Landscaping 101

Lesson 1: Why Landscaping is Important

Introduction to Home Landscaping. This lesson helps you to see the value of landscaping and helps you get started. There are some very basic things to do before you even begin your actual planning process, and this lesson will get you going in the right direction. This lesson will also list some basic landscaping terms you are likely to run across as you delve into your landsaping project.

The Value of Landscaping

To some people, landscaping means planting a maple tree for shade and putting three small shrubs in front of their house to cover the foundation. But successful landscaping is much more than planting that occasional tree or shrub in your yard. A successful landscape takes planning, some study, and a basic knowledge of design.

Why is quality landscaping important? A study done by Clemson University concluded that homes with good or excellent landscaping had a 14 to 17 percent higher sale value than those houses with landscaping considered poor or average. According to Money Magazine, landscaping is one of the home improvements that has a 100 to 200 percent recovery rate. Compare that to kitchen remodeling, which has a recovery rate of 75 to 100 percent, and a bathroom remodeling job that has a recovery rate of 75 to 100 percent, and it is obvious that landscaping can be considered a true investment in your home.

The American Public Power Association estimates that landscaping can reduce air conditioning costs by 50% when trees are used to shade the walls and windows of a home. And the Environmental Protection Agency has studies that indicate trees can reduce bothersome noise by up to 50%. In addition, landscaping can extend your living space by creating outdoor rooms, provide places for entertaining, areas for gardens, places to play or relax, and areas that attract wildlife.

So where do you begin? It is imperative that you start your landscape by planning. Planning serves several functions. It will help you determine if you need to hire additional help, contractors, electricians, etc. or if you can do all the work yourself. By knowing in advance the plants and hardscaping materials you need, you can buy in bulk or shop around and get the “best” bang for your buck. And by planning you can subdivide the entire landscaping projects into pieces, steps or phases so you get a sense of progress as each part is finished.

Before work begins, look around your yard and see if any of the following needs to be done:

One: Haul away trash, debris, and unwanted structures. Get any junk out of the way before it blends into the landscape.

Two: Prune overgrown bushes, trees and vines.

Three: Pull weeds and remove any dead or dying plants.

Four: Proceed with any major projects such as grading and earth moving that require the use of heavy equipment. Big machines can do a tremendous amount of damage. Therefore, this work should be done before doing any plantings that can be crushed because of heavy equipment.

Five: Stabilize bare or disturbed soil before it turns to mud or dust. If necessary use a cover crop that can later be replaced with permanent plantings or structures.

Six: Check with your city, county, soil and water district or other governmental agencies to know what your local codes and ordinances are.

Seven: Have your utilities thoroughly marked. Most states have a “One Call” phone number. Look for it in your phone book.

Eight: If you are going to be using a contractor for part or all of the work, start early getting recommendations from friends or business acquaintances. Most contractors are booked several months in advance.

Nine: Always remember to start your final landscaping at the back or least accessible area in your yard and work forward so you never cross your finished work.

Throughout the lessons there will be several pdf files that you can download and keep for reference. To download these files you will need a copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is a free program. To get this program go to Adobe and follow the instructions for downloading Adobe Acrobat Reader.

You may want to download the following files and keep them handy as you go through the upcoming lessons:
Photos 1
Photos 2
Photos 3
These are a combination of various photos showing different design concepts and will start you thinking about ideas you can incorporate into your landscape.

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