How do I landscape my yard?

Question

I want to add flowers and leafy plants.

Answer 1

Hi

There are plenty of things that can be done with a small yard to help it look nice, while not encroaching too much on usable space. The key is to plan well, and to choose plants and designs that are not too over powering. But, even though you may not be able to have large boulders or a sweeping flower garden, or a large pond, it is still possible to have a beautiful landscape that surrounds your home and helps you feel more comfortable in it.

One of the things to remember when you have a small space is that you can build up rather than building out. You can do this by building raised beds for your plants. This can be done yourself, allowing you to save money. In fact, if you have a small yard, your landscaping costs should be fewer anyway. Building a raised bed allows you to create an attractive feature for your small yard without having to worry about taking up too much space. Some beds, if built on planks of wood, can be designed with wheels. Then you can move your landscape wherever you want; you have a moveable landscape!

Another method of maximizing small landscape space is to use containers for planting. Instead of marking out large sections of your yard for flowerbeds or vegetable patches, do a little container gardening. These types of gardens allow you to choose to plant various items in containers. Plants in containers take up less space, and you can move them around as you need to. This also creates a moveable landscape that can be very convenient depending upon your use of the space for a certain day. The containers can be placed for ornamental effect while you are entertaining, or they can be moved out of the way for a rousing game of family flag-football.

Take into account the colors in your landscape. Cool colors (like blue) actually make a space look larger. Therefore, if you would like your yard to feel and look larger, choose the colors that make it look that way. Plants like silver king and evergreens can give your yard a feeling of largeness. Blue spruce and Alberta pine are good examples of plants that add a decorative tough while helping your property look bigger. In fact, Alberta pines are rather small trees, so they do not take up very much space while at the same time conferring a feeling of maximum space.

Another idea for small landscape spaces is a small rock garden. A well-designed rock garden always makes an attractive feature. Make sure that it is in a place that will not be in the way when you mow the lawn. A little nook or corner of the property, or even up against the house on a raised bed, will do for a small rock garden. Choose your rocks carefully to complement each other, and choose plants that go with the rocks and that will not spread too much. Hens and chicks are great plants for use in a small rock garden. The rock garden draws the eye, but does not need to be sprawling.

Finally, if you want a water feature, it is possible to use a small one for limited landscape space. Small features similar to serenity fountains can be purchased for outdoor use. You can put them among your rock garden. Even a small birdbath can add a feeling of elegance to the yard. And the great thing about buying a small water feature is that it costs much, much less than putting in a big pond or even a medium size waterfall. Water features come in a variety of types and designs, and it very likely that you can find one to fit the size and the look of your yard.

Even if your yard is small, it is possible to design a landscape that enlarges the space in an attractive manner. By carefully considering your design, using small features and cool colors, and by thinking about what would help give your yard a touch of elegance, you can have a very nicely landscaped and cozy surrounding for your home.

Hope that helps?

Take care

Paul

Answer 2

Most of your better lawn & garden centers have a landscaper on staff. If you want a really detailed plan they will do it for a fee. But they will also do a 10 minute pencil schetch after you tell them some of your preferences and it's usually free from most. Call around and ask. They are the one's who know what grows best in your area. Good Luck

Answer 3

Look at gardening/landscaping magazines and you will get ideas of what you like and want. Nurseries can help if you buy plants from them. I'm sure there are sites on the internet if you just start looking. Good Luck!

Answer 4

Hi. I used Better Homes & Gardens' garden plans when I started my flower beds. They have many plans to choose from and each plan comes with a diagram and list of plants. I hope you find it as useful as I did:

http://www.bhg.com/bhg/category.jhtml?categoryid=/templatedata/bhg/category/data/c_323.xml

Happy Gardening!