Whether your landscaping project is small or large, it really pays to learn about it before you begin. If you don’t know what you’re up against, you’re highly likely to fail. Reading this article will help you get your landscaping project under control.
Before beginning your next landscaping project, consider sketching out how you would like it to look first. This can let you really imagine the final results. Plus, you’ll have a much better sense of the materials needed to move ahead. You will also find it easier to change a sketch than to actually change your landscape.
If you want your landscaping to have a fresh look you should work on giving your rock or flower beds soft curves on the edges. A curved edge looks modern, smooth and beautiful, and can really enhance your design. Cutting fresh edges is an inexpensive project that can make a big impact on how your lawn and flower bed looks.
Consider using granite for surfaces on outdoor kitchen areas you may be planning to add to your landscaping. While marble or some other material would cost you much less money, you can place hot things on granite without it getting damaged, and it does not require a lot of maintenance.
Trees and grass are nice, but they do not comprise a landscape by themselves. To give a professional look to your yard, look into using iron, wood or cement structures. Archways, decks, birdbaths and pergolas all create beautiful and complex designs that are pleasing to the eye. These elements can be in various price ranges that can suit most budgets.
Save on materials by buying them at the right times. Purchase lumber in the wintertime. Toward the end of the season, purchase your shrubs trees and mulch. If new varieties of plants become available, wait until the price drops; this normally takes a couple of years.
Try to use several types of plants when landscaping. This is critical to preserving your yard should it be the victim of an insect infestation or disease outbreak. If these attacks reach your plants, and they are all of the same species, they will all die. The health of plants is dependent on diversity.
Many times you can successfully use less expensive products in your landscape without sacrificing beauty. Products such as mulch, planting containers, and many perennials have cheaper versions that are the same as the higher priced items. With plants however, it is often worth it to pay more. Places that offer them at a reduced price might not have provided them the care that they need.
Ground Cover
Avoid planting flowers under a large tree, as they will not thrive in the constant shade. Instead of planting flowers you can add ground cover instead. This adds beauty to your landscaping with the added benefit that it is quite easy to maintain. Cool ground cover varieties include hosta and sweet woodruff.
Incorporate rounded borders for your plant beds as you lay out your plan. Rounded edges have a better visual appeal than cornered edges. The curved lines, when seen from the street, soften your straight lines of the driveway and house.
As part of your design, use water. It is easy to install a small pool, a pump or a fountain. If you could afford it, there’s a lot of professionals who could install these things for a cheap cost. Include water in your landscaping design and make it a focal point.
There are things to think about when adding in different features to your garden, like a water garden for instance. It might be helpful to spend the extra money and buy materials at specialty stores. The help that you can get from the sales associates will go a long way in making your water garden look as beautiful as you want it to.
It’s been said that landscaping a yard is a lot like renovating a room in your house–a small amount of knowledge will go a very long way. Read as much as you can and keep what you learn in mind as you create your plans and sketches; this will lead to a positive landscape renovation.