Whether you want to redesign your landscape or make a few changes, you should consider some critical factors before landscaping. Trying to tackle a landscaping project can be overwhelming if you’ve never done it before. However, creating a plan beforehand and thoroughly considering your options will help you choose what’s best for you. These are our top things to consider before you begin landscaping.
Site analysis
Your landscaping plan should begin with a site analysis, noting all the key elements that may affect the design. Start with the basic size and shape of your landscape and use that during your design, making sure to note distinctive features such as slopes or peaks.
Analyse the drainage patterns and test the soil for moisture to determine where you can group plants according to their water needs.
Create a list of what already exists on your property and separate it into what can be reused, recycled, or what needs to be changed.
The sun and shade your landscape gets will significantly impact its unique environment throughout the year, so note the extent of shadows at various times.
By analysing the wind, you can strategically place trees and plants to block wind or funnel it for cooling breezes.
Knowing your soil type will make it easier to choose plants, so find out what you have! Most soils combine sand, silt, and clay – the ideal soil is 40% sand, 40% silt, and 20% clay, allowing air to infiltrate, retaining moisture well, and being fertile.
You can try a few tests to understand your soil type. Simply grab a small handful and rub it between your fingers. If your fingers can glide and feel slick, you have mostly clay, but if it is coarse and gritty, it’s mostly sand.
A more involved test requires you to mix some soil samples in a jar, fill the pot with water and a squirt of dish detergent (to help the soil particles separate), give it a good shake, and then let the particles settle into different layers.
You should be able to see a visual difference between the largest sand particles, the smaller silt particles, and the smallest clay particles. The depth of each layer should be a representative sample and indicate what sort of soil you have in your landscape.
Priorities
Make a list of needs and wants, and think about who will use your landscape and how they will use it. Are you hoping to use your landscape to:
- Create a play space for the kids
- Grow vegetables
- Install a patio
- Keep pets
- Create an entertaining outdoor area
- Put in a swimming pool
- Purely enjoy gardening
If you can’t stand how your landscape looks right now, rely on temporary solutions. Coming to quick conclusions about your landscape can lead to choices that don’t work long-term.
Try temporary solutions such as annuals, fast-growing ground covers that you don’t care about for the long term or even mulch to cover an area while figuring out what you want.
Climate/Environment
Think about the regional climate and your soil type when planning. Remember, the specific conditions of your landscape are likely to be unique based on the amount and length of sun and shade it gets.
Correctly placed plants can also alter your environment, as the ambient temperature, light levels, noises, and wind are significantly affected by the trees and plants in a landscape.
Design
When deciding on a theme for your landscape, an excellent place to start is looking at the architecture of your home. Choosing an overarching style or theme can unify your landscape and help guide how you place and select plants.
Try to complement the lines and style of your home’s architecture in your landscape and work around a focal point, a new or existing sculpture or a beautiful plant/tree.
Consider if you want many neat, geometric shapes, softer lines, specific colours, or an overall theme such as an oriental or exotic garden.
Also, look at your garden through your everyday viewpoints, the windows from the kitchen, family room and bedrooms to see which parts of the landscape will have the greatest impact.
Construction & Implementation
Do you know precisely where the utility lines are in your backyard? Even simple digging jobs can cause damage and disrupt service, potentially resulting in fines and repair costs. Dial before you dig or lodge a free enquiry and avoid potential damages.
Alternatively, call the Discover team, as we have the experience, expertise and reputation you rely on for your next landscaping project.
Get in touch today to discuss any ideas.
