We’re committed to helping people transform their outdoor spaces into beautiful, inviting extensions of their homes. Every great landscape starts with a vision and a plan. Our services include professional hardscape and landscape design, but we also know that many of our clients enjoy being part of the design process, so we wanted to share some tips on how to get started creating an outdoor space seamlessly tailored to your specific interests:
Start by creating an idea collection. Visit public gardens, look through gardening magazines and sites, and check out garden catalogs and online blogs. Pinterest and Houzz are great websites to bookmark and explore all these ideas. Create a physical and/or online folder of everything that catches your eye – don’t worry about whether a plant or tree will work in this climate. Start with what is aesthetically appealing to you. And don’t forget things like beautiful walkways, stone walls, pools, outdoor kitchens, etc. This is a creative exercise to tap into your personal preferences.
Determine your needs and wants – do you need a place for your kids to play? A little oasis for yourself? A place for entertaining? A welcoming space where family and friends gather? Have you always dreamed of an outdoor kitchen? A serene pond with a water garden? Make two lists; Wants and Needs, and start writing down everything you can think of for each column. Don’t hold yourself back or edit anything at this point!
Note the physical attributes of your property. How is your yard oriented—east so you enjoy the morning sun? North so it’s wrapped in deep shade? How about the earth beneath your feet—is it level and grassy? Hilly and rocky? Are there areas that get boggy from rain or scorched from all-day sun? This will help determine plant selection, hardscaping, grading for drainage, etc.
Determine your budget – Make an immediate budget (one year or less) and a long-term one (2+ years). Take a look at your Needs & Wants list and put the items on these lists in order of importance. This is a useful tool in developing both a short range and long range landscaping plans for your property.
This is where Greenough Landscaping comes in, we will help finalize your design, define your budget based on your goals, source the materials, and execute the plan according to the project timelines. It won’t be long before your are lounging in your outdoor space, sitting by the firepit and enjoying a nice beverage and better conversation with your friends and family. We look forward to helping you imagine your outdoor space, greener!
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