Labors of Love: Landscaping Your New Country House Plan
The colorful image of picture perfect landscapes adds a glow to many neighborhoods. At some time, you have probably caught yourself marveling at the breathtaking escape of blossoms and bushes flourishing around your neighborhood of country house plans, yet are marveled at the knowledge and time it would take to recreate in your own yard. However, many of your resident neighbors are most likely not professionals, but rather gardeners who love to indulge in improving and transforming their ever-growing beautiful landscape.
With a little knowledge, changing or re-creating your yard can be an enjoyable and relaxing project on the way to creating a wonderful vista of your own. It can be made intuitively or be purposefully laid out in landscaping design; most people use a combination of both to get their yards just the way they would like them. Your yard is an expression of your home, so it is important to choose the perfect landscape that is stunning to you. Whether you are choosing to spruce up your yard or do a complete overhaul, there are some tasks to complete that can move you in the right landscape direction.
1. Determine the traffic patterns of your home. This includes desired access to walkways, entryways, parking and driveways, shade, play areas, and decks or patios. Begin thinking about what you need in and near those areas to complement your lifestyle.
2. Track light patterns throughout your entire lot. Where is there sunshine or shade at any given point in the day? Are there areas completely exposed to or denied the sunlight? If possible, track the light for an extended period of time so you can see how and when the patterns alter.
3. Watch for the ground’s reaction with rainwater. How long do areas stay soft and muddy? Does water pool anywhere?
4. Complete a soil test to determine the pH balance. Inexpensive kits can be purchased at local gardening or grocery stores.
5. Draw to scale a model of your yard as it currently is. Note where there are trees and hardshape such as pathways or fences. All details need to be documented including the location of the house and foundation. Then create a sketch of what you aspire to have in your yard. Will you work around elements already in place or do you intend to remove things?
The next step will be gathering your sketches and notes to bring to a nursery or other landscaping professional. Have these facts, and photos if possible, about your home will allow effective communication of what you have and what you want so the proper advice may be given.
You may determine that some plants you had in mind may not work depending upon your location. Be prepared that something you had in mind may not work for your area, so flexibility is key. A plant used for the landscape of country house plans in Illinois may not be suitable for Florida style home plans.
It is important to choose plants and flowers that you like for your landscaping project. Explore the neighborhoods and other country house plans around you to find gardens that appeal to you. Plant life takes on many forms, textures and scents, so it is valuable to ask questions pertaining to names, care and recommendations. Many gardeners are thrilled to give advice on creating the picture perfect landscape.
• Annuals– These plants complete their lifecycle in one year and are wonderful plantings to fill gaps and smaller spaces as you need. They allow for flexible design as each year you can try something new. It is a good idea to save the labels from the planting containers. Throw out the ones for plants you did not care for, and save the ones you would like to buy again. This will ensure you remember the exact names when it is time to plant again.
• Perennials– Unlike annuals, these return year after year. It is best to find ones that comply beautifully with your climate and lot conditions to ensure healthy blooms over and over.
• Bulbs– Standard in most every garden, spring flowering bulbs are planted in the fall while summer blooms are planted in the spring. Bulbs are wonderful to plant so gardens evolve seamlessly with the seasons.
It is also good to seek out prominent horizontal and vertical plants, such as trees and shrubs, to begin defining your landscape. Smaller flowers and ground covers can fill in the gaps and other space. Container gardening is an option, but plotted plants do require more maintenance. When consulting, be up front about the time you intend to put into plant care so you can ensure the longevity of your design.
Designing your landscape is a creative and fun task, full of limitless options and transformations depending on the time, commitment and budget you have. A few favorite ideas include:
• Changing levels– You can use terraces, fences, walls and hedges, and even walkways to change levels by defining areas or highlighting focal features. This hardscape also ties the garden design back to the home, creating unity within your lot.
• Structure does not imply perfection! If you prefer informal gardens with over-hanging plants and unexpected colors do not hesitate to include them. Pulling out something you no longer like and replacing it is not a terrible thing; leaving plants that you dislike is a common landscaping mistake.
• White stands out and commonly draws the eye. Try natural colors for hardscape so the focus remains on the plants and design.
• Remember to use elements of light, texture, contrast, and scale to prevent monotony among your plant life. Color and shape are also important, but relying on them solely for your design could lead to unintentional uniformity.
• There are numerous quarried and composite stones to use for edging and paving in your landscape. Some are better for specific climates and designs, but do not be timid about mixing and matching these to draw the eye or indicate elevation changes.
Once you have chosen what you want and where you would like to place it, all that’s left is the labor. For large plants or extensive hardscaping, it is best to seek a professional to ensure the work gets done in a timely manner. However, planting smaller blossoms and ground coverings can be quite enjoyable and are considered by many homeowners to be a labor of love. You may even choose to sneak a few vegetable plants in appropriate places.
Once all is said and done, you can sit back, relax and read a book from your porch swing while gazing into your picture perfect landscape. Do remember to keep up the necessary watering and maintenance to ensure no issues arise. But most importantly, enjoy the wonderland your created for your country house plan.
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