Everybody wants to have a lawn that is the envy of the entire neighborhood, but have you ever wondered why? Well, according to home improvement and remodeling expert Bob Vila, your landscaping can add as much as 20% to the overall value of your home. On the other hand, a poorly maintained lawn harms your property value. You can either hire a professional landscaping service to make your lawn look its best, or you can do it yourself. However, it will take more than a little elbow grease to get your lawn in shape. Here is the best way to plan a landscape design that will have your lawn looking great in no time.
When planning your landscape design, here are a few things that you should keep in mind:
- Know your lawn, and who will be using it.
- Having a theme is always a good idea.
- Use plants and shrubbery to create and tie spaces together.
- Be sure that your plans are structured and pay attention to detail.
- Highlight and draw attention to the most important areas.
- Always have one eye on the future.
- Protect and reuse the resources you have.
In this article, we will take a look at a few of the different ways that you can properly plan a landscape design, which is the most important step toward having the best lawn in the neighborhood. We will take a closer look into each of these tips and evaluate why they are so important in proper landscape planning and design. Let’s read along to see how following these tips can help you to do such a great job on your lawn that it will look like a professional landscaping service did the work for you.
Know Your Lawn and Who Is Using It
Perhaps the most important aspect of coming up with a landscape design for your lawn is to know your lawn. So, what exactly does that mean? There are three things that you should make yourself familiar with before planning a landscape design. These three things include your regional climate, the topography of your site, and your soil type. Based on the conditions of your lawn, you may have one or more microclimates as well. These are smaller climates created within a larger ecosystem based on the exposure to the sun and shade your lawn gets at various parts of the day.
The four major categories of microclimates include full sun, partial shade, shade, and deep shade. Another aspect of knowing your lawn is being familiar with its topography, which is defined as the details of the natural or artificial features of your lawn. In layman’s terms, this means that you should be aware of any peaks or valleys that your lawn may have, as well as the way that water drains from your lawn. The last thing that you would want to do would be to create puddles and muddy spots in your beautiful yard.
The next thing that you should take into consideration when designing your landscaping is to consider who will be using your lawn, and how they will use it. For example, do you have pets, or do you plan to use your lawn for entertaining or hosting outdoor events? If so, you can create different spaces for different reasons, and you can also integrate walkways as part of your landscaping to add an aesthetically pleasing transition from one area to another. You also need to consider the amount of money and time you have to invest in your lawn before designing your landscaping.
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Have a Good Theme
Themes are always a great way to tie things together. This concept can apply to the outside of your home as well as the inside. Besides tying your lawn together, having a good theme can also help you find the plants, flowers, and shrubbery that will work best to fit your lawn and your personality. Now you may be wondering how to get helpful ideas if they plan to incorporate a theme into the overall design of their landscaping. Well, there are a few places where you can start. Some people see their lawns as an extension of their home, so they may expand on the architectural design of their home for inspiration.
Two other areas from which people can get helpful ideas for landscaping themes are by choosing one specific color or geometric shapes or patterns that can help tie everything together. Another trend in landscaping themes that has been gaining some traction in recent years is designing your lawn to make it look like a specific region. For example, some people design their Landscaping to make their lawn look like an Asian garden, while others may want their lawn to look more like a Caribbean paradise.
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Create Spaces and Tie Them Together with Plants and Shrubbery
Once you have decided on whether or not you will incorporate a theme into your landscape design, The next step would be to use plants and shrubbery to create spaces on your lawn for specific purposes. If you give it some thought, you have certain areas of your home that serve specific purposes, so why wouldn’t you do the same for your outdoor space? If you are anything like me, you probably want a separate area in your backyard for grilling that keeps the smoke away from the main area where you entertain your guests. You can use shrubbery or plants to create a cooking space, and then use a walkway to transition to your entertainment area.
There may also be an area of your lawn where you want to place lawn furniture. This may be a section of your yard where you want your guests to be able to relax and unwind. You would want this space to be separate from your cooking area. Some people have outdoor kitchens or outdoor bars that they want to keep away from other sections of their lawn as well. When you are designing your landscaping, you can treat your yard like you treat your home, meaning that you can have different sections of your lawn that serve the same purpose as having separate rooms in your home.
