How to begin the process of recreating your landscape

Are you struggling with the same unanswered questions in your landscape? Are you ready for some changes? Unless you're a landscaper by trade, you may not have all the answers and in todays economy, spending your hard earned money on the advice of strangers can be scary. Follow these simple tips to help you get a good start.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Plant books
• time to drive your neighborhood
• money
• a plan
• time

1. What does the letter "A" have in common with a flower?
   They both have bees coming after them.
   
   Landscaping is and can be a joy, especially when the finished product looks like the cover of a magazine. But for many of us, it will always be something we dread. Why?
   
   Because we put in a lot of time and hard work, usually in the hottest part of the year, cutting the grass and pruning the shrubs, and for what?
   
   We get very little visual satisfaction back for all our efforts and it simply becomes a chore. We're frustrated because it never looks any better than average and we unknowingly continue to make the same mistakes year after year.
   
   Are you looking to make some changes to your landscape? Increase your curb appeal?
   
   Realize this is not easy, especially if you do not have the money to pay someone to do the work. The work in itself is time consuming and difficult and the decisions on plants, because of the variety of choices, is also challenging.
   
   Follow these professional tips to help you get started and put you on the right track.
2. Things to know before getting started
   
   Know your plan
   
   Take your time and create a plan. How much can you afford, what plants do you like. Are you changing everything or just a little? You might not know exactly what you like, but when you see something that’s visually exciting, you'll stop and admire it.
   
   Take your time, read books and look at lots of pictures. Deciding on the plants that end up in your design is usually the toughest decision to make.
   
   Drive around
   
   Drive your neighborhood and find plantings you like and incorporate them into your plan. This is a great way to see how plants are already working together in nature and to get the combinations you like.
   
   Know your garden environment
   
   Landscapes have sun, shade, combination of sun and shade, wet soil and dry soil. Your homes environment will limit plant choices. Choose plants suited for your environment only.
   
   Know plants and their mature development
   
   Know mature height and width and spend less time pruning and more time enjoying. Can a plant ever mature to its full potential if it’s always in a state of constant recovery from being cut back and butchered? Put right plant in the right spot and spread out allowing for growth.
   
   Know these design basics
   
   Plant in mass
   
   Large groups of the same plant give stronger, bolder effects compared to planting one plant of 15 different varieties all over your garden. Plant in odd numbered groups (5, 7, 9)
   
   Use a limited variety of plants
   
   Use groups of the same plantings spread throughout. Once again, use 5-7 different types of plants in mass, not 15 different types with one of each.
   
   Keep plants in scale with buildings
   
   Keep surroundings in scale with design. Don’t use all small plants next to a tall building and vice versa.
   
   
   Yellow-Friend or Foe?
   
   Yellow is a very strong and popular color in the landscape. Do not overuse, will dominate all other colors and will be only color you see. White has same effect. Use sparingly.
   
   Don’t forget about winter
   
   Most gardens become pretty dull in winter. Try to design for year round interest. Add plants that will extend the season with berry or twig color into the winter.
3. How to change existing landscape
   
   Removing mature plants Caution-Read instructions before starting
   
   This will take time, hard work and patience. This is not an easy process, especially with mature plant material. The stump removal alone will test your will power and your heart power. Be careful!
   
   Professional help is recommended
   
   If you need professional help, don’t hesitate to call a friend who has a friend who used a contractor they'd recommend. The tear out, prep and edging is the hard work, if you can afford it, let the pros do it. The designing and planting is really where the fun is.
   
   Landscaping is a journey. Take your time, make solid decisions on what’s around you and let your garden take you on an ever changing ride.
   
   All the best,
   
   Todd
   
   Visit: www.landscapeproblemsolver.com

Tips & Warnings

• Plan, plan and plan before you ever put a shovel in the ground
• Learn about the plants you like.
• Know your gardens environment
• Save enough money to do big sections at a time. Buying a plant every time you go to Home Depot is not what you want.