Landscaping your garden is often a big decision – and one not to be taken lightly. If you want to make over your garden with landscaping, there are a handful of things you’ll need to consider in detail first.
Below, you’ll find 7 things to consider before landscaping your garden:
- Have You Analysed The Site?
You absolutely need to analyse the site before you begin landscaping. There are many key elements that could affect your design, such as slopes, peaks, drainage patterns, and the type of soil. The ideal soil is 40% sand, 40% silt, and 20% clay. This mix allows air to infiltrate, holds moisture well, and is fertile – but your soil could be entirely different. Knowing your soil is key to getting the best results.
You can even go as far as analysing how wind comes into your garden, and then block draughts with careful placement of trees and plants.
- What Are Your Priorities?
Consider your priorities so you can create a garden that works for everyone in your household. Do you want:
- A play space for your kids?
- Space for your pets to exercise?
- A patio?
- An entertainment area?
- A swimming pool?
- Areas to enjoy gardening?
Knowing who will be using your garden and how can help you to decide on your priorities.
- Who Will Be Maintaining Your Garden?
You need to consider whether you are going to hire a professional, and then consider your maintenance style and budget.
- Is There A Theme You’d Like To Go For?
There are plenty of garden themes out there – is there one you would like to emulate in your own garden? For instance, you could go for oriental, or quirky and colorful. Channel the theme you like best with plants, decorations, and hardscapes.
- Ensure Your Plants Work for You
You can pick different plants to be utilized in different ways, such as herbs and veg. You can also use them to create physical barriers in your landscape. Consider your temperature, light levels, and wind before buying plants.
- How Will You Highlight Important Points In Your Garden?
You can highlight important parts of your garden using unique plants, distinct structures and even garden ornaments. You could also look into concrete delivery if you’d like to create a special area for relaxing.
- Protecting Your Resources
Protecting your resources is also worth a consideration. Can you consciously manage your water? Think about whether you need to remove plants from your landscape before you do so, and think about relocating them to somewhere else in your garden. When you select new plants, you should look for resource-efficient plants, ones that will require less water, fertilizers, and pesticides. You can also be good to the environment by selecting environmentally friendly hardscapes, non-toxic preservatives, stains, paints, and cleaners. Finding ways to repurpose old materials is also a great way of protecting resources and reducing waste.
What are your ideas for landscaping your own garden? Leave them in the comments below – thanks for reading!
