinery. If too much weight is placed on floating docks, they are more likely to sink than break, so repairs are easy!

Enhance Your Outdoor Landscape With EZ Dock Products

An enhanced waterfront landscape can turn your property from just a piece of land by the water to a safe haven of fun, relaxation and enjoyment for you and your guests. It can also bring out the real beauty, color and elegance of your property and increase its real estate value.

While landscaping can cost a few hundred dollars to thousands of dollars, using EZ Dock floating docks can help you save money over the long term in maintenance and replacements, providing a continuously safe platform to enjoy every bit of fun the waterfront provides.

We provide different floating dock products — both residential and commercial —  to help you make the most of your waterfront property.

This is what you get from installing EZ Dock floating dock:

• Low maintenance dock: EZ Dock floating docks are practically maintenance-free. You simply install and enjoy.
• Easy to install and remove: EZ Dock floating docks are easy to install and remove with coupling materials made from recycled rubber.
• Durable floating docks: Docks from EZ Dock are long-lasting. Our first dock installed over 26 years ago is still being used!
• Easy to customize:  EZ Dock products are easy to customize to comply with your landscape design and layout.
• Safe slip-resistant docks: With EZ Dock polyethylene docks, you don’t need to worry about injuries from slips and falls. Even when wet, our docks are slip-resistant.
• Outstanding load capacity: We designed the floatation chambers in our docks to provide optimal strength and structural capacity.
• Cool to the feet and burn-free: EZ Dock products are cool and burn-free even in hot summer.
• ADA accessible: EZ Dock products are designed to be accessible for people with disabilities. This makes your dock useful and available to everyone.
• Environmentally-friendly: EZ Dock floating docks are free from materials that can harm the environment. We make our dock couplers from 90% pre- and post-consumer waste.

Our products are easy to install, and our distributors are always available to help you with the installation if you desire. Check out our variety of floating docks and request a quote or contact us today to speak with our team.