Nothing adds curb appeal to a home or business like a beautifully designed yard. It shows that you care for your property, and it adds value to your home or business. Before you approach a landscaping project, it is crucial that you think through some key features before breaking ground.
Considering the Goals You Have for Your Yard
When landscaping your home or business, consider the goals you are trying to achieve for your landscape project. There are many reasons that you might landscape, and understanding your reasoning will help your landscaper to advise you about how to achieve those goals. Some of these goals might include the following:
- Safety and security: Landscaping can make your home a safer place. Adding fences, hedges, lighting, and a number of other types of boundaries can keep intruders away.
- Improving the appearance of your home or business through landscaping may be your goal. This can make your property more appealing and inviting for yourself and your guests.
- Your goal for your yard may be to create functional living spaces. These could include outdoor kitchens, patios, pergolas, decks, gardens, areas for lawn games, pools, and hot tubs.
- To improve the environment of your home or business, landscaping can be a key factor. You can attract wildlife, improve drainage, and reduce erosion.
- Landscaping can be used to decrease your energy costs. Your plants can add a layer of insulation to your home or commercial space which can reduce your heating and cooling bills.
Spending time with your landscaper explaining your goals for your property are crucial so that they can design a plan that meets your needs and expectations.
Drainage Is a Primary Consideration
When you are ready to begin a landscaping project, you are nearly always ready to think about the more visual aspects rather than the nuts and bolts of the project. However, drainage plays a critical role in every landscape design. The landscape professionals at Siara Designs® understand the importance of proper drainage and can design your landscape plan so that your project’s needs are adequately met.
Proper drainage is crucial to manage and controlling the flow of water on your property. If the project lacks adequate drainage, water can pool on the surface or underground, leading to many issues that will negatively impact your landscape. Several of the issues that might impact your project if the drainage is not properly addressed are as follows:
- Erosion can become a problem. No one wants to watch their beautifully landscaped yard erode and degrade. By addressing drainage issues first, you can avoid having your beautiful yard wash away by managing drainage issues before the first plant is put into the ground.
- Soil compaction can occur when the particles of soil are pushed together. The pore space where water and air should be able to flow is dramatically reduced. This results in a lack of nutrients, water, and air to get to the plants.
- Poor drainage and compacted soil make plants more vulnerable to diseases and pests. Compacted soil and poor drainage stunt the growth of the plants that are planted there.
- Plant stress happens when conditions are poor due to bad drainage and other factors. If your plants seem to be unhealthy, they may be stressed.
- Property damage can occur if drainage is not properly addressed. Mosquitos will breed in standing water, mold, and mildew can become problematic, low lying areas may flood, and damage to your landscape can occur.
Drainage Methods You Can Incorporate
By addressing drainage issues, you ensure that water is directed away from buildings, neighbors, paths, and driveways. Anywhere that it may cause damage can be rerouted. Some ways to manage drainage issues are listed below:
- French drains
- Swales
- Catch basins
- Permeable paving materials
- Adequate grading
Plants and trees are much happier and healthier in a yard where drainage is managed properly. If the water is distributed properly, the soil will not be oversaturated, aiding the plants in getting a more appropriate amount of moisture.
Climate and Environmental Factors
To properly landscape a yard that is easy to care for and lasts a long time, being familiar with the environment and the climate of the area is crucial. For a sustainable, functional, aesthetically pleasing area, take these aspects into account:
- Climate and weather: By understanding the weather, climate for the area, and hardiness zones of the area, you can determine the right plants and organic elements to add to your landscape project. You cut down on maintenance by adding plants that require less care because they are native to the area and grow well in the area of your yard.
- Soil quality and type: Your landscape designer will ensure that your soil type and the quality of it is right for your project. By testing the soil, you can consider PH levels, drainage, and the nutrients in the area and if it needs to be amended.
- The amount of sunlight: To choose the correct plants, you must understand how much sunlight and how much shade the area gets each day and for how long. To choose plants that will thrive, knowing how much light your yard gets and how much the plants will require is key.
- Topography: Your property’s topography will impact the landscape’s design and cost. Things like grading, hills, slopes, and natural features can impact how well the yard drains, if erosion will be problematic, and the accessibility of the area.
- Existing features: The area where your project will take place may come with buildings, existing plants, trees, and other features. There are times when these features can become focal points to enhance, and other times they can be challenges to consider.
- Rules and restrictions: Your local ordinances or homeowner’s association could dictate some of the details of your project. A qualified landscaper will plan your landscape according to building and zoning codes and the HOA’s specifications.
Contact Siara Designs Today
The landscape professionals at Siara Designs understand how to design your dream landscape project while taking into account all of the factors that must be addressed to make it happen. Reach out to us when you are ready to discuss your landscape transformation.