How to Design a House Yard

Designing a house yard can be a rewarding experience, though bringing your design to life is usually labor-intensive. It is one thing to sketch out on paper what you think will be attractive and useful. It is quite another to invest the money, time, energy and effort to get your design in the ground and on display. Maintenance and labor to make sure your creation retains its beauty are also major considerations. Follow a few common-sense guidelines to minimize costs and effort while getting the most enjoyment out of your yard.

Instructions

- 1
  Measure the space carefully. Assess the total area to be covered and the total area to be left open. Size your features appropriately. (A 40-foot oak is not the ideal design feature for a yard the size of a postage stamp.) Mix and retain correct proportions (in relation to house and yard size) throughout your design. Decide if you want a crowded, full appearance or a more sparse, open-area look.
- 2
  
  Test your soil to see which fertilizers are needed.
  
  Test your soil to know which trees and plants will work best in your yard. Avoid wasting money and effort by selecting only plantings that will not die quickly due to inappropriate soil composition. Give yourself the chance to plant successful and healthy plants.
- 3
  Sketch out your yard boundaries to get a snapshot of just what you have to work with. Stand in different areas of your yard with pad and pen in hand. Draw in a few areas to visualize what your feature will look like. Determine whether it is really a viable option for that area. Avoid high-expense, high-upkeep trees and plants. Do not buy "messy" trees. (These are trees that drop seasonal nuisances such as cones, fruit or balls for you to pick up.) Reduce, as much as possible, your required, continual clean-up efforts.
- 4
  
  Divide your yard into different "rooms."
  
  Divide your yard into different use areas. Set aside areas for sitting and reading, away from your more activity-centered spots. Design for use and enjoyment, not just for looks. Treat your yard like an outdoor extension of your indoor living area. Blend the two for seamless transitions from inside to outside. Include shoe/foot cleaning areas to keep your entrances dry and clean.
- 5
  Locate and use, as much as possible, one single source for all your yard needs. Get to know the people who work the yard and garden department. Ask for help and suggestions from store personnel when making your plant, shrub and tree choices. Generally avoid trees that have the potential to grow huge, presenting the expense and danger of large-tree management. Plant such trees (if you insist on buying them) the safe, recommended distance from your house and other yard fixtures such as storage buildings and swimming pools.
- 6
  
  Add yard features gradually.
  
  Keep your yard-designing efforts to just what you can conveniently do on your own. Remember, if you need help to install something, you will more than likely, at some point in the future, need to pay for help to keep it up. Plan and install conservatively to start with; add as your time and energy permit.

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