| What is Landscaping Questions? Q1. I know "landscaping" refers to plants,
fences and the like. But is there a core idea behind landscaping and
landscape design? What is Landscaping Answers? A1. Landscaping novices and buyers of new homes can profit from a practical, working definition of "landscaping." By definition, to be properly said to be "landscaping" a property, you must be making home improvements on that property's grounds -- either in a practical or in an aesthetic way. In an extended sense, everything on your property that stands outside of the home itself is part of a property's landscaping. Simply put, if you can see an object, then it is affecting the overall aesthetics of the grounds of a property -- i.e., its landscaping. A house and its landscaping should be harmonious with each other. Achieving such harmony is sometimes possible intuitively; but if you're more serious about complementing your house with your landscaping, you really need to take matters to the next level -- landscape design. Landscape design is an art form. >back to top A2. Those who have just become homeowners for the first time might want a good reason why they should bother landscaping that piece of real estate at all. If enhanced enjoyment of your property is insufficient
incentive, consider this: landscaping enhancements can raise your real
estate's value by at least fifteen percent! A3. Your home is your best
investment. Therefore, its safety is of paramount concern. If there
are large old trees whose branches are looming ominously over the roof
of your home, you may have a significant hazard on your hands. To protect
your home, you may have to Hire a Pro for Tree Limbing, because tree
limbing can be a dangerous operation. A4. Besides tree limbing, there are many other specialty tasks for which you may want to hire professionals. For instance, you may wish to hire an arborist to have a prize tree pruned properly. "Limbing" and "pruning" are entirely different operations. You may even want to have a landscape architect or landscape designer to re-do your entire landscape. Some projects demand such highly specialized skills that you have little choice but to hire professionals; for instance, installing driveways. Nonetheless, you can still make an informed decision before hiring someone by doing your homework. In the case of having a new driveway installed, a good place to start is my FAQ exploring the pros and cons of the different types of driveways. The decision of do-it-yourself versus hiring landscape
architects and other professionals largely depends on your budget and
personal tastes. A5. On paper. Take precise measurements of the areas of your yard, and draw a sketch of your property. Highlight in red areas with underground cables (with the help of your local utility companies). Note which areas are sunny, which shady. Pay special attention to problem areas: areas with poor drainage, erosion problems, etc. As you set this information down on paper, a clearer picture of what needs to be done emerges. Based on your sketch (particularly the location of sunny or shady areas), research which plants will grow best in the various areas of your property. The next step -- again, to be carried out on paper
-- will be to include plants and hardscape features (patios, walkways,
etc.) in your sketch. For examples of planting plans, please consult
Landscape Design Plans. A6. You may like a lot of different plants, but as a beginner at landscape design, you may not be sure how to group them. There are, of course, aesthetic considerations (please consult landscape design for beginners). That's the fun part of landscape design. But there are also practical reasons for grouping plant A with plant B, rather than having it grow next to plant C. Rule of thumb for practical landscape design: group
plants with similar requirements together. This includes sun and watering
requirements. Grouping them together will reduce maintenance for you
(saving you from dragging the garden hose around unnecessarily, etc.). A7. Since perennials come up every year, beginners sometimes wonder if they don't require care. Could perennials be the easy answer for the on-the-go crowd that still wants to grow plants? Not really. Perennials do require care. If you choose
to grow perennials, choose perennials for the right reasons -- and labor
savings is not one of them! It is not even true that perennials are
guaranteed to come up every year. If they are not maintained properly,
you can very easily lose some perennials. Don't think perennials are
the beginner's "easy way out"!
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