Landscaping for Beginners
Okay here is the reality I am not a landscaper, however I wanted to tackle the Landscaping in front of house myself, thinking “Well I have Design Skills”….”how bad can it be?”. Let me tell you, I’ve learnt so much about plants that I ever did….and yes I planted them all myself (with the help of hubby). I wanted to share with you, my process.
Decide What your Landscape Need
The front of my house was so dull it needed some curb appeal. I also wanted some grass area so that my kids have a space to play.
I took out a piece of paper and roughly drew out where I wanted to place things such as: pavers, greenery planting beds, and retaining wall. Plus, our house is a corner unit, I wanted to ensure that the side of the house was also part of the plan.
This a great way to play around with different ideas with a rough plan. Think about what you need and how you can incorporate it into your plans. Ensure you draw the property boundary and mark the location of your home. Mark the exit and entry doorways – so you understand the flow in and out of the house. Include focal point in your plan. I decided to add my focal point in the corner of the house so when you are driving up you can see it at all sides.
Climate and Orientation
Determine which orientation is the house is facing (east, west, south, north) also examine the sun. Do you get a lot of sun in one area vs another? Do you want to add trees for shade? If it is a sunny area – what are the different plants that require a lot of sun? Do you research, this will give you an idea of what can be planted in the existing space.
Choose the style
Believe or not there are many styles out there. It important to choose a style that fit with your home. Here are a few styles I learned about:
Do not rush the plan
Once you have mapped out your landscape – do not rush to execute the whole plan so you do not feel overwhelmed. I got my pavers done last fall and at the same time I asked my contractor to cut out the garden beds for me. I waited until this spring to plant my greenery. Side note: the best time to plant is Spring or Fall (preferred). Its perfectly fine to do it in phases. Same goes for the garden beds – tackle them one at a time….it’s a lot of work.
The front of my house was so dull it needed some curb appeal. I also wanted some grass area so that my kids have a space to play.
I took out a piece of paper and roughly drew out where I wanted to place things such as: pavers, greenery planting beds, and retaining wall. Plus, our house is a corner unit, I wanted to ensure that the side of the house was also part of the plan.
This a great way to play around with different ideas with a rough plan. Think about what you need and how you can incorporate it into your plans. Ensure you draw the property boundary and mark the location of your home. Mark the exit and entry doorways – so you understand the flow in and out of the house. Include focal point in your plan. I decided to add my focal point in the corner of the house so when you are driving up you can see it at all sides.
Climate and Orientation
Determine which orientation is the house is facing (east, west, south, north) also examine the sun. Do you get a lot of sun in one area vs another? Do you want to add trees for shade? If it is a sunny area – what are the different plants that require a lot of sun? Do you research, this will give you an idea of what can be planted in the existing space.
Choose the style
Believe or not there are many styles out there. It important to choose a style that fit with your home. Here are a few styles I learned about:
- Contemporary garden
- Traditional garden
- Formal garden
- Minimalist garden
- Mediterranean garden
- Japanese garden
Do not rush the plan
Once you have mapped out your landscape – do not rush to execute the whole plan so you do not feel overwhelmed. I got my pavers done last fall and at the same time I asked my contractor to cut out the garden beds for me. I waited until this spring to plant my greenery. Side note: the best time to plant is Spring or Fall (preferred). Its perfectly fine to do it in phases. Same goes for the garden beds – tackle them one at a time….it’s a lot of work.
Garden Center – Ask an expert
I visited my locally garden center to get ideas for my front space first before buying everything. I consulted with sales expert to ensure that the plants I am buying would thrive in the garden beds I create (which required full sun). My front has a bit of a slope – so the sales expert recommended ice plants for this area.
When choosing plants consider colour scheme. Don’t be afraid to break-up the plants with a different colour – such as red shrubs vs green shrub. Perennials is also a great way to add colour.
Also think about scale and shape. Do not be afraid to stagger different heights of plants. Compliment different shapes and find a good balance of repetition to give a sense of cohesiveness.
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Embrace Change
Understand that over time that the plants you once planted will grow and evolve and you may too, don’t be afraid to change things up down the road, experiment and have fun.
Understand that over time that the plants you once planted will grow and evolve and you may too, don’t be afraid to change things up down the road, experiment and have fun.
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Article written by Anita Lall, Lally Designs
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