Backyard landscaping can seem like an overwhelming task, especially when you attempt to do it on your own. To take control of this task, simply take your time and plan each step in advance. You should also consider how easy your new backyard landscaping is going to be to maintain. You do not necessarily want to spend all your free time tending to your yard in order to have it look nice. That is the whole point of carefully considering how to landscape your back yard.
Evaluating Your Yard
" Look at how the sun hits the yard. Is the area that you want to design in the shade for a portion of the day, or direct sun?
" Does the yard drain properly after a storm?
" Look at the soil in the yard. Is it rich and soft, sandy, full of clay?
" Are there surface roots from trees or many rocks that will need to be removed?
" Is the yard level
" Is there an eye-sore that should be covered up?
" Is there an area that would do well for a container garden?
Now that you have taken a serious look at the property, it is time to sketch a rough design of how you want it to look. Be sure to include any existing flowers, trees or shrubs. Decide what the roll of each will be in the new design and if any of them will need to be removed.
Are there any problem areas that need to be addressed?
Adding soil to an area with poor drainage will help level out the area and improve the drainage. Surface roots can be ground down, but what if you would like to keep the tree? A raised garden is an excellent idea for either of these issues.
Top soil or mushroom soil tilled into an area will help improve the quality of dirt that you have to work with. This will do wonders for any plants that are introduced into this soil.
An eyesore, such as a shed or garbage can storage area can be "hidden" nicely with a variety of plants. Look at Pampas grass, some varieties grow over 6 feet tall and spread a little each year. The stalk-like leaves develop a fluffy plume at the top for a nice, clean look. These are cut to the ground in the spring and grow back quickly.
Designing Your New Look
This is the time to decide where any new landscaping will be located. Going back to the sketch of the property, take it one step at a time and add each new piece into the design.
Go outside and walk it out, use a can of spray paint to mark the boundaries if you need help to visualize it. Spray paint is an excellent tool for landscape work, the next time that the lawn is cut, the mess is cleaned up.
Pulling It Together
With the design completed, it's time to start bringing it to life. Where to start? That's the easy part. Take the ONE area that sticks out the most to you and start there. Make sure that this area is completed before you move on to another area. Bringing a problem area to life will be major motivation while working on the other areas.
Landscape Horrors
The biggest mistake made by homeowners and professional landscapers as well is forgetting to progress the plants. When this happens a tree is planted where there should be a small shrub.
Many times, a Rhododendron is assumed to be a small bush. It seems that this plant is nearly always placed right up against the house. If you have ever seen a Rhododendron in nature, you know that this plant is a tree, not a bush.
Plan your backyard landscaping by researching the plants that you choose. Look for information and even an image for a mature plant. Placing an oversize plant in the wrong spot means that once it has grown too large, you will need to move it. Plan now to place your plants where you can enjoy them for many years to come.
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