Top 4 Tips for Good Landscaping Design

For property owners, landscaping can be an exciting, and technically daunting, experience. Landscape design is both an art form and a science. It's design in the macro sense of the word, literally shaping the environment. Every facet of landscaping includes a full range of design elements, from timber fencing and pool fencing to fully landscaped garden retaining walls, fountains and water gardens.

Landscaping design factors and issues

Landscaping, by definition, has to work with the state of the land. The design issues have to be addressed in these contexts.

Basic landscape design includes:

• Climate issues- The climate affects everything from building to planting and types of trees.
• The nature of the site- A property may be on clay, in a low- lying, drainage- prone area, or on a cliff. Soil types and elevation affect all types of landscaping construction.
• The structural issues- In landscape design, everything, from the basic plan down to the types of plants in the gardens, has to be put into a working design, and costed.
• Maintenance issues. Best practice is to create an appropriate landscape design which will thrive in the local environment.

Landscaping design is like architecture, in its technical aspects. The good news is that these designs can add enormous value to any property, extremely efficiently.

Landscape design tips

If you're looking for landscape design concepts, the professional approach is very practical for property owners:

1. Start with a design concept: Every site lends itself to a certain type of landscape design which will be self- supporting.
For example: A low lying drainage zone is perfect for a water garden, willows, and water loving plants. The garden manages the drainage for you, and saves you a fortune in dealing with runoff issues.

2. Consider what you want to keep in the existing landscape: Professional landscapers are very careful to retain any good existing features on principle. These areas form good structure for the rest of the design. Beautiful old trees, pretty areas and lush green areas can easily be incorporated into a design. Simply including these things in the design will save a lot of money, and you'll find landscapers will try very hard to avoid removing these valuable design elements.

3. Look long and hard at design possibilities. It's a classic mistake to try to "buy" a landscape design. Every landscaping job is different. You may find yourself committed to an expensive but inadequate landscape design. The landscape decisions are your prerogative. Make sure you're getting exactly what you want. This will save a lot of money as well as getting the best possible results.

4. Design features don't have to be expensive. The major structural features, including walls, fencing and the garden designs can be done well, and in stages which don't compromise your budget or your peace of mind. Talk to your local tradespeople and your landscaper. They will understand, and they will work to your budget.

Planning your own beautiful landscaping can be enormous fun, and it can also be a terrific way of adding fabulous quality of life in any sort of environment.

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