Getting Prepared for Your Landscaping Construction

When you think about landscaping, the first image that probably crosses your mind is brightly colored plants dotting your home’s yard. Nothing could be further from the truth because landscaping is about plants, irrigation and proper soil drainage. Landscape construction is also about walls, walkways and sprinklers. To help you get prepared for your landscaping projects, here are a few helpful ideas.

Planning the Yard

The first step in redesigning the area is planning and combining natural elements with new features. You may want to add rock walls, water features or plant an animal habitat. Your architect will check the ground’s slope and drainage, the composition of the soil, and plan out where walkways will be. Sprinklers and irrigation systems will keep plants alive, but the water system must be away from compressed walking areas. Selecting various planting areas will be an important consideration because different plant types require extra soil additives and watering schedules.

Checking the Climate

When selecting plants for your garden or yard, considering your area’s weather extremes can help you create a beautiful landscape construction that will last for many years. If snow is a problem, plants against a wall may not make it through the winter as drifts of snow weigh heavy on the plant. Alternatively, if rain comes in torrents in an area filled with plants that prefer arid ground, they will die.

Avoiding the Maintenance

Whether it is bushes, flowers, vegetables, trees or wild grasses, understanding if the plant is an annual or a perennial can make a difference in developing a thriving yard. Unless you love replanting most of your yard every year, work with your landscaper to find plants that flourish in your area and that will return each year. You may be surprised at the number of perennials available.

Landscape construction is not complicated, but it does take a great deal of imagination. Your local landscape architect can help you create a picturesque area filled with living vegetation you will love for many years. The tricky part is choosing from among the thousands of plants available!