Search ReviewGuider and the web:
How do you plan to use your yard? Will you be sitting in it or walking through it? Will you and your family using the yard for sports? Give everyone in your family a chance to provide input about how they'd like to use the yard. Try to create a design that meets all of your needs.
There is an endless variety of landscaping projects you might undertake. They run the gamut from complex to simple, quick to multi-month, and easy to labor intensive. Before deciding to design and install a landscape project, you should have the answers to three questions:
Here is some help in answering these questions.
Time Required: Variable. But realize that whatever you design and install will have to be maintained. For complex landscaping projects, it is a good idea to do a timeline, and estimate the time required for each part to the job.
Skills Required: High. Landscape design requires a lot of knowledge. There is a lot to know about landscape design and about selecting trees, shrubs, bedding plants, and grass that will thrive on your property. If you are not knowledgeable about landscape design and plants, there are a number of software packages that can help you with your landscape design. The skills required for the installation vary depending on the features of your design, but could include irrigation system installation, soil analysis and amendment, planting and fertilizing, etc. Information on specific trees, shrubs, and bedding plants is provided by the more sophisticated landscape design software packages, or you can consult gardening books.
Vendor Support: When you are using branded lawn and garden products (fertilizer, irrigation systems, etc) manufacture support tends to be very good. However, many of the materials you'll be using probably won't be branded (plants, gravel, sand, stone) and you'll need to consult outside sources.
There is no global brand for a landscape project, but many of the products you need to purchase are branded. For lawns, it may be easier to use a brand like Scott or Ortho that manufacturer complete lines of lawn products, rather than trying to figure out "best of breed" products within each lawn category (e.g. fertilizer, weed killer, pesticides).
When you design your landscape, remember that you are going to have to maintain whatever you install. If you enjoy puttering in the garden or do not mind employing a gardener, then a high maintenance garden may be ideal. If you do not want to put a lot of effort into maintaining your landscape, design a low maintenance landscape.
Getting water to all of the plants in your yard that require irrigation needs to be part of your landscape plan. Most modern and upscale yards include an automated sprinkler system for the lawn and a drip irrigation system for the plants. You can also consider installing a low-water garden that is designed to get enough water from natural sources under most conditions.
The costs for landscaping add up. Grass seed costs only $.02 per square foot and sod is $.25 per square foot. But when you start adding the cost of fertilizer, weed killer, and sprinkler systems, you realize the $.02 is just the beginning. Using a contractor to completely landscape a 1/4 acre yard will cost between $5,000 and $25,000. If you choose to do some or all of your landscaping yourself, you can save 30% to 70% of the costs.
There are broadly two types of gardens: formal and informal. Formal is angular, trimmed, and ordered. Informal gardens have few straight lines and have a natural look. Even though they may be carefully planned and maintained, they may look wild. A cottage garden is an example of an informal garden. When you design your landscape, it is important that all of the elements work in harmony.
Your site is your property and your house. It has a relationship to your neighborhood and environment. It is important to develop a landscape design that works with your site. If you live in lush wooded area, it might seem out of place to try to create a Santa Fe-style cactus garden in your back yard. If your home has a strong French architectural design, a Japanese garden will clash.
There are a wide range of materials to choose for your landscaping project. It is important to choose plants that will thrive in your yard, and that you plan adequate irrigation. When you choose construction materials for your landscape project, materials should be of a related style. If you are working with a landscape contractor, it is important that you agree to your process for selecting and approving materials.