September 9, 2010

Landscaping 101

Landscaping your yard adds curb appeal, allows your to enjoy your outdoor space more and adds value to your home. With proper planning and design you can transform a plain yard into an outdoor haven. With the use of creative landscaping, outdoor furniture and a patio or deck you can add an outdoor room or rooms to your house, extending your home usage, while improving the overall flow of your property. Landscaping can be done by anyone, but the results will depend on the amount of time, planning and your ability to carry out your goals.

Size does matter when it comes to landscaping and you need to make sure that your house is not over or under whelmed by your plantings. Look at your landscape as if through a giant magnifying glass -- scrutinizing every detail. Then allow yourself to dream. Soon you'll be conjuring up all sorts of ideas and sketching out some rough plans. By gradually working through the initial stages, you'll move on to planning and eventually have a finished design.

Landscape professionals will tell you that a master plan is the key to any landscape project or solution. A master plan is more than a drawing or a design; it's a well-thought-out plan of action that includes a design. It enables you to feel confident that you're on the correct path toward building the landscape that's right for you and your property. Any project becomes more attainable when you're willing to accomplish the plan in stages. Be realistic about how much you can accomplish each year. Many people like to work and budget on the basis of a five-year plan.

Make sure you do your homework on what plants do well in your area. You may want to consider xeriscaping or doing a yard that is environmentally friendly. It is best to also have your soil tested. You can probably take a sample to your county extension office and have them test the ph balance. Do your research and make sure all the plants and shrubs are planted where they will have the highest rate of success. Check your yard at different times of the day to find out how sunny and shady areas are. Another thing place to do your homework is to find out how large the plants and shrubs get and how fast they grow. Drive around your neighborhood and look for plants that are growing healthy and beautiful in your neighbors yards. These plants will probably do well in your yard too.

Choose your plantings to have blooms at different times of the year to keep your landscaping looking good year round. Plants with flowers and leaves in different colors and textures will add richness to your landscaping. While variety is good you will want to repeat plantings in different areas to add a cohesive pattern to the landscape.

Plan for different spots in your yard for different activities and try to blend hard and soft materials. You may want a hummingbird or butterfly garden in one area and a quiet spot to sit and read in another. Choose stones and materials that compliment the style of the home. Don't forget to add spots for entertaining and seating for friends and family.

A water feature and lighting are nice finishing touches to your landscaped yard. Landscape lighting could be one of the least understood and overlooked areas of a home landscape design. The popularity of outdoor landscape lighting continues to grow. Very often you see outdoor lights commonly know as Malibu landscape lights installed in the "runway effect" or landscape path lights lining a pool walkway. When the sun goes down the solar powered system lights come on. Usually these outdoor fixtures don’t highlight any particular element in the landscape, they just light up. Landscape lights provide safety, and are energy efficient and economical. Creating a place to retreat from daily cares and merge oneself into natural sights and sounds promotes mental health and a sense of well-being. Fountains for your landscape come in a vast array of sizes, forms, and costs. Almost any place in the landscape is a good place for a fountain, but near the patio or deck offers the added attraction of the soothing sound of moving water for those sitting nearby.

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