Starting a Landscape Design Plan

The origin of every great landscape design is a plan. This initial landscape plan must account for a range of details to guarantee a desired outcome. A qualified landscape professional can certainly work along side you to create a plan that deals in personal style and preference as well as form, function and safety issues.

There are two common means of planning a landscape design. The first is to envision the landscape from above--a top view landscape design entails mapping the property and presenting it in a reduced bird's eye angle. The second type of design planning involves photographing and entering property data into a computer program that outputs a virtual view of the finished project. Both design plans require some basic information to carry out.

A few fundamentals are needed to begin: first, map out property lines and buildings (including your home and any sheds or garages) to scale; second, factor in existing walkways, driveways and foliage to lay out the possible before and after; third, all above and below ground utilities must be noted in the landscape design plan; and lastly, record the future growth of a trees that may eventually affect power lines or sewer lines.

Once existing property factors have been recorded, you can map out how you would like to alter your space and create potential space. Landscaping plans must account for specific outdoor areas, such as a children's play area, a vegetable garden or a patio for entertaining and barbequing. These outdoor areas have to be incorporated into the plan to ensure that crowding or damage will not occur.

Your landscape professional should also account for the region in which you live and the sun light your yard receives each day in order to decide which plants will thrive in your home space. Naturally, if you are a resident of the north, winter hardy plants are more appropriate than semi-tropical plants (perfect for a Floridian landscape). By choosing plants according to climate conditions, you will save yourself the replacement costs for future plant failings.

Although a good professional landscape designer will rightly deal with technical details, an even better one will take care of the logistics and still let you have some say in the creative aspect, such as architectural elements and plants of your personal taste.