Landscape design is the process of consciously arranging outdoor space for your satisfaction and enjoyment. A home that has been well planned is more aesthetically pleasing and more functional. It enhances the look of the neighborhood, increases the resale value of a property and offers pleasure to the family. With a little planning and thought, you can make provide maximum use and pleasure to your home with the right landscaping.
An important aspect of any residential landscaping project is good planning, which is often neglected. The features within the plan must blend and support each other in enhancing the outdoor space. A lack of planning will make the project more expensive and the end result will not be as impressive. Taking a little time to plan will save a lot of time in the long run as well as effort and money.
When you start the planning process, think about the space as a whole and what you want to achieve. Your ideas should not be limited to the common features, you can include other features provided they blend in with the general look of the space. Here are some steps that you should follow when creating a landscape design.
Develop a plot plan
This is the first thing you should do before anything else. Make sure you accurately draw a plot that shows the boundaries and physical features that might affect your chosen design. The plan should have all the angles and property lines showing the position of the property and other aspects like driveways and utilities. It should include all the possible limitations.
Conduct a site analysis
The next step is to conduct a site analysis which will show you the environmental features of the site. The overall design will be largely determined by the way the sun affects the house and site to be designed. This will let you know the position of the sun at different times of the day. With this information, you can, for example, determine the type of tree needed to provide shade during the different seasons.
Knowing the direction of the wind will help you determine where to put the windbreak. Take a walk around the space and note down the good and bad views.
Assess family needs
Knowing what the family needs means you will create a design that will be great for all your loved ones. The family will play a role because they would use the space most of the time, thus they need to love it. If you have young children then the design must factor must cater for their needs. If the family doesn’t have a lot of spare time, then your design must be low maintenance.
Locate areas of use
You will need to refer to the needs of the family in order to provide enough space for each activity. You will then divide the space into separate areas serving a specific purpose but still combined in a single design. The private, public and service areas should also be defined.
Design, construct and plant
What you should always remember is that this is your space and you have the freedom to try things you think will help improve the look of your outdoor space. Choose features and plants that will enhance the area surrounding your home.