(619) 846-5226

Design Worksheet

Is your home architectural style/decorating style Victorian, Spanish, French country, mid-century modern, Craftsman, cottage-style, Cape Cod style, or Modern? This plays a part outside in your overall landscape theme. For example, a clash of styles would be a desert landscape with a French country looking house, though it would go well with a modern style home.
Let’s say you had exposed wood beams and a brick hearth/fireplace inside your home. A nice compliment outside would be a wood arbor or patio cover over a brick sitting area or brick path. Or if you have a large bay window, you could mimic that with a large mirror in your landscape.
This creates structure for your project. A time to gather data, shop for a designer and contractor, but more importantly it builds confidence in yourself, the process, and great satisfaction in the finished product. Long range plans come into play when budgets are in place or structures need to be done first, for example, you can’t landscape the yard until the room addition is finished. But you can procure the designs and implement them right after.
Landscape budgets and this includes the design, is as important as any other major expense budget for your home. Ask yourself, “what can I afford now and later?” or “is it better to do a little now and the rest later?”
By all means, if you have the time, health, and determination, do some of the work yourself. Whereas leave the hardscaping to the pro’s, why not install the night lights or vegetable garden or the simple water feature? If you’re doing it all, take your time and learn all you can.
This is especially important if you live in a master planned community or HOA. Are you planning a deck? Do you know the minimum height when you have to add a step or hand rail? Is part of the work trenching? If so, do you know the location of the sewer lines? Find out these kinds of things now can save you much stress later.
Take note of them after a rain, such as standing water. That’s not a good place for your vegetable garden nor your favorite sitting area. The basic rule is to provide drainage away from the house and other structures and off your property into the established sewer or swale, or to remain on the property into a bioswale; a place where runoff can percolate down. In some new landscapes, this is a requirement.
This question is often minimized but hugely important. Obviously, you can’t adjust the way the wind blows, but can you redirect or block it? Or can you put your favorite sitting area somewhere else? You can’t change your neighbors 2 story house, where they can get a full view of your activities. But you can design some growth and/or structures to block it. Treat it as a top priority when designing the landscape. If any one of these are overlooked it will forever be some source of irritation every time you’re outside.
These special areas should be thought out and it relates to what you want out of your landscape, and how long term is it? Would you really want a vegetable garden if you don’t have the time nor want getting your fingers dirty? If your children are near grown and gone, would you want to add that swing set?

In great gardens around the world, you always see these elements, either naturally or man-made. In fact, in nature, these elements are abundant and that’s why you visit them to see that mighty waterfall, a reflective lake or a rock formation. It’s easier and more affordable than you think to put these special features in and you will be drawn to it as a prominent feature in your garden.

Outdoor lighting is not just for safety but just as important, for aesthetics. In your grandparents’ day, the porchlight was the outdoor lighting. Now the term ‘nightscaping’ creates an entirely new environment for your yard. Proper and strategically placed lights gives more than safety, it can be magical.
This is a ‘weighty’ question literally more than figuratively; once it’s down, it’s costly to remove them. It also has to do with question #1, 2 – the design and decorating style you like; flagstone gives the sense of randomness, whereas brick is more of the formal look. Additionally, these elements give an earthy aspect, a sense of permanency, stability to the garden

These spots are sometimes obvious, as in, under a tree – and then sometimes obscure, especially when you’re redesigning your landscape. That’s when you can get a design that incorporates that special place. The least favorite places are usually and instinctively near a lot of activity/noise, such as the busy street/playground. Ask yourself, “where is the best place for me to think and meditate?”

Is it the beach for the fresh air and moving water? Is it the park for the green expanses and trees? Is it the mountains for the quiet and solitude? Is it the local nursery for the variety of colors and shapes? Few of us have the space for any of these to be in our yard, but you can get a design that creates a small part of it or the sense of it in your garden.

This is irrespective of the amount of land you have. Carefully planned, one can get either one depending on the 4 basic elements of a landscape design: color, texture, shape and scale.

As to plant types, an example would be Succulents – rigid, structural, even eerie looking. Tropical – colorful and green, often flat, wide surfaces. Formal – repetitive shapes, lines that are predictable, safe. What do you lean toward? Why specific as possible? Because you’ll get nearer your goal of a beautiful landscape faster, saving everybody time and stress. Granted, your favorite plants may not grow well where you live or harder to come by. Then find a close alternative. So, spend the time to collect photos or names of your favorite plants or types.

Google-plus Yelp Facebook Houzz

LIC# B2019021740

Privacy Policy

Copyright 2024 © All rights Reserved. Zscape Landscape Designs

Website by Gee Productions
Free Quote 619-846-5226