Landscaping Tips and Ideas
How do you go about determining the best landscaping design and plan for your yard? There are many factors to consider when starting this project, such as regional climate, your personal design preferences, budget, how you’d like to use your yard, and your landscaping skillset.
As far as budget is concerned, you can expect to pay anywhere from a couple of hundred dollars all the way up to several thousands of dollars. It all depends on the scope of your plans, the size of your yard, whether you’re tackling the project yourself, or if you’re hiring a professional landscaping company. If you’re a ‘beginner’, and are choosing to do-it-yourself, you’ll want to consider a few things before beginning:
· Appraise your Location – determine the sun and wind patterns to determine how that impacts how you’ll be spending time in your yard and how plants will be impacted by the elements. Take some soil samples before planting to find out what plants will grow well in your yard, or to determine additives that may need to be added to the soil before planting.
· Make a ‘Needs and Wants’ List – are you planting vegetables, do your children need a play area, what type of ‘garden design’ do you prefer, does your family enjoy gathering around a fire pit or on the patio?
· Find a Focal Point – add a tree, shrubbery, sculpture piece to anchor that spot.
· Consider the Key Design Elements – scale, texture, line, color, and form.
· Start Small – remember…you don’t have to fill the entire yard up right away….PATIENCE.
Here are some additional tips and information from thespruce.com:
· Year-Round Interest – the goal is to have four-season interest by including flowering trees and/or shrubs throughout spring and summer, fall foliage in autumn, and good structure in winter.
· Layer Your Flower Beds – layer your flower borders in three rows: a back row (facing north, preferably) with the tallest plants, a middle row with the next tallest, and a front row composed of your shortest plants.
· Create Continuity – in addition to deciduous trees and shrubs, remember to include evergreens and plants that offer continuity in foliage.
· Annuals Supplement Perennial Color – perennial flowers bloom for only so long and incorporating annuals will ‘plug the gaps’, giving you continuous color in the yard.
· Incorporate Hardscape – walls and fences make an essential design statement, and decks, arbors, and patios are also important hardscape features.
· Install Water Features – this ‘easier than you think’ hot trend serves as a great focal point, adding the texture of ‘sound’ to your landscape…think small ponds, fountains, or simple waterfalls.
· Use Form and Texture – consider the characteristics of a plant’s branching pattern and foliage to spice up your yard with diversity.
· Consider a Low-Maintenance Yard – unless you don’t mind spending hours each weekend on the upkeep of your yard, plan your design for low maintenance.
· Use Drought-Resistant Plants – novices and have their spring high hopes dashed by the summer heat that wilts their lovely spring plants…select drought-tolerant plants instead.
· Carefully Match Types of Flowers with Growing Space – light and soil requirements should always be considered before deciding which types of flowers to buy for your yard.
Whether you choose an English garden, Japanese garden, French garden or a native garden design, you’ll be sure to enjoy your yard more by following some of these tips shared above. As bhg.com suggests, a professional landscape designer can be a helpful addition to your team, particularly if you’re starting your home’s exterior from scratch. Not only can they help you devise the ideal layout for your home and style, but they can also point you in the direction of the right plants for your area and help with care tips.
Our motto at Sandi Downing Real Estate is
“providing exceptional client services”