How to Design Landscaping for a Ranch Style House

Designing a landscape.

Ranch style homes provide excellent opportunities for landscaping because the scale of the house is lowered to be more in touch with the shrubs, flowers and trees that are planted. They can also be challenging if the ranch style home is long and wide across the front. But, with a little careful planning your ranch style home can have a landscape you will be proud to show off for years to come.

Things You'll Need

• ¼-inch scale graph paper
• Tracing paper
• Mechanical pencil
• Straight edge
• Compass
• Construction ruler with ¼-inch scale
• Measuring tape
• Plot plan
• Photocopies
• Clear tape

Instructions

Landscaping A Ranch Style House

1. Make photocopies of the plot plan so that the entire property or area that is going to be landscaped is visible on one sheet of paper. If the plot plan does not show the existing house and outbuildings then they need to be applied to the plan. Mark due north on the plan.

2. Measure the house and draw the exterior walls of the house on the graph paper using a scale of ¼-inch equals one foot. Mark the location and width of all windows, doors, gutters, spigots, meters, fences, sidewalks, driveways and any other object touching or adjacent to the house.

3. Measure and mark all outbuildings, fountains, pools, terraces, trees and shrubs that will remain, decks, patios, exterior stairs, gates, posts and anything else that is on the property. It is likely that these will require several pieces of graph paper. Because each are at the same scale the pieces can be marked where they overlap. Note the distance to property lines from key points (like the corners of the house).

4. Make reduction photocopies of the graph drawings to match the scale of the plot plan (the scale is noted on the plan). Cut out and tape the reduced drawings onto the plot plan where they fit until the entire area to be landscaped is on one sheet. Make 5 photocopies as large as will fit on one 11 inch by 17 inch piece of paper.

5. Use the new photocopy as the guide to draw the shape of the new landscape (you may need several to try different plans). For the front landscape there should be flower beds designed to guide visitors to the front door. Curve the beds for an organic feel and when possible a bed should be six feet deep. Represent plants by drawing circles of different sizes. Corners of the house can support a circular flowerbed form showcasing an ornamental tree with low perennial plantings regularly spaced along the edge of the bed. Between symmetrical windows a taller shrub can be placed. Under windows lower evergreen shrubs should be in the rear. The full grown shrub should not cover more than an inch or two of the window bottom. In front of the evergreens plant more decorative shrubs in layers with the tallest in the back. Select colors that relate to the home's exterior colors. The key to a good appearance is create a visual balance.

6. Draw curved beds at the property corners, where possible, following the same guide. A tall decorative tree or trees surrounded by tapering smaller shrubs and finished off with pops of flowers are used to create structure. Fence lines can be punctuated with symmetrical plantings using the same basic group of plants. Stay within a type of plant selection for cohesion (there may be 30 plants that are repeated in similar ways around the landscape). Show off trees and features with beds. The formality of landscaping is determined by which plants need to be trimmed and how often. Match the formality of the landscape style with the formality of the architectural style.

7. Draw curved beds in the backyard with more emphasis on trees. Shrubbery in the backyard should be more maintenance light with spots of color highlighting special spots. Bring more plants into areas with more use such as around decks and patios and along outbuildings . Use the finished plan to work with a local garden expert to select the right plants for the different locations around the house, based on the designed plan.

Tips & Warnings

• The garden shop expert will need to know where and how much sun hits different areas of the landscape in order to assist in plant selection. Always select and plant specimens at the correct distance apart for fully grown plants. Select plants that suit your level of care. Use annuals for pops of color. When designing the landscape always consider what will be seen when looking out key windows of the home. A key window might include the dining room, family room, master bedroom and kitchen.

• Too many plant types can make a landscape feel awkward and confused. Group like plants together for impact.

References

• Helpful Gardener