How to Landscape
Decide upon your budget., Wait a year to see what you like., Write down the features you would like to include in your landscape., Consider hiring a professional to do some tasks., Peruse Pinterest to look for ideas., Sketch out an initial plan...
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Decide upon your budget.
Experts recommend spending five to 15 percent of your home’s value on landscaping; however, you may want to divide the total cost between one and five years of work. -
Step 2: Wait a year to see what you like.
If you have just bought a home, the experts recommend living with it for a year to see what you like and don’t like about your yard.
You will get a chance to see what areas are shaded, sunny and windy., These may include a play area, vegetable garden, rose garden, fire pit, porch or trees.
Ensure that everyone in your family agrees on these features. , You can hire a landscaping consultant/architect to plan it out, or you can hire a landscaping contractor to execute your design.
A consultant will usually charge $100 to $150 per hour for their time.If you don’t have the money in your budget to hire a professional, consider hiring them for anything with large tools or heavy rocks.
You can save a lot of money by landscaping it yourself slowly over several years. , Home and Garden websites and magazines are also a great place to look.
Print out or post ideas on a board so that you can return to them as you plan. , Include rocks, trees, plants, flowers and paths as well as structures.
Then, number them in order of priority and importance.
Use the Plan-a-Garden application at Better Homes and Gardens to sketch out your home if you aren’t able to sketch it to your liking. , Choose one area to splurge on and then save on the less important features., For many people this is a priority in their landscaping.
The most common ways are through fences and shrubs or trees. , Get a bid from a contractor that can also supply the materials.
It may be only slightly more than doing it yourself. , Look for a good supplier of trees and then enrich the soil before you plant.
It’s a good idea to plant trees at least 30 feet (9.1 m) from your foundation.
Planting trees to shade and shelter your house can save up to 25 percent on your home energy bills.
Energy.gov provides tips on how to landscape for energy efficiency by region.Request trees from your city.
They may provide the plants for free if you provide the maintenance. , You can create a structure on which creeping vines can grow.
Since many of these vines are fast growing (and invasive), they can fill out in just a few years. , Choose a place where it is shaded from the sun and not too exposed to the wind, so that you can be comfortable there.
Most people try to offset this area from the house. , You may want to dig in the posts and pour concrete to make them more safe and sturdy. , You can pour concrete, use paving stones or lay bricks. , If your landscape includes hills or uneven ground, you can have a professional contractor install retaining walls so that you can work the soil on several levels, while making the hills more attractive.
It is a good idea to ask a professional for help with leveling and terracing a hillside. , In most cases, water features require retaining walls to keep the water from running off into other areas.
A water feature should be carefully planned and executed, since poor plumbing and planning can result in problems for the house and the yard. , If you don’t have the time or money to maintain a lawn, then you can cover the area with rocks, gravel or stones in areas.
Make sure to compare quotes from contractors and home improvement stores, including delivery and installation.
Inquire about collecting rocks and stones from demolition sites.
If you can collect and deliver them yourself, they may even be free. ,, You will need to enrich clay and gravel filled soils with compost and other materials. , Provide your own rich soil by composting kitchen scraps, grass clippings, leaves and more.
Place cisterns below your drain pipes so that you can gather rainwater for plants.
Home water bills are usually 20 percent of your water use.
Saving rainwater can cut your water bill by 15 percent. , Succulents, native grasses and wildflowers are good choices if you are in drought areas or if you want to save money.
Visit sites like plantnative.org to find a list of native plants that are bound to thrive in your area. , Trucks may need to deliver materials to your yard, which can rip up grass. , Don’t invest in annuals until you have the money to replace them every year. , Ensure you have the right kind of sunlight to help the plants thrive, or you will be wasting your money by buying plants.
For example, hostas require full shade, while most flowers require full sun. , A landscape usually doesn’t include full-sized plants.
Use one-gallon plants and allow them to fill in.
This will save you money in the long run and you are less likely to end up with plants that refuse to grow or thrive. , Vines, groundcover plants and perennials may be able to use small cuttings from larger plants.
You can also divide your own well-established plants, like hostas, and plant them in other areas around the yard. -
Step 3: Write down the features you would like to include in your landscape.
-
Step 4: Consider hiring a professional to do some tasks.
-
Step 5: Peruse Pinterest to look for ideas.
-
Step 6: Sketch out an initial plan.
-
Step 7: Divvy up your budget between structures
-
Step 8: hardscaping and plants.
-
Step 9: Consider privacy.
-
Step 10: Compare the costs of wood
-
Step 11: composite or plastic fencing.
-
Step 12: Make tree planting a priority if you want to create privacy with trees or shrubs.
-
Step 13: Build trellises and start vines.
-
Step 14: Decide if you want a patio or a porch.
-
Step 15: Install play equipment.
