Have you recently purchased a home that isn’t landscaped, and need help? Landscaping can be scary for those who have never done it before. These seven tips will really help you with designing your landscape so it looks like you had a professional do the job.
1) Consider your Lifestyle
If you want a garden, you’ll need to plan ahead where you want it set up. Do you have young children that need a play area? Maybe your job leaves little time for working in your yard and you need a low maintenance landscape. The more thought you give to what it is you really want, the better your plan will work out for you and for your lifestyle.
2) Get Sketchy!
Do a simple sketch of your yard making notes of the larger items first, such as a patio area, a garden; maybe you want a fire pit, trees, shrubs and smaller plants. This doesn’t have to be an artist’s rendering. It’s for your personal use.
3) Take your Time
Spend some time and imagine being in your yard the way you sketched it. You might want to sit outside in the afternoon where you envisioned your patio to see how it works for you. Make changes as needed. Add additions as you think of them.
4) Do Some Research
Take note of what conditions are in different areas. A garden needs plenty of sunlight, particularly in the morning.
5) Create a Focal Point
Maybe it’s a fire pit, a fountain or a small statue. Design pathways and open spaces to draw the eye into the landscape toward that focal point.
6) Pay Attention!
When planting, whether it’s trees, shrubs or flowers, you need to be aware of how wide and how tall they will grow and how soon they will reach that width or height. You will want to place smaller plants and shrubs in front of larger ones. You also need to be aware of which plants like the sun and which ones like the shade and plant accordingly.
7) Slow Down
Do one project or flower bed at a time. This is not a race. If you take your time and don’t rush you can continue to make changes and adjustments as you go along. Also, please remember that trees and shrubs are more difficult to relocate than smaller plants. You can set them in place and observe them before you actually put them in the ground to be sure they are where you want them.
I hope these hints will be the inspiration you need to help you in designing your landscape. Take your time and you should have a beautiful landscape when you are finished! If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch with our team at NBG Landscapes.
