If you have decided that your home needs landscaping, you should start collecting ideas. You can do this by walking through your neighborhood and looking at the landscape of other homes. Make a note of what appeals to you.
- Look at the trees and how they are arranged in the yard.
- Are there flowers around the trees? Does this appeal to you?
- Are there bushes or shrubs under the windows or along the fence line?
- Is there a pathway to the front door? What material is used for the walkway?
Ask your neighbor about their backyard. If their front yard is landscaped, they may have landscaped the back. Or, maybe you have been invited to a barbecue at their home which was held in the backyard. Make a note of how the yard was landscaped.
If you like the idea of flowers in a circle around your trees, find out which flowers grow in shaded areas. Some people like to have bushes or shrubs in their landscape design. Remember that these have to be pruned at certain times of the year so they do not become overgrown and shapely.
If you are a serious gardener, you will already be aware of the climate in your area and know what types of plants, flowers, trees, and bushes will grow during the various seasons. When you landscape your yard, you want its beauty to shine no matter the season.
While collecting ideas and making notes, you may want to look through magazines and books to get ideas. Another way of collecting ideas for landscaping your property is to search the Internet. Many of the home improvement shows have web sites and they feature landscaped yards. You can also spend some time watching a home improvement show on television which features landscaping. You will see some of the problems encountered in various types of yards. One of them may be similar to your own. This will also help you to decide if you need to ask the advice of a professional landscape architect.