-
Step 16: Block off areas where you want paths.
-
Step 17: Make plans to install retaining walls.
-
Step 18: Plan water features.
-
Step 19: Consider rocks or stones.
-
Step 20: Save money by purchasing bark or other landscaping materials to cover dirt
-
Step 21: weeds and bare areas.
-
Step 22: Start with the soil.
-
Step 23: Save money with homemade compost and cisterns.
-
Step 24: Consider drought resistant plants.
-
Step 25: Plant your lawn or purchase sod after all of your big structures
-
Step 26: hardscaping and trees have been installed.
-
Step 27: Sign up for a local gardening magazine or research your hardiness zone.
-
Step 28: Take care when choosing sun and shade plants.
-
Step 29: Buy smaller plants and give them time to grow.
-
Step 30: Ask neighbors for cuttings or large plants.
Detailed Guide
Experts recommend spending five to 15 percent of your home’s value on landscaping; however, you may want to divide the total cost between one and five years of work.
If you have just bought a home, the experts recommend living with it for a year to see what you like and don’t like about your yard.
You will get a chance to see what areas are shaded, sunny and windy., These may include a play area, vegetable garden, rose garden, fire pit, porch or trees.
Ensure that everyone in your family agrees on these features. , You can hire a landscaping consultant/architect to plan it out, or you can hire a landscaping contractor to execute your design.
A consultant will usually charge $100 to $150 per hour for their time.If you don’t have the money in your budget to hire a professional, consider hiring them for anything with large tools or heavy rocks.
You can save a lot of money by landscaping it yourself slowly over several years. , Home and Garden websites and magazines are also a great place to look.
Print out or post ideas on a board so that you can return to them as you plan. , Include rocks, trees, plants, flowers and paths as well as structures.
Then, number them in order of priority and importance.
Use the Plan-a-Garden application at Better Homes and Gardens to sketch out your home if you aren’t able to sketch it to your liking. , Choose one area to splurge on and then save on the less important features., For many people this is a priority in their landscaping.
The most common ways are through fences and shrubs or trees. , Get a bid from a contractor that can also supply the materials.
It may be only slightly more than doing it yourself. , Look for a good supplier of trees and then enrich the soil before you plant.
It’s a good idea to plant trees at least 30 feet (9.1 m) from your foundation.
Planting trees to shade and shelter your house can save up to 25 percent on your home energy bills.
Energy.gov provides tips on how to landscape for energy efficiency by region.Request trees from your city.
They may provide the plants for free if you provide the maintenance. , You can create a structure on which creeping vines can grow.
Since many of these vines are fast growing (and invasive), they can fill out in just a few years. , Choose a place where it is shaded from the sun and not too exposed to the wind, so that you can be comfortable there.
Most people try to offset this area from the house. , You may want to dig in the posts and pour concrete to make them more safe and sturdy. , You can pour concrete, use paving stones or lay bricks. , If your landscape includes hills or uneven ground, you can have a professional contractor install retaining walls so that you can work the soil on several levels, while making the hills more attractive.
It is a good idea to ask a professional for help with leveling and terracing a hillside. , In most cases, water features require retaining walls to keep the water from running off into other areas.
A water feature should be carefully planned and executed, since poor plumbing and planning can result in problems for the house and the yard. , If you don’t have the time or money to maintain a lawn, then you can cover the area with rocks, gravel or stones in areas.
Make sure to compare quotes from contractors and home improvement stores, including delivery and installation.
Inquire about collecting rocks and stones from demolition sites.
If you can collect and deliver them yourself, they may even be free. ,, You will need to enrich clay and gravel filled soils with compost and other materials. , Provide your own rich soil by composting kitchen scraps, grass clippings, leaves and more.
Place cisterns below your drain pipes so that you can gather rainwater for plants.
Home water bills are usually 20 percent of your water use.
Saving rainwater can cut your water bill by 15 percent. , Succulents, native grasses and wildflowers are good choices if you are in drought areas or if you want to save money.
Visit sites like plantnative.org to find a list of native plants that are bound to thrive in your area. , Trucks may need to deliver materials to your yard, which can rip up grass. , Don’t invest in annuals until you have the money to replace them every year. , Ensure you have the right kind of sunlight to help the plants thrive, or you will be wasting your money by buying plants.
For example, hostas require full shade, while most flowers require full sun. , A landscape usually doesn’t include full-sized plants.
Use one-gallon plants and allow them to fill in.
This will save you money in the long run and you are less likely to end up with plants that refuse to grow or thrive. , Vines, groundcover plants and perennials may be able to use small cuttings from larger plants.
You can also divide your own well-established plants, like hostas, and plant them in other areas around the yard.
About the Author
Mary Clark
Dedicated to helping readers learn new skills in pet care and beyond.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: