Some landscaping 411
Photo credit: Baltimore Sun/Amy Davis
I am a writer who gardens, I tell people. And I have the landscaping skill of a lab puppy looking for a squirrel.
But my friends at Garden Media Group know what they are doing. Or, rather, they know people who know what they are doing in the garden. And they collected these tips for those us who might be design-impaired:
If your garden has issues:
Hiding an unsightly air conditioning unit, adding privacy and changing boring views to beautiful ones are issues that many of us face.
Look around your garden and focus on three things you'd like to change. Create privacy with a flowering plant so you get more than just a green screen. Try adding unique plants to give your own personal touch.
Do your homework:
Tear out favorite pictures from gardening magazines, and start making a file on what you would like for your dream garden. While not everything might be possible for your garden, it will give you or your landscape designer a visual starting point.
Make a list of your favorite plants and color combinations. Don't forget about hardscape such as patios, decks and fencing.
Take your time:
Don't impulsively buy plants at a garden center and attempt a garden make-over. This can be a costly gamble for those without experience. Look for hard to kill plants such as the Knock Out® rose.
Many homeowners find that it takes the help of a designer to create a well-planned landscape project that includes both plants and hardscape. While there is a cost to hiring a landscape designer, it is ultimately more economical to work with an expert to create a plan specific to your yard.
What do you really want?
Privacy is important to many homeowners. One pitfall many encounter is creating privacy at the expense of creativity. Adding a row of evergreens will create privacy, but will it add year-round interest and color? Landscape designers have the plant knowledge and design skills to create a "green privacy screen" using flowering shrubs, trees and fencing.
Get dirty? Or get help?
You can choose to do it yourself or hire help. You can hire a designer for a two hour consultation for ideas and suggestions that you can implement yourself or hire them to create a complete landscape plan. You don't have to complete the whole plan at once. A landscape can be installed over a period of time as well. Decide what areas are most important and start there. Pick your battles.
Comments
I think in terms of function before I pick details like species or material. Starting with function keeps your options from prematurely narrowing.
If you need "something to block that air conditioner's compressor" you can explore trellised plants, walls and shrubbery as options.
Everything can be evaluated on whether it performs the required function or not. When you have several choices that will do the job, look at them from the next requirement: ease of installation, appearance, cost, whatever is next most important to you.
Taking time to measure and plan is the most important step. Mark out the proposed walkway with string and try it for size. Test the patio size inside a string boundary with boxes for tables and chairs. We spent a week making adjustments to the buffalograss meadow's boundaries to make sprinkler install easier, and get a pleasing contour.
Wow, Lazy Gardens! Do you make house calls? -- Susan
Posted by: Lazy Gardens | April 13, 2010 11:03 AM
I'd like my yard to resemble the picture posted.
Posted by: NotableM | April 13, 2010 11:42 AM
No house calls, but I can do a web-based consult. If you post a scale drawing of your current yard on Google Docs we could talk about it. I tend to do scribbles on photos or turn them into presentations with notes and arrows.
here's your homework to read:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/56289/create_your_own_landscape_design.html
However, I do not know much about gardening details in your area so picking the species for the functions would be your problem. I'm certain that you have some plant-finders for that area where you put in the characteristics and it lists the possibles.
Posted by: Lazy Gardens | April 13, 2010 2:55 PM
thanks for the useful post, useful info i found on your article.
Posted by: garden landscaping in india | June 22, 2010 11:54 AM