Creating a beautiful landscape design does not happen overnight.

It involves much pre-planning before landscaping contractors start to arrange any hardscaping or put in any plants.

Yet taking the time to work up a good landscaping plan promises the best results and a greater chance of bringing landscaping design visions to life.

This simple step-by-step planning process can help any homeowner work together with their contractor to come up with a great design and beautiful landscape!

1. Set Some Landscaping Design Goals

The first step in any developing landscape design is to identify three important goals that will influence all of the decisions made for this project.

• First decide on an overall look and feel for the area to be landscaped, including colors, plant species, themes, and more.
• Next consider how the yard will be used, such as including patio space for sitting and eating, open space for activities, walkways for working on plantings, and more.
• Finally identify ways that the landscaping design should incorporate ways to improve the ecosystem on the property, whether through water conservation, erosion control, or even controlling an unwanted plant species.

Make these three goals the basis of all other planning.

2. Create A Site Plan

Landscaping contractors begin their designing process by creating a drawing of the site as it is starting out.

Using graph paper or landscaping software, draw up a diagram of the space being included in the landscaping design, then position and label everything that is already there, from lawn space and walkways to trees, bushes, flowerbeds, patios, and everything else.

Include in this diagram the route of underground irrigation systems, utility lines, and any typographical elements like hills, ponds, and anything else that must be considered to develop a full landscaping plan.

3. Analyze the Landscaping Site

Next analyze the site in terms of sunlight, slope, moisture, and other factors that will affect the plants put in later and document those details on the site plan.

Note areas of high and low sunlight, soggy soil spots, sloping grades, windy spots, and other factors that can affect plants and their care.

Effective landscaping design tries to use the plot in a natural way to reduce maintenance and help plants thrive more naturally.

4. Sketch Out Concept Diagrams

Once the landscape design diagram contains all the elements that are already there, start sketching in a design concept using new elements minus the actual plants.

First using only location bubbles, sketch in areas for planted beds, walkways, fountains, ornamental elements, ponds, bushes, and anything else to be added to the finished design.

Then after positioning all elements using labeled bubbles, go back and draw those items in with greater detail.

At this stage, the result should be a detailed drawing of the entire general landscaping plan, less the selection of plant species to be used in those labeled areas.

5. Finish With A Plantings Diagram

The final step of creating a beautiful landscape is one that can be discussed with a landscaping contractor, as it will involve choosing the right plants to fill in the areas on the site plan that fit the goals noted at the beginning of the process.

Once all flower, groundcover, shrub, bush, and tree species are picked and filled into the diagram, the plan is complete.

Achieve A Vivid Landscape Design With Effective Site Planning

Seeing a landscape design come to life can be exciting.

To get optimal results from this process, homeowners should collaborate with their landscaping contractors and create a plan that provides that.

By considering the existing features of the ground, what changes are desired, and what must be done to accomplish them, a landscaping design that will look beautiful and be easier to maintain can be developed.

The planning effort put in ahead of time will bring more beauty and more joy in the long run!

Want A Landscape Design in College Station Texas?

Landscape Ninjas Can Help With the Process!

Call 979-399-8835 To Learn More!