Landscape design requires a lot of planning. There are many factors to consider before jumping into a new project, especially one that requires time, money, and elbow grease. At High Prairie Outdoors, we’re proud to be recognized as a leading landscaping company here in Kansas.
With many years of experience crafting lawns and gardens into gorgeous landscaping projects, we have come to learn that every landscape design begins with well-constructed planning. Here are 5 factors to consider before you get started.
1. Budget
One of the first things to consider when planning a landscape is your budget. There is nothing worse than getting close to the end of a project only to realize you don’t have money to finish. Make a list of all the changes you want to make, the plants you would like to include, and the features you hope to insert into your garden. Either on your own or with the help of a professional landscaping company, determine roughly how much each of these projects will cost.
When factoring your budget, remember to account for labor, tools, soil, compost, mulch, water, seeds, and plants, as well as special features such as stones, fountains, and more. If you go over budget on paper, you are likely to go over budget in real life. Scale back or look for ways to phase things in before getting started.
2. Space
After money, space is your main concern when beginning a landscaping project. At High Prairie Outdoors, we have seen many clients design their dream garden only to find there is no room on their property to support it. This is an easy fix, as long as you plan your design before you start digging.
Like the budget you put to paper, consider drawing out your yard, including measurements. Now, add the features to your yard that you are hoping to include, also adding measurements. It sometimes helps to go outside and place markers in the area you are considering digging or building. This helps you see more tangibly the area you are working with.
3. Tools
There are plenty of DIY landscaping projects that require only gardening gloves and a spade. However, there are many more that require heavy-duty equipment, specialized products, and even certified technicians to operate machinery. Doing research before getting started will help you ensure you have all the tools you need at your disposal. For example, if you are hoping to create a garden hedge for privacy, you should invest in hedge clippers and loppers. If you want to create a pond water feature, you will need some heavy-duty digging machinery, and somebody certified to drive it.
4. Sunlight
Where natural sunlight falls on your property at various hours of the day vastly influences the types of plants you can place in those areas. Working with your landscaper, you can better determine which flowers, trees, and shrubs will thrive in full sun vs. partial sun. Some plants do better in shade than others. You may also want to consider how moist certain plants need to be to thrive. You do not want to put something requiring lots of water in direct sunlight to dry out.
Take a tally of areas of your yard which are blocked by the house, fence, shed, and other shadow throwing objects. These areas should receive plants that can handle shade or partial sunlight.
5. Plumbing
Your yard is teeming with hidden pipes and plumbing. The last thing you want is to damage one of these pipes while digging in your garden. Before you begin any large-scale projects, you may want to consult the blueprints and plans for your property. Determine where major plumbing runs throughout your yard and avoid those areas for any projects that require deep digging.
Similarly, you may want to consider the plumbing in terms of where you can reach your plants with your garden hose. Planting flowers and shrubs which require constant watering closer to your home is safest if you plan to water them with the garden hose or a sprinkler system stretching from your house. Plants that don’t need a lot of water can be planted further away from the main source of plumbing.
Call High Prairie Outdoors Today!
If you want to impress your neighbors and create an outdoor space that you can be proud of High Prairie Outdoors can help. Contact us at 1-816-398-2901 for more details on our landscaping services.
