How to Plan Your Landscape

Year One

• 1

  Draw a 1/8-scale diagram of your entire property on grid paper. Include the existing trees, buildings, sidewalks and walkways.

• 2

  Make a checklist of items you would like your landscape to include, such as a meditation garden, outdoor kitchen or privacy hedges. Discuss the outdoor space with your family to learn what needs they would like the landscape to fulfill.

• 3

  Study your site. Notice where the sunniest and shadiest spots are. Familiarize yourself with the drainage patterns in your yard and how the land slopes. Test your soil to understand what problems you may face when growing certain plants. Consider pruning, watering and other maintenance needs of the plants you choose.

• 4

  Lay a piece of tracing paper over your original diagram. Draw a new plan that includes your family's wish list. Draft a realistic plan that works for your yard, using the information gathered from studying your site. Expect your ideas to change several times before your plan is firm.

• 5

  Develop a three-year plan for completing your landscape project. Start the first year with major clean-up projects, such as removing overgrown hedges or diseased trees, and correcting drainage problems. Complete large construction projects -- building a fence, repaving the driveway, installing sprinkler systems and constructing a backyard patio -- during the first year. Create and follow a regular landscape maintenance schedule.

• 6

  Plant trees, shrubs and other foundational plantings during the second year. Finish up any major cleanup or construction projects.

• 7

  Complete plantings during the third year. Add specialized gardens and finish the details necessary for a finished landscape.