Why Landscape? Landscaping creates a balance between natural beauty and man made objects such as a home or structural object. It creates a functional and aesthetically pleasing atmosphere for the mind and body to relax. A well designed, properly installed landscape can increase property value by as much as 17 %. A landscape can also aid as a security system, a thorny bush under a window, or landscape lighting around entry ways is just a few ways a well designed landscape can aid your security needs. Dreaming Some landscaping ideas are born full-grown. New homeowners have been known to put in a pool before they unpack their boxes. But most plans take longer to gain shape. And so they should, because the process of assessing your family's needs is essential to creating an effective landscape. Purpose in Mind Weigh your family's needs. All landscape improvements from the planting of a single shrub to the building of a deck and patio system should add to the ease, comfort, and delight of your everyday living. We'd like to offer ready-made, detailed plans to solve each reader's landscaping needs. But the combination of site, climate, and family desires makes each yard one of a kind. Gathering Ideas To get started gathering ideas, observe the good and bad points of other yards. Drive slowly and carefully; or better yet, ride a bike or walk. You soon will notice details: colors and textures of flowers and foliage, moods of promise and mystery evoked by a winding path or a charming gate, or the way an entrance planting distinguishes one house from the others around it. Move your search for landscaping ideas indoors by browsing through books, magazines, and Internet sites. Write down your observations, ideas, and expectations as they come to you. The details emerge in time. Don't let expense and labor stifle your dreams, either. Planning often makes the impossible possible. The Whole Site As the details develop, think of your yard as a whole. Everything should go together with harmony. You don't have to be an artist or know much about the aesthetic principles of line, scale, texture, and balance. These elements of good design are largely common sense. An inner eye will tell you if they are present or not. Visualize the changes you plan as they will look immediately, in five years, and in 20 years. Remember that plans are flat on paper but three-dimensional in reality. Trees and shrubs grow up as well as out. Look up and be sure no electric or phone wires are already in the space where you are thinking of oak branches. One of the most common landscaping mistakes is planting too close or using plants that will outgrow their allotted space. To avoid the empty look for the present, fill in with temporary plantings-flowers, quick-growing trees or shrubs, vegetables-that you can remove as the choice trees and shrubs grow. Also, keep the same theme throughout the entire yard, whether that be natural, formal, English cottage, Japanese, modern, or any other desired look. Wood, concrete, brick, stone, and natural materials all have characteristics that make them fit better in some situations than in others. Drawing a Plan Because some decisions will firm up more quickly than others, the sooner you move from your lists and dreams to the actual planning, the better. The day you buy the house, you can begin planting flowers, cover crops, vegetables, small shrubs, and trees that you could remove or move if necessary. These activities, in fact, will help you form and appreciate your plans. At some point, of course, you'll have to start worrying about what your various landscaping ideas might cost. Estimates are easy to obtain, and are vital before your plans become definite. Because landscaping can be expensive, it's often done in stages. Also as you sift through ideas, you'll want to keep in mind your willingness to work in your yard. Although installation is only done once, maintenance goes on forever. Few people appreciate that a lawn takes more time, expense, and natural resources (such as water) than any other landscaping option. Cut your lawn down to a workable size with areas of ground covers or mulches around trees and shrubs. Put in a rose garden if you love to work at that, or a vegetable patch or an orchard. But avoid such landscaping features if you just don't have the time. Patios, decks, walks, and permanent plantings require little work and expense after the initial construction. In return, they give plenty of outdoor living enjoyment for each dollar spent. Professional Help Throughout the process, consider whether you want to consult a landscape professional for help. This can come from three groups: landscape architects, landscape designers, and landscape contractors. The landscape architect is the planning expert and is comparable to a building architect in training and the time frame when he or she can most help you: while the property is being designed. Although landscape architects do mostly commercial work, many will consult with homeowners on an hourly basis and some will oversee entire residential jobs. Because of their expertise, landscape architects tend to be the most expensive landscaping professionals. Landscaping designers often do much the same work as landscape architects, but they have less training and usually are more plant oriented. The fees of landscape designers employed by nurseries are often absorbed if you buy enough plants from the nurseries. Landscape contractors do or hire out the actual work. If you work with a landscape contractor, be sure to talk about what materials you must provide and ask for samples of any materials the contractor will supply. The money spent to consult an expert - especially concerning such problems as difficult grading, sliding hillsides, or high walls and decks - is often saved many times over in the final satisfying and safe result.