5 beginner tips for landscape design
So you feel confident enough to start your landscape design, even though you have zero experience in the field? That is great because every beautiful project needs a starting point. One of the things you will immediately encounter is the overwhelming possibilities that landscaping provides. Be that as it may, there are a few principles you can follow for a great outcome.
All of the following are landscape ideas for beginners:
- Create a list of your requirements – ask yourself some important questions before you start anything. What do you want to grow there? Are children going to use the space? Are you planning some family gatherings on the patio? You will do some rough sketches that take all of this into consideration. You can then start getting into more detail. Getting the ideas out first will help you imagine the place, what you want it to look like and what features it will have. Once that is done, and everyone agrees, you can go on ahead and get the formal planning going, preferably by a professional landscaper.
- Mind the wind and sun patterns – these are two very important factors, as they affect the usage of the space. For instance, as far as the sun is concerned, a patio located on the west side of the house will get excessive sun in the afternoon. The wind whistling around the corner can make your fireplace nearly unusable. These are all too common mistakes with landscape design, which many people make. Your design needs to take into account the times of the day your place sees the most sun and be developed to integrate it to the best of your convenience.
- Don’t start off big – there are many shows on TV that reveal a complete garden makeover from A to Z in just a few days. These, however, paint a very unrealistic picture of grand projects being completed smoothly and with ease. This is never the case for beginners. The best landscape designs are developed through slow progress. Get a small flowerbed going first and see how things will develop from there. Remember, if this is your first landscaping project, it is best to advance it slowly and steadily.
- Create a focal point – one of the best features of any landscape design is the focal point. There may be more than one of these. Whether a sculpture, a fountain a tree, or just about anything fitting, it should capture the attention and set the tone.
- Scale and pacing – you can never afford to ignore scale and pacing if you want the place to have a pulled-together look. Look for different colours, sizes and shapes and combine them all into a finished whole. Some elements you will want to repeat, while others you will implement to make an area stand out.
As far as landscaping ideas for beginners go, you should be patient, and it will eventually come together.