Landscaping: Plan First and Then Plant

The weather is breaking and you have the urge to get out and improve the appearance of your home or property. However, there are several things to do before you start. Buying plants before you start is a bad idea. One of the best things an individual can do is buy a book or two on landscaping. You can get them at any Walden's, Barnes & Noble, Wal-Mart and even Lowe's or Home Depot.

After you read through the books you will get some good ideas on what would look good and where. Next, take some pictures of your area and place them on your computer. This way you can refer to them often to improve your ideas. You will also need the pictures to make a plan.

As you look at the pictures, notice where the walks and the driveway are located. Do you have a deck or patio area? Maybe you have a small area with a bench for reading or just sitting. All of these areas are ideal for landscaping. The other thing to notice is from what area is your house viewed or seen? The worst thing to do is hide a nice landscaped area from view. That is unless you want a private area. Establish your main objective for landscaping. Keep in mind. You have what you and what you need. The needs should always come before the wants.

If you decide to have a professional design your plan, you are looking at about $250. Most individuals would rather do it themselves. The good thing about a professional is that will keep the owner from buying on a whim.

Make the plan out first. Don't worry about the budget. Just get it on paper what you want to accomplish. You can always adjust your budget as you go. You might find items that are on sale to help keep you on track.

If you have a large project, do it over time. You might do the front this year and the back next year. If you have trees in your budget. and you are running short on funds, plant the trees first. shrubs and perennials will come later. Besides, it takes the trees a while to get set up.

It is said that ten percent of a homes value is in it's landscaping. You can add 7 to 15% on it's value by adding to the looks of the property. A large house with a few flowers is skimping and over time it will show. Trees on the southwest side will keep the house cooler and the hot sun from scorching other plants around the house. Some like trees all around their house. I would say keep them a safe distance as tree limbs and leaves can add lots of unwanted work.

Always do the big jobs like patio, decks, paths and walks first. Get them settled in where you want them and then add to the area. If you are doing anything with water, like a pond or waterfall that even comes before anything. this is because you may have to do trenching for water lines.

OK, all the hard work is done. Now all you need is plants. Evaluate the plants that you already have. Are they strong and healthy and in the right place? Don't get plants that over grown the walks or windows. Vines can get out of control in a hurry. When you decide what plants you want, write down their Latin name. English names can get you the wrong plant. Checkout the plants before you buy them. Look at their color and roots and leaves. Are they healthy? when you plant, try to plant all at the same time. This makes it easier in the long run. Also, think about adding some different colors. colors like orange, red, purple, and yellow can add some excitement to your landscaping appearance. These colors look great around your front door. Greens and blues look good in a smaller setting area.

This is why a master plan is so important. You want the best bang for the buck on your budget and you also want to make it look nice. If you have to do a project over a period of a year or two, that is fine. You can always reevaluate what you are doing and probably do a better job.

One last thought about landscaping. It is always good to have a special area for you and your family. Sometimes a small chair or bench in a flowered area can do wonders for an individuals spirit. You can visit with a friend there, read, or just spend time enjoying the view. In fact, many individuals like to use that area as the center of their landscaping plan.