One of the first questions that clients tend to ask me upon an initial meeting to discuss landscaping their property is: “How much is this going to cost me?” to which I always respond “Don’t think about that now. Concentrate on what you want and need. And whatever you tell me the budget is, I promise we will not go over that amount.” This is the same piece of advice that I offer to you for the following reasons.
Developing or creating your own landscape (with or without the assistance of a professional) is simply a matter of brainstorming, prioritizing and then problem solving. The first step is to spend time thinking of what you want (i.e. a cutting garden, a cottage garden front yard) as well as what you need (i.e. an area for a basketball hoop, a place for a swing set) and letting your imagination run wild. Do you remember ever being taught that brainstorming is a process by which you let all of your ideas, from the sublime to the grandiose, come to life on a piece of paper? If you censor yourself in advance and only think in ‘logical’ terms, you may miss out on a concept that could help to make your garden a very special haven.
After you’ve brainstormed and realized what works and what doesn’t (i.e. you may have thought you wanted a barbeque pit but then your husband reminds you that you hate cooking outside in the summer because of the bugs), it would make sense to edit your ‘wish list’ and number your’ wants and needs’ in order of importance.
Finally, make a rudimentary sketch of your property and begin to sketch in the landscape elements on the sheet of paper to see how and where they would fit on your property. This sketch is strictly for you; so that you can begin to imagine the most effective way of designing your landscape. Give yourself time and patience with this stage, the stage that I call ‘problem solving’. You may end up doing a half dozen sketches before you get a sense that you are on the right track. Don’t try to do it all in one sitting. If you get frustrated with your lack of progress, leave this piece of the project alone and come back to it at some later point.
If you do what is suggested above, it will save you a tremendous amount of time and money as you work towards creating your landscape. Along with the above ideas are some tips on working on a budget:
1. Always have a master plan from which to work. If your budget doesn’t allow, do the landscaping in stages. For example, if you are building a new home and are left with only dirt after the house is completed, you may only be able to afford landscaping the front of your house and seeding the front and back yards for the first year.
2. If you are not doing the landscaping yourself, interview at least three different landscapers, garden designers etc. to be able to compare prices and perhaps to get more ideas.
3. In order to cut costs, use smaller plant material (even with evergreens) selectively (particularly when it is a fast growing specimen, i.e Leyland Cypress).
4. If you are Doing It Yourself, comparison shop. Take into consideration the quality of the plant, the size and the reputation of the store from which you are purchasing it. Do they stand by their plant material and do they offer a warrantee?
5. If you are using a garden designer, find out from where they are purchasing their plant material and ask to see some of the properties they have landscaped.
6. Make sure that you have good thick, top soil on your property so that you can grow healthy, long lasting grass. If you are digging beds, add plenty of organic matter and roto-till it in to soil as deeply as possible. It is worth the time, energy and money.
7. Don’t be disheartened when you finish landscaping your property. The first season, your yard and garden beds will most probably still feel somewhat bare and you might even think to yourself: “Will these plants ever grow?” Trust me, they will grow, more quickly than you can imagine. And believe it or not, watching them grow over the seasons can be one of the great pleasures of designing your own landscape
8. Continue to work from your master plan over the coming years; making amendments when necessary. If you keep on adding new elements to your property each season (even on a limited budget), you will be surprised at how quickly your property will evolve from a somewhat sparse space to an organic, lush, living outdoor space.
Article by: By Fran Sorin
