Good landscape design is something many of us may neglect when thinking about the value of a home. However, landscape and design can have many benefits for a home. Whether you are looking at buying a house, or looking to add some value to it before you sell, professional landscape design can add immense value. 60 percent of those looking to buy a home say that a well landscaped yard influences their home buying decision, and Money Magazine stated that landscaping could bring a recover value between 100 and 200 percent when you go to sell. But it’s not just about the value of your home. Well placed plants can make your home more energy efficient and lower heating and cooling bills by up to 20 percent. But while good landscaping can have many advantages, it’s not always the easiest thing to do. Here are just a few landscape design tips to help you get the most out of your lawn.
Whether you are hiring professional landscape designers, or plan on doing your own landscaping, the first of the landscape design tips is to make a list of your needs and wants. Are you mostly interested in landscaping for gardening purposes? Do you want a patio on which your family can gather? Figure out the things you want, and then make a few rough sketches of the area. Sketching out your design is a great way for beginner to get organized. These don’t have to be elaborate sketches; even the roughest of drafts will give you a better visual of what will work on your lawn.
After you figure out what you want, and make a few rough sketches, there is still more to do before you start looking for your home and landscape design professional or start getting to work yourself. The second of the landscape design tips is to survey your yard and consider the effects of the geography and climate on any potential landscape projects. While placing your new patio in an area of your yard that gets a lot of sun might be fine during more temperate months, being out there in the summer will just be unbearable. And if you plan on installing a fire pit, ensure that it’s not in an area where the wind regularly whips up. Also keep in mind that these things change throughout the year and plan accordingly.
The last of the landscape design tips are to start small and design around a focal point. Beginning with even a small garden can make your lawn look infinitely better if you care for it correctly. If you really want your new plants to flourish, group them according to their water requirements. This can lead to beautifully flourishing flowers. And make sure you water your plants when the soil is dry and the plants first begin to wilt. Your soil is too dry to supply water to plant roots if it can’t be rolled into a ball.
When you being to plant your flowers and other plants, you will want to take more than water requirements into account, though. Design around a focal point in your yard. This could be a statue or fountain, or something more natural such as a large tree or a group of shrubs. Working around a focal point will help to lead eye through the area. For more, read this link.