Where do I begin?

One of the many questions that I would get when I went to meet with a client about their landscape was, “What would you do if this was your yard?” Having just barely arrived at their place I would look around and start imagining what I might do. Sometimes it came to me easily and other times it did not. I would throw out ideas such as patios, water features, flower beds, lawn areas, etc. After talking a little bit about these things I would then say, “It is your place, what do you want in your yard? What do you want to do in your yard?” Often the answer would be, “I do not know!”

I think one of the most important, yet most overlooked parts of doing a landscape is the design. How often do you see a yard that was just thrown together? Most yards appear to be that way. Maybe yours is. Not that every yard done this way turns out bad, just that it does not work as well as it could have. When nothing is planned, shrubs and trees are planted too close to the house, sheds are put in strange places and there are paths to nowhere. There may be random edgings around beds, ponds so far away that you never enjoy them,  and steep slopes of grass that are a pain to mow. You may be like my dad whose crooked property “allows” him to have a crooked yard. Yes, sometimes a mismatched yard works but most of the time it does not work as it should or could with a little planning. Installing things in the proper order and place make for an easier job. It might take longer or more work, but it is well worth it!

Before starting on a new landscape or rennovation it is always better to have an idea of what you really want. For now, and in the future. In the next few posts I will give you some ways in which you can get your yard planned out. There will be lots of things to think about. Whether it is new construction or a renovation, proper planning will make you a lot happier in the long run.