Thursday, June 16, 2011

Landscaping Ideas for Your Yard

By Ronald J Spikes


While there is no shortage of professional landscape architects, some people have the desire to landscape their own yard. Desire, however, does not always equal know-how, so here are some helpful tips on coming up with a great design, while planning the project with the practical necessities in mind.

The first thing one should consider is the fact that no matter the landscape design, it is important to make room for the mowers, edgers, and other equipment that will be necessary to maintain the design. Do not put yard features so close together that a mower cannot access the grass between them, and do not plant things in areas that you eventually want to turn into something else, like a deck, porch, or other structure.

Take the location of a planting and the soil in a specific area of your yard into account. Certain types of plants will not grow in soil that is acidic because of existing holly trees or nut trees, so do not spend the money to buy that type of plant if it is only going to die in the soil you plant it in. Pay attention to what type of light hits certain areas of your yard at particular times of day. Do not plan a shade plant in an area that gets full sunlight for extended period s of time, and do not put a plant that requires lots of sunlight in a shady area of your yard. It sounds simple, but research and planning is involved. Learn about the plants you want to use, and if needed, buy a light meter to measure the amount of sunlight that shines on certain areas around your home.

Give a lot of thought to your focal point. Will it be a tree, statue, rock formation, or wall? Do you plan to build an arbor, a porch, or some other structure in your yard? Start with the biggest thing first and plan the rest of your landscaping scheme around it. That will bring your focal point front and center, without your yard looking crowded and messy. Your focal point should fit with the size of your yard and the type of neighborhood you live in. If you live in a small townhouse community, a giant fountain complete with spouting cherubs may not be the best choice. It is perfectly fine, and even preferable, for your focal point to bring a different dimension and texture to your yard, but it is important that it looks interesting, but not out of place.

Finally, if your soil is no good, or if you have plans for a porch, deck, or gazebo, a good option is mobile containers. You can use all different sizes, colors, and patterns of planters to showcase greenery, flowers, herbs, and trees, and arrange them however you want in your yard. That way, when it comes time to build your dream porch, you can safely move the containers to a different part of your yard, and all the time, money, and effort you spent planning and planting will not have been wasted.




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