Simple and easy landscaping ideas

One of the biggest concerns most families face when deciding how to design their existing landscape is “where do I start?” If you’re not a creative person or can’t afford a professional consultant to design your landscaping plans, what do you do? Most people are looking for some simple and easy landscaping ideas that they can follow and do the job themselves. I have had several friends and neighbors ask for my advice and guidance so they can get started on their landscaping plans.

One of your first thoughts is to spend some time evaluating your current property with a special emphasis on what you want your finished landscaping project to look like. Do not try to copy the design of your neighbors! For example, they don’t have children and you do. They don’t need a playground and you do. Therefore, it is important to know what you are starting with, such as the existing design and the main features of your current landscape. Does your lawn take up most of the property? What kind of trees and where are they located on the property? Is the property level and easy to work with or does it face ravines and rocky ground? Once you determine the pros and cons of what you’re starting, you can sketch out a rough design and come up with a workable budget.

Now that you have an understanding of your terrain and landscape, you need to consider including a vegetable garden in your overall landscaping plan. A vegetable garden is not as aesthetically pleasing as a flower garden, however it is sometimes easier to landscape. If you’re just planting a flower garden, you’ll want to keep the plants and flowers in a certain color scheme, such as a combination of bright yellows and reds. Although selecting plant colors is a personal decision, mixing certain colors together will give you a more beautiful, coordinated look.

Don’t overlook the importance of the need for direct sunlight for your plants. Some flowers require direct sunlight while other plants need a certain amount of shade. Determine the amount of shade a specific area of ​​the garden receives and, if it is in direct sunlight, how to shade flowers and vegetables that grow best in indirect sunlight. You can do this by planting them in the shade of certain larger plants, shrubs, or trees. One of the easiest ways to create artificial shade is to plant vines on a trellis or fence.

Now you will decide how many and what types of trees to include in your landscape design. A single tree or a small group of trees can make a nice arrangement within the lawn or a nice side feature, or you can decide to place or keep them in the background. Don’t choose an overwhelming tree. Select a nicely shaped one with an interesting feature about its colorful leaves, distinctive bark, or colorful flowers. You may want to consider the blooms of the tulip, the bright berries of the ash tree, the bark of the white birch, the leaves of the copper beech, or the glossy foliage of the sugar maple. If you have a low area that stays wet most of the time, willow or birch are ideal trees for this spot. Do not plant a group of evergreen trees next to the house, this usually gives a dark and dreary effect to the house.

There are a variety of shrubs that can be used as hedges and are more pleasing in a landscape design than building expensive fences. The following shrubs make very pretty and colorful hedges: California privet, Japanese barberry, Van Houtte’s spirea, and Osage orange. When choosing your trees and shrubs, select those from your local geographic area, as they will be best suited to soil and climate conditions.

Your house or tool shed often needs the help of vines or certain types of flowers to tie them together and create a harmonious landscape. Landscape architects use vines to achieve this purpose. Plant a perennial vine and it will become a permanent part of your landscape design. There are several alternatives you can choose from, such as Virginia creeper, clematis, honeysuckle, wisteria, or trumpet vine.

Walkways and paths are essential to all landscaping designs, allowing you and your guests to walk through the garden without damaging plants and flowers. A variety of materials are used to create walkways such as gravel, pavers, brick, or bark. Depending on your garden style, try to design your paths so that they curve and meander through your garden rather than in a straight line. Keep in mind that the path must lead somewhere; for example, starting from your back porch or deck and ending at your tool shed or property line.

When developing your landscaping plan, give serious thought to the amount of time and effort you want to spend working on your yard. If you have a flower garden and vegetable garden, the amount of time spent maintaining and caring for your plants will be considerable. You may want to install an irrigation system to eliminate the need to manually water the garden. This will save you time and improve the vitality of the plants. Weeding is tedious work and can be exhausting at times. If you prefer to spend time at the beach or on the golf course, you may want to put a lot of thought into creating an easy-care landscape design.

Before you begin your home landscaping project, you’ll need to check with your local government officials where there are gas lines, electrical lines, and water pipes that may be running through your yard. You can’t afford to hit any of these things. It can be dangerous and expensive to repair.

Learn more about landscaping ideas by visiting http://www.professionallandscapingideas.com