Tips for Creating a Landscape Plan
When designing a new landscape for your home, the first
step is to create a great plan. If that feels like a
daunting task, here are a few tips on how to go about
creating a plan for your new landscaping project.
First, look at the space you plan to change with a
critical eye. What is there already? Are there elements
that you like well enough to keep? If so, how can you work
with them so they will fit into the newly landscaped
architecture? If it all needs to go, will you be sculpting
the actual ground or will you just be adding things to the
topography as it currently stands?
Think about how the space will look as the seasons
progress. If you live in the house fulltime, will the new
landscaping look good at all times of the year? Perhaps
you're not at that particular house year round, and only
care if the space looks good in the summer, for instance.
In that case, you'll want to consider what the space will
look like while you're there.
If you will be looking at the space all year, will there
be things about the new landscaping that will bother you
at certain times of the year, such as having deciduous
trees bare all winter? If you want color all year, you may
want to add evergreens or shrubs with colored branches.
After you've thought about those factors, make a list of
the things you'd really like to change and those you'd
like to keep. It may even be a good idea to wait for an
entire year before you start your remodeling project, so
you can keep a diary of what you like and dislike
throughout each season. It means postponing the project,
but if you're planning to keep your new landscaping for
many years after it's completed, it may pay off
handsomely, because it will allow you to get a feel for
what already pleases and displeases you about what's
already in place.
Although it's a step that's often skipped by homeowners,
spending the time to create a well-conceived landscaping
plan can make the difference between getting a new space
that makes life more pleasant and having to redo the
entire project because it really wasn't what you wanted.
Mistakes can be costly--both in terms of money and in the
enjoyment of your home. Take the time to plan carefully
and you'll be able to enjoy your new landscaping project
for many years to come.
Landscape Plan for Lifestyle
