Lesson 4: As the Design Starts Coming Together

This lesson will present just a few basic rules to keep in the back of your mind while you start designing your landscape. After that, you're ready to start drawing your landscape! Before spending the time to do your "formal" drawing, experiment with bubble diagrams and concept plans.

Basic Rules to Keep in the Back of Your Mind

Basic Rules to Help You in Your Landscape Planning

1. Consider the use of the skyline or background trees for a setting for the home and also to add depth to the landscape.
2. To ease your maintenance burdens, use lower growing shrubs under windows. Low growing shrubs that are allowed to reach their maturity naturally will look better and save time as very little, if any, pruning will be needed.
3. Between windows feel free to use taller shrubs. Don’t make the mistake of using the unimaginative foundation plantings that have been used for years – upright shrubs at the corners of the house and spreaders beneath the windows. This creates a rigid and mundane appearance.
4. Foundation plantings were common when houses sat on ugly blocks. Don’t feel like you have to overpower the house with foundation plantings. On the other hand, don’t leave the foundation so exposed that the house looks barren.
5. Plant larger, taller plants or small trees just beyond and slightly to the front from the corners to make the house appear larger and soften the vertical lines of the house.
6. There are usually three strategic areas of the house that need shade: the southeast, southwest and northwest corners. Plant trees at least one-third of their ultimate spread away from the foundation.
7. Avoid tall plantings in the parkway or toward the intersection of corner lots. Local ordinances may prohibit tall plantings in setback areas. However, smaller shrubs or bushy perennials may be desirable to add depth.
8. Keep in mind that some plants are very demanding with food and water requirements. Other plants can be “neglected” yet continue to thrive. If you are inexperienced start with easy to grow varieties, shrubs such as spireas, dogwoods, viburnums, and perennials such as hostas, coneflowers and daylilies.
9. Plan to screen unsightly objects, such as garbage cans, clotheslines, dog kennels and power poles. Hedges, fences, trellises, and vines are excellent ways to hide undesirable features.
10. Think about the best ways to get the results you want. Large trees and shrubs can give immediate results; however, are more expensive than their smaller counterparts. Smaller trees and shrubs are less expensive and will grow quickly once established.
11. Remember to look from the inside of the house out, as well as looking at things from outside. There will be many times you will be in the house looking out and want an appealing landscape to view.
12. Deciduous trees do a good job of cooling your house in the summer and admitting sunlight in the winter.
13. Orient the shade to the setting sun in your local area. In other words, since the sun reaches its farthest north location during the warmest months, shade trees on the northwest corner should be so located as to give shade in a particular area (a patio for example) at the time of day when shade will be most needed.
14. And always remember, that home landscaping is never finished. Plants grow and change; some plants wither and die (sometimes for no reason!) and your functional needs may change. Your original design should be a blueprint to build on.

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