Landscaping - Gardening - Lawn Care

Practical Matters

5. Draw up a budget. It's a good idea to come up with a preliminary, flexible budget during the early stages of planning. You can modify it as your plans change and as you get a better feel for how much your dreams will cost. Determine a total sum you are willing to spend, factoring in how much of the construction and gardening work you want a professional to do. Decide whether quality or immediacy is more important. For example, typically a dry-stone retaining wall costs more than one made from railroad ties. If done properly, however, stone lasts longer and looks better. Similarly, can you implement your landscape plan in stages or do you want it all now? If you can wait, small plants cost less than big ones and soon catch up in size.

6. Collect ideas. Visit as many gardens in your area as you can to create an awareness of what types of plants and materials are commonly used. For example, look at the materials found in retaining walls in your area. They are examples of what you can expect a professional to suggest or what you'll be able to find at the local hardware store or home center. Decide what you like so you'll know what to look for or what to suggest to a professional if you eventually hire one. Don't forget to walk around your local nursery; you'll find plenty of plant ideas and get an idea of their costs.

7. Factor in geography. Learn your Zone on the U.S. Department of Agriculture's cold-hardiness map, which shows the average annual minimum temperatures for every region of the United States and parts of Canada. Then look up plants that are hardy in your area and create a list of those you like. Using native plants in your landscape will cut down on maintenance time and improve your success with your plantings.

Sketch It Out

8. Layer ideas. Whether you're working on a computer or with graph paper, pencil, and tracing paper, design your landscape in layers. The site survey is the basic layer. The site analysis is another. A third layer is the outline of public, private, and service areas on your property and how they relate to one another. By playing around with these layered outlines, sooner or later you'll discover what works for your family. Then you can develop a rough layout of your new design.

9. Get specific. After thinking about the broader themes of your landscape, don't forget to consider the particulars that can help unify your outdoor areas. For example, grade your land for proper drainage; water should flow away from your house, paths, patios, and other structures. Transform steep, eroded slopes into landscaped terraces or make flat land more remarkable by installing raised beds and berms. These types of grade changes will add interest and increase the perceived size of your yard.

Think about paths to join spaces. A main walk should be at least 4 feet (preferably 5 feet) wide; less important paths can be as narrow as 2 to 3 feet wide. Driveways should be at least 9 feet wide.

Don't forget the front yard. Entry plantings should emphasize, not obscure, the front door and should measure no more than the distance from the ground to the eaves when mature. Corner plantings help anchor the house in the landscape and work well when they are no more than two-thirds the height of the eaves at full size.

10. Finish your plan. Look over your sketches and select the one that fits your lot and your needs the best, then draw it up. Add specific measurements to the drawing. Price the building materials for the job. Sketch a planting plan that indicates the number and kind of plants selected for each area of your property. If the final details are too overwhelming, now is the time to hire a professional to come in and help. You've done the tedious work, saving yourself time and money in the long run; now either you or a pro can bring the sketches to life.

Better Homes and Gardens

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