Winter may be knocking on our doors, but that doesn’t mean you can’t start thinking about your landscaping projects for the spring. This is the perfect time to begin your planning process. Whether you’re looking to overhaul your entire landscape entirely or to make a few changes to make your yard more livable, there are some things you have to keep in mind before starting. Read on for four things to keep in mind before making a significant change to your landscape.
Consider What You’re Starting With
You aren’t starting with a blank canvas, so before you make any plans, take inventory of what you’ve got. Figure out your climate zone, assess your topography and soil type, and make a list of who uses the yard and how they use it. It would help if you also took notes on how much sun and shade specific areas get during the different seasons. All of this information will be the basis for your landscaping design. Finally, make a list of the parts of your yard that you love (if anything) and the ones that you want to change. This is the part of the process where you can dream big – if you currently have a grill and a picnic table, but you want a built-in outdoor kitchen, add it to your list.
Link Areas Together
Once you have a list of the spaces and their uses that you want or already have, start thinking about how they should flow together. Yes, most yards have different sections, but the yard still has to be one cohesive space. Imagine that the yard is a house, and those areas are rooms: how will they separate yet flow into the next? Partitions can be created with hardscaping like walls and paths and with plants.
Use Plants
Incorporate different plants to provide varying height and other qualities like shade. Start by imagining how tall you want things to go, then imagine how they might spread and be spaced in the vertical plane. Take time to research plants that aren’t going to drain resources so that you can conserve water in the height of the summer excessively. If you want plants that aren’t suited for your climate, consider container planting if you have space inside or in a greenhouse for them to winter. Finally, please take note of how quickly the plants will grow before you decide on them. If you are planting very fast-growing shrubs around a slow-growing tree, it will take time before you achieve the desired look (and the shrubs might out-compete the tree in the meantime).
All of Your Landscaping Needs from Atlantic Maintenance Group
Atlantic Maintenance Group is a full-service landscaping company, providing maintenance, design, and construction, as well as snow removal, and asphalt and concrete services. We are your source for complete landscape and facility maintenance for commercial and residential properties throughout Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. We are a self-performing landscaping company, meaning we don’t hire subcontractors, and senior management is involved with every project. Our highly trained team of professionals receives constant, ongoing education on the latest industry trends, updates, and safety measures. This ensures we can deliver outstanding customer service and results to our clients, regardless of the size of your job.