Planning your outdoors … The basics of landscape design
Welcome to Landscape Planning 101. It’s time to put your thinking caps on and begin the process of creating a beautiful property to enjoy for many years to come. When it comes to planning your outdoors there are four important aspects to consider before getting started – Dream, Plan, Build and Enjoy!
A well designed, scaled design plan will help you to visualize how elements work together to create an outdoor space that beckons everyone outside to play or relax – or both! When it is time to begin there are several basic steps that will assist homeowners with landscape planning, whether novice or experienced, with hard and softscaping (Hardscaping – surfaces; structures, etc. and Softscaping – plants, trees and gardening)
Having the dream is one thing; making the dream a reality is something else altogether. A solid plan connects the dots so to speak. Consider each step carefully before any material purchase is made or any shovel hits the ground. Following through with all steps should help to achieve your goals of a beautiful and functional property.
The top five ‘Must-Do’ list:
Create a ‘needs’ and ‘wishes’ list. While both are important, the needs list is essential. It takes into consideration the features and elements necessary for a functional outdoors. Needs include required drainage, elevation issues, privacy concerns, sun, shade and wind directions plus any other structural needs such as hard surfaces, retaining walls and buildings.
The Wishes List is where fun begins. From recreational features – swimming pool, spa or pond to entertaining with an outdoor kitchen, cabana or gazebo, it is important to remember that you can wish all you like, however you must keep your budget in mind.
Measure, measure, measure. This step is crucial in overall planning. Miss this step and there is a strong likelihood that mistakes will be made during the execution of various elements. Time spent taking every conceivable measurement, elevation and slope before construction begins or purchases are made will be time well spent. Record all numbers and create a scaled plan view drawing. Take photos for reference.
Make a balloon drawing. A scaled drawing is the base for a balloon sketch. Simply draw circles or ovals to indicate sun, shade, wind and slopes plus all areas to be developed. For example, circle areas for seating, walkways, driveway, storage buildings, trees, gardens and so on. Do not miss any element including all local and provincial by-laws and building codes.
Rough draft and materials list. All features, elements and large trees must be drawn in at this time. Placement and element/feature size is the key to a successful design plan. In other words, don’t plan a 20’x40’ pool if the backyard can only house a 16’x32’ size. Homeowners often
forget about the hard surface footprint surrounding the water. Elevations are important, especially for required steps to a patio or deck from the rear door to existing grade.
List all trees and plants to be used based on mature size. Overplanting leads to eventual overcrowding. Choose building materials carefully. Make sure every choice will work for each specific need.
Final scaled and detailed design plan. When all elements have been considered and every item has been penciled into the rough draft, review the layout for any inconsistencies in scale, feature size or placement. This is the time to correct any issues that could arise. Copy all existing elements (house footprint, property lines, utilities, etc.) to a final scaled layout. Draw in the correct size and shape of each element and add mature sized plants and trees. Label the drawing in complete detail including a materials list.
Take time to create a proper design plan and the installation phase should be a more comfortable process. Remember my company motto and the Golden Rule – Avoid costly errors …Begin with a plan! If DIY planning sounds too daunting for you, please contact a professional designer. Skipping the planning phase to save a little money could have dismal results in the end. Your outdoors are for living. Catch Newhomes next time for ‘Transitioning from front to backyard’.