A beautifully landscaped outdoor space can look attractive, add value to your home and even make your neighbors jealous. But you also want to make sure that your landscaping is practical as well. If it doesn’t meet your needs as the homeowners, well then it just isn’t practical.
Most people start out with their landscape design by looking at the types of plants, trees and features that they are personally drawn to, such as ornamental grass or a babbling fountain. But, the first place we all really need to start is with the zones of the landscaping. That is, we need to look at how we will use our space and then designate different areas for that use.
For example, your landscape design might include work zones. These work areas can be anything from a space for composting to a vegetable garden. And also remember that you’ll need small areas set aside for trash cans, brush piles and other less attractive but necessary work.
Other zones might include entertaining areas. Some examples of these spaces include decks, patios, fire pits, barbecue grills, outdoor dining furniture, benches, or even special enclosed gardens for evening talks or “white gardens” that are just right for evening walks in the moonlight.
Don’t forget zones for all of the members of the family. Do you have or need children’s play equipment, such as swing sets, sand boxes, etc? Before you just dump the stuff anywhere or purchase what you think you might like, set aside a zone for it all that makes sense. Some exciting new ideas for this zone might include a children’s garden or a paved area for ride on toys.
And what about the front of your yard? This might be designated as purely a decorative zone.
Talk to all of the members of your household about the different zones. You might find that they have needs or wants that you didn’t address. Does someone want a work area to hang laundry or a place to do container gardening? Or how about a spot to relax in a hammock on a lazy Sunday?
Once you have a good idea about all of the things your landscaping will need to do for you, make a list of the functions in each zone. You may find that some overlap. Then you can begin to plan it all out, getting the most important elements in place for your design.
Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, technology in the Computing Blog, and creating a home in the Home Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here.
Related Articles
Frugal Gardening: Have A Seed Exchange
Decorating Your Outdoor Space with Found Objects