How to plan a landscape renovation

Does your lawn look dull and shabby? Or you have just moved into a new home? But before you head straight to their local gardening supply store to browse the selections, creating a plan beforehand will help you choose plants that will best fit your needs and thrive in your landscape.

These steps will help you create a plan and start your journey to creating a beautiful and well-maintained landscape.

1. KNOW THE SPECIFICATIONS OF YOUR YARD

Before drafting a plan, the first thing to consider is your location’s climate. Remember that the current condition of your yard creates a microclimate depending on the sunlight and shade the area receives. Microclimates include full sun, shade, partial shade, or deep shade. The best design for your landscape allows water to move from your home towards the other parts of your yard.

2. DETERMINE YOUR INTENDED USE

Who will use your yard? How will they use it? Do you have children and pets? Are you planning to use it for entertaining guests? Depending on your priorities, you must add the features you want in your yard. For example, if you are expecting high foot traffic, installing walkways in your yard is a brilliant idea.

3. HAVE A DESIGN THEME AND STICK TO IT

Having a theme lets you have a unified look and guides you on which plants and materials to choose from. This process can be as simple as using similar shapes or colours all throughout the landscape or as complex as creating an Oriental-themed garden. To select one, first, you need to take a look at the style of your home. Complement the style and lines of your home’s architecture to achieve a harmonious look all the way to the yard.

4. ORGANISE SPACES ACCORDINGLY

Just like you would inside your home, you must create different rooms in your landscape. Think about how you will navigate your outdoor space. Be sure to create openings so you can move around and explore it with ease.

5. LET YOUR PLANTS DO THE MAGIC

Use your plants to create barriers or edges that define where your landscape ends. If you want a lower barrier to keep your views open, use low-growing plants to do the job. You can also use bigger plants as barriers against high temperature and wind, depending on the weather condition.

6. CONSIDER YOUR PLANT’S STRUCTURE

Think about visual planes when selecting plants for your landscape. Start with the area above your landscape, which normally includes trees and archways. Then, think about the spaces between and the heights and widths of your future plants. It is also wise to consider how your plants will be grouped together so you can create a design with a unified view throughout the area.

7. THINK ABOUT THE FUTURE OF YOUR LANDSCAPE

Not just the present condition of your plants, you also need to think about how time would affect their growth and beauty. Here, you should take into account their growth rate, mature size, and maintenance requirements. Make sure there is enough room for them to grow when they reach their mature size. However, their biggest size might depend on the growing conditions, so you also need to keep this in mind.

TAKEAWAY

Planning your landscape renovation can be both fun and worth it when done right. Make sure to tick all the boxes on our checklist above to achieve a stunning landscape that grows more beautiful as days go by.