Most people know basic gardening practices, such as watering their plants and mowing the lawn. Still, if you want an outdoor space that reflects your personality and doubles as a functional area for your family, you need to understand landscaping techniques.
While gardening is more about maintenance, landscaping involves design, planning and a combination of hardscaping and softscaping techniques.
Before we look at the need to knows about landscaping, let’s take a moment to evaluate the benefits it offers.
The Benefits of Landscaping
Here are some of the benefits of landscaping.
It Benefits the Environment
Few people know that adding a few trees to their garden can positively impact the environment. One tree will remove 26 pounds of carbon monoxide each year, and plants also create higher oxygen levels.
It Adds Value to Your Home
One essential consideration for homebuyers is the garden. Many will put in a higher offer if your outdoor space is well-groomed, with functional areas. An attractive garden also gives the impression that the rest of your property is well maintained, so buyers will be less likely to notice minor structural issues.
It Creates a Better Lifestyle
The right garden design can improve your quality of life, and minor elements such as a BBQ and firepit means that families and friends can have a social area to share food. Instead of sitting in your home all the time, you can enjoy al fresco dining.
Landscaping 101: To DIY or not to DIY?
One of the most significant factors to consider when designing a new garden is whether you should go it alone or use a professional landscaping company. While there are many advantages to the DIY approach, it can also cost time and money – especially if you’re not an experienced gardener.
Basics of Landscape Gardening
As with many things, landscaping has some basic principles that you need to know. Focusing on colour, texture, form, and line means you can create a foundation for your outdoor space.
Colour
Colours are central to setting the mood in your garden, and it’s a known fact that colour psychology is important for design. For example, blue tones promote tranquillity, while green is ideal for gardens because it embodies nature.
Warm tones such as orange create a welcoming feel – but they’re also great for injecting exciting colours into your outdoor area.
The best thing with gardening is you can use plants to design a stunning colour scheme, such as red roses, sunflowers and coloured planters.
Texture
Texture refers to both softscaping and hardscaping practices. In its purest form, adding texture to your garden means choosing between a range of trees, plants and pathways.
For example, a water feature could have a cobbled look, while your pathway might be smooth. Using texture to define different areas can improve the theme of your garden and provide it with some much-needed variety.
Form
When it comes to form, there are two things to remember; round shapes are contemporary, and squares are traditional. So if you want a fluid outdoor space that will reflect your personality, focus on rounded ponds and planters.
Traditional gardens look great with square shapes because they add symmetry to your backyard and create a functional look.
Line
Lines are so crucial in garden design – especially when it comes to creating a visually appealing space. The best thing about lines is how they develop and enhance focal points.
For example, you use a water feature to capture the eye or use pathways to move from one area of the garden to another.
The DIY Approach vs Professional Landscaping
People with small budgets often try to do their landscape gardening because it gives them more money to play with. But if you have no DIY experience, then you could end up spending more money on your garden.
Cost
One thing to consider is how much money you’ll spend on materials. If you’re working on a DIY project, the likelihood is you’ll have to visit your local garden centre – but landscaping companies often have access to better deals because they buy in bulk.
Vision
We all know how we want things to be, but that doesn’t mean they always turn out that way. How many times have you gone to the hairdresser with a photo in hand and ended up with a haircut that looks nothing like you’d planned?
Landscapers are specialists in design. Therefore they can take your vision and look at how to make it a reality. Knowing what’s possible could save you a lot of time and money, which is why many people prefer to make use of landscape designers.
Results
Hardscaping and softscaping work take time and effort. It’s also an intricate job, and while many people believe gardening is easy, things can go wrong very quickly. If you do want to go the DIY route, you should think about your skills and experience.
Using the services of a professional landscaping company means you’ll get the results you want because the designers will draw up personalised garden plans before they get to work.
Things to Consider
So, now you know the basic principles of landscape design, you can evaluate whether the DIY or professional approach suits your needs more. It’s important to think about landscaping as an investment because the right design can improve your lifestyle and increase the value of your property.
Here are some factors you need to consider:
Budget: How much are you willing to spend on your garden design? Professional landscapers are more of an upfront cost, but DIY could lead to you spending more money in the long run.
Experience: Are you experienced in DIY techniques? Do you understand gardening principles?
Vision: What type of design do you want to create for your outdoor space? While some people want a basic design, others will need professional support to incorporate structures and exotic plants.
Remember, landscape design is a worthy investment, so don’t approach your gardening lightly. It could change your lifestyle and increase the value of your property, so if you’re not sure about the DIY route, then a professional company is the best option.
