DIY… Adding Visual Interest To Your Landscape

Landscaping your yard yourself can be a very rewarding experience. It costs much less and if you enjoy working out of doors it can be very enjoyable.

Just things as simple as planting bulbs in the fall can bring a sleepy landscape to life in the early spring.

You simply need the correct information to get started so I’ve written a few tips to help you get started with your landscape.

Take The Time To Accurately Assess and Measure Your Landscape

Take time to accurately measure the area you are landscaping prior to visiting your garden center. You will be better able to estimate what you need when you get to the store. This will help you determine the correct amount of materials that you need.

Don’t try to do it all at once. Do it in phases. Pick one particular area that you want to improve and when that is completed move on to the next one.   Landscaping can become expensive especially when a home owner buys more plant material than they have time to put in the ground and not many homeowners have the time to spend days rebuilding their landscape. So the best method is to split your landscaping project into multiple phases and buy the needed products as that phase begins. Plus if you get a new idea along the way you can always change directions without too much expense or difficulty.

Once you begin contemplating your new landscape design, it makes sense to examine it in the context of your entire property. A simple hand drawn map will help with planning where things will go.

Don’t gather up all the grass clippings as you mow the lawn. The small clippings decompose and supply nutrients to your lawn.

Don’t square up your plant beds. Rounding the borders of your beds is much more visually appealing than squared off borders. The curves help your yard look softer to people passing by on the street, a direct contrast to the hard, straight edges of your house or driveway.

Use unique textures for leaves such as variegated ones when doing landscaping. Also remember that green comes in many different shades and leaves in many different shapes. And it all adds contrast to your landscape. The contrast these plants will add throughout your yard will help you create a breathtaking landscape.

Check your property boundaries before beginning a landscaping project. This is even more important if there is no real definition between your yard and your neighbors. You don’t want to cause conflict by accidentally landscaping your neighbor’s property. Check your property deed or plot plan to find out where your property lines are.

Consider sharing costs with like-minded neighbors if you don’t have a ton of money. This simply means that you and a group of neighbors pool funds and either buy or rent equipment, and certainly could including a lawnmower or hedge clippers.  Then, you plan out a schedule where each person uses the equipment for a set amount of time.  And everyone shares in the maintenance and fuel. This is especially helpful in the fall when our lawns need to be aerified and reseeded. Renting a core aerifier and aerifying your lawn is one of the best things you can do for a healthy lawn.

Don’t forget that you should have paths and walkways within your landscape. A plain concrete sidewalk is a boring and not very attractive. Get creative and use stepping stones or some other fun material to make your walkways more appealing.  They come in many different materials and colors.

Plants are a great way to create natural privacy around your property. If you want to ensure privacy, use evergreens and other large plants to act as a wall against those nosy neighbors. These screens can also hide a neighbor’s eyesores or keep pets or children from leaving your yard. Many also provide a natural foods source for birds.

Keep Your Landscape Simple With Basic’s… Remember Most Times Less Is More

Try to create a landscape with basic designs. Distinctive anchor plants at the corners of your home and ornamental trees can contribute some continuity to landscaped areas with a wide variety of different species. Various shrubs planted over and over again could provide unity to you overall design. Create balance by having similar plants and patterns in a particular area.  Plants with contrasting leaf color and textures can be used to create variation in your design.

Don’t forget your local climate when picking shrubs and plants. While you might love a certain variety of plant, if that variety will not thrive in your climate conditions, then it will never look as beautiful as you envision. There are a variety of other factors such as rainfall totals, wind, and amount of sunlight that need to be taken into account when deciding on plants for your landscaping. A local plant nursery will be able to help you when choosing your plants.

Hopefully you were able to find some information here to help you get started on your dream back yard. But if you do get stuck, give us a call. We’re here to help.