Pay Attention to Detail
There is an old saying that says “The devil is in the details.” What this means is that something may appear to be simplistic on the outside, but it may be quite complicated upon closer inspection. When you are designing landscaping for your lawn, don’t be afraid of adding details that will help to accentuate the appeal of your yard. Believe it or not, people do notice the smaller details in things, and it makes all the difference in the world when somebody pays close enough attention to their lawn to add small details that set it apart from the others.
A few other ideas that you can utilize when designing the landscaping for your yard are to use decorative ornaments to add a splash of color, or you can also create patterns by planting different types of plants. One mistake that I have often found people make in their Landscaping designs is that they shift the majority of their focus to visual details while paying little to no attention to the way that various plants and flowers smell. You can use different scents of plants and flowers in your yard to create different atmospheres based on your mood.
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Highlight Important Areas to Draw Attention to Them
There are probably a few areas of your lawn that you would like to be the focal point of your landscaping design. Don’t be afraid to highlight those areas to draw attention to them. After all, you’ve put quite a bit of time and effort into planning out your perfect outdoor space. Let those special areas shine with special plants, ornaments, or other pieces that can make your yard the most talked about in the neighborhood. Using a swing or a decorative piece of lawn furniture are two other ways that you can draw attention to your favorite area of your lawn
Consider the Future
When you are creating a landscaping design for your lawn, it’s pretty easy to become distracted as you are trying to incorporate all of the elements of your design into your yard. People often lose sight of the time and money that it will take not only to design and Implement their Landscaping ideas but also to maintain them. A few things that you should keep in mind are the growth rate of your plants, the amount of maintenance they need, and the mature size of your plants. All of these will affect the overall size of your landscaping project. Be careful. It’s pretty easy to take on too much.
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Protect and Reuse Resources
We now live in an age where people are making a concerted effort to conserve as many natural resources as possible. They are also finding creative and interesting ways to reuse and repurpose things instead of discarding them. This has now made its way into the landscaping space, with people using discarded items from older buildings as decorative and ornamental pieces for their lawns. Some of them even use these items as a central focal point for their landscaping design. This line of thinking can also extend itself to plants that are already in your yard.
One way that you can conserve the resources you already have when designing your landscaping is to either relocate your plants to a different area of your lawn or find someone who would be willing to take them and transplant them into their yard. If it is allowed in your neighborhood, you can also collect rainwater to help irrigate your plants and flowers instead of using water from sprinklers or a garden hose. Another way that you can help the environment while planning the yard of your dreams is to use non-toxic and environmentally friendly products on your lawn.
Conclusion
In conclusion, designing the picture-perfect Lawn does not have to be hard. If you follow the tips listed above, you should be able to easily design the landscaping that you have always wanted for your lawn. The most important aspect is to know your lawn, and who will be using it. Next, remember that a good theme can make your landscaping look great. So, create spaces for specific tasks by using plants or shrubbery, and highlight the special areas of your lawn that you want to be the focal point of your landscaping. Last, but certainly not least, look to the future when planning your landscaping, and conserve and reuse your natural resources.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most popular themes in landscaping design?
There are several themes that you can use to make your lawn spectacular. Some of the most popular Landscaping themes today include the following:
- Rishi Theme
- Divi
- Backyard
- Garden Design
- Exdesimo
What is the average cost of professional landscaping in the United States?
Several factors will determine how much a landscaping service will charge you to design and implement the lawn you’ve always wanted. However, the average cost of professional landscaping in the United States is anywhere from $4 to $12 per square foot for basic to intermediate services. Remodeling can cost up to $40 per square foot.
To learn more on how you can start your own landscaping business, check out my startup documents here.
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Meet Shawn Chun: Entrepreneur and Landscape Business Fan.
I’m a happy individual who happens to be an entrepreneur. I have owned several types of businesses in my life from a coffee shop to an import and export business to an online review business plus a few more and now I create online resources for those interested in starting new ventures. It’s demanding work but I love it. I do it for those passionate about their business and their goals. That’s why when I meet a landscape business owner at a job site, driving down the road or anywhere else I see myself. I know how hard the struggle is to retain clients, find good employees and keep the business growing all while trying to stay competitive.
That’s why I created Landscaping Business Boss: I want to help landscape business owners like you build a thriving business that brings you endless joy and supports your ideal lifestyle.