Tips for Learning to Landscape
The first step in beginning a landscape project is to determine what space size is available. The entire project will revolve around what space exists to work with and where it is located. Larger gardens can include plants that are spaced out and large, where the goal of a small garden might be to make a larger amount of small items fit together. It is important to figure out what space is available to work with before the design is created.
Once the garden size is narrowed down, it is important to determine what type of functionality the final landscape design will serve. Is it a garden to grow food? Is it meant to welcome guests and direct them to the front door? Does the yard need more shade, or is the goal to simply make the yard prettier? Each of these questions must be asked to determine why the garden is being created in the first place. Usually the functionality has already been determined before one starts thinking about landscaping, but it is important to identify the exact goals.
One of the biggest hang-ups is determining the shape of the design. It is important to find balance in a shape that is unique but also tasteful. The goal, after all, is to make the yard look better than it currently does. During these initial stages, the biggest key is brainstorming and trying out different shapes and ideas. Rather than looking through a book of templates, you can create your own design by using a collaboration of several different garden types.
After the size, function, and design of the garden are selected, the final stage of planning is to determine what types of plants will be used. This step requires the most research into what types of plants are available in each region, what colors complement each other, what plants can be near each other, and what time of year each plant will flourish. Although this step is usually the hardest, it can also be the most fun because so much creativity is involved.
Once all of the planning is finished, the manual work begins. The main steps include buying the plants, planting them in the yard, and then putting in the time to care for the plants as they grow and develop. Regardless of how you look at it, landscaping requires a lot of time and hard work, and it is up to each person to decide whether they want to take the time to learn, or hire someone to take care of it for them. Handing the project over is less work, but doing it yourself can be more fun.
D&D Creations (http://www.ddlandscapes.com) is a perfect solution for anyone looking for Orange County landscape professionals. Art Gib is a freelance writer.
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