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Do You Have A Problem?

© Georgene Bramlage

Enjoyable home landscapes start with plans and strategies. A landscape plan is among the most important tools a homeowner can have. According to the Associated Landscape Contractors of America (ALCA), a well-defined landscape can add up to fifteen percent to the selling price of a home and many times, this allows owners to recoup 100 to 200 percent of their investment (ALCA). Along with increasing overall property values, a well thought out plan put into practice makes it easier to enjoy property for relaxation and recreation as well as for gardening.

On the other hand, a home landscape plan is more than choosing which shrubs to plant along the house front and where to put the swimming pool or children's swing set. A well thought out plan helps avoid beginning impulse projects like decks and walkways that sooner or later fail to accomplish what's expected. A plan also checks spontaneous plant purchases that lead to furnishing outdoor living spaces in a haphazard fashion. An organized approach to home landscaping results in an outcome that is one of safety, comfort and harmony. (ELA, Feng Shui and Gardening, National Garden Foundation Wildlife Habitat)

A plan, once down on paper, isn't necessarily done once and for all. Most of us need plans that are flexible and can change as our families and lifestyles change. The soccer pitch or ice rink of today can become the rose garden of tomorrow; the area that holds a sand box today can be replaced by a grape arbor in five years time.

Do you need a landscape professional to produce a workable plan? Landscape contractors(ALCA), designers, Association of Professional Landscape Designers (APLD), and architects, American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA)can each play different roles in helping create ideal landscapes. They can also make it easy to solve specific problems and set priorities. (ALCA, APLD, ASLA)

On the other hand, depending upon funds, available time and interest, there is much an individual homeowner can do. At the bare minimum, beginning a paper plan will help and even compel you to become acquainted with your property and see possibilities instead of consternation. You will begin to see your property differently and have a handle on dealing with it to achieve what you would like.

Making a landscape plan isn't complicated. All it takes is a little time, a notebook or graph paper, pencils and a tape measure. The directions listed below, along with the questions, suggestions and examples to come in the following weeks, will lay the groundwork for forming a useable and well-defined plan for your outdoor living spaces.