Things to keep in mind for landscape design?
I am currently trying plan a design for my backyard landscape, does anyone know of anythings I should keep in mind? I live in zone 10b and have dogs and know that I want something relatively low maintainance. What are things that are more on the actual design side that I should think about?
Several things.
1. Water movement and pooling – if you have areas that are more wet, look for plants that prefer wet soil.
2. Sun – obviously know what type of light the plant likes.
3. pH. Plants that like a higher pH soil are happier next to the house in most soils. Typically, the foundation of a house is concrete which leaks lime into the soil.
4. Roots – most trees should be 10 feet from the house. Be careful with Silver Maple, Cherry and Redwood. Trees like these can actually push in the walls of a submerged basement, tear up sidewalks and wreak havoc.
5. Compatibility. Some plants are toxic to other plants. Black Walnut will kill just about everything around it.
6. Size at maturity. People buy "cute" shrubs because they like the flowers or color. 10 years later, they’re living in Sleeping Beauty’s castle, surrounded by a jungle.
7. Color arrangement. Consider different layers – light greens, white, reds, etc. Don’t just use monotone green. Contrast the color of the house with a shrub, then put another contrast in front of that. If you have room – 3 layers is very luxurious looking.
8. Maintenance. If you don’t want to trim or divide, look for things that grow more slowly. In 10b, you probably use Bermuda grass? Consider putting in solid flowerbed edging to stop or severely deter invasive runners. If you have Fescue, you don’t have to worry as much.
9. Flowers. Leave limited space for annuals if you want some really amazing color. Otherwise, look at some perennials. Note, however, that Perennials get bigger and bigger each year.
10. Fire. This is more an issue in dry climates. Consider rock against the house rather than mulch. Mulch is very VERY flamable in hot dry weather. Even in the moderate areas of the Northeast, it’s not uncommon for catastrophic fires to start in flowerbeds when someone flips a burning cigarette into someone’s yard and it lands in the mulch.
11. Shade – put deciduous trees around the south and west sides. The leaves will reduce your power bills in the summer. But they will drop their leaves in the winter allowing that sun to warm the house. Of course – in 10b, this might not matter! Go with Palm Trees!
12. Go Native. Look for plants that are native to your area. They’re more likely to survive weather cycles. Imported plants are most prone to escape and cause environmental problems. Look at Honeysuckle in the Northeast, Kudzu in the South, etc.
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May 20 2010 02:22 pm | backyard landscape
May 20th, 2010 at 7:54 pm
have a key feature it is always best if things around complament this key feature. the trick is to not make it too obvious
References :
May 20th, 2010 at 8:11 pm
Several things.
1. Water movement and pooling – if you have areas that are more wet, look for plants that prefer wet soil.
2. Sun – obviously know what type of light the plant likes.
3. pH. Plants that like a higher pH soil are happier next to the house in most soils. Typically, the foundation of a house is concrete which leaks lime into the soil.
4. Roots – most trees should be 10 feet from the house. Be careful with Silver Maple, Cherry and Redwood. Trees like these can actually push in the walls of a submerged basement, tear up sidewalks and wreak havoc.
5. Compatibility. Some plants are toxic to other plants. Black Walnut will kill just about everything around it.
6. Size at maturity. People buy "cute" shrubs because they like the flowers or color. 10 years later, they’re living in Sleeping Beauty’s castle, surrounded by a jungle.
7. Color arrangement. Consider different layers – light greens, white, reds, etc. Don’t just use monotone green. Contrast the color of the house with a shrub, then put another contrast in front of that. If you have room – 3 layers is very luxurious looking.
8. Maintenance. If you don’t want to trim or divide, look for things that grow more slowly. In 10b, you probably use Bermuda grass? Consider putting in solid flowerbed edging to stop or severely deter invasive runners. If you have Fescue, you don’t have to worry as much.
9. Flowers. Leave limited space for annuals if you want some really amazing color. Otherwise, look at some perennials. Note, however, that Perennials get bigger and bigger each year.
10. Fire. This is more an issue in dry climates. Consider rock against the house rather than mulch. Mulch is very VERY flamable in hot dry weather. Even in the moderate areas of the Northeast, it’s not uncommon for catastrophic fires to start in flowerbeds when someone flips a burning cigarette into someone’s yard and it lands in the mulch.
11. Shade – put deciduous trees around the south and west sides. The leaves will reduce your power bills in the summer. But they will drop their leaves in the winter allowing that sun to warm the house. Of course – in 10b, this might not matter! Go with Palm Trees!
12. Go Native. Look for plants that are native to your area. They’re more likely to survive weather cycles. Imported plants are most prone to escape and cause environmental problems. Look at Honeysuckle in the Northeast, Kudzu in the South, etc.
References :
May 20th, 2010 at 8:48 pm
Hi:
You are in a tropcial climate which means there are a lot of different plants available to you.
As far as design, there are so many different things you could consider. Do you want a formal look or an informal? Pathways, one large bed or several small beds. Do you need privacy trees? You will need an area for the dogs to roam around so think when planning a special separate area for them. A fence as well as other outdoor features.
Feel free to contact me at my website as I am a landscaper and designer and would be happy to give you some ideas.
I will direct you to my examples of landscape designs as well as my site map page. The site maps has photos of annuals, perennials, trees, shrubs, and herbs. Some of the annuals will go well in your area.
Best of luck and let me know if I can be of help to you. Have a great day!
Kimberly
http://www.landscape-solutions-for-you.com/examplesoflandscapedesigns.html
http://www.landscape-solutions-for-you.com/Site.html
References :
http://www.landscape-solutions-for-you.com/examplesoflandscapedesigns.html
http://www.landscape-solutions-for-you.com/Site.html
May 25th, 2010 at 11:30 am
Wow these are all great tips. I have a large yard that is all sod right now. I had it installed in the fall by Evergreen Turf and have been focusing on keeping it alive before I add anything. I might wait till the end of the summer to add more elements, but when I do these tips will come in hand, thanks for sharing.