Landscaping - How To Do It Yourself

by Stella

Landscaping is a way to make your grounds attractive or more aesthetic in terms of many factors. These include the use of colors, the choice of plants, arrangement or alignment of the different objects, the consistency of the elements and the overall impact that the design will create.

You may not be satisfied with how your garden looks right now and you know that you can still improve on its appeal. It is important to look at each of the elements of good landscape design: color, line, form, texture and scale.

Improve your garden or yard's landscape by doing the following important steps:

Step 1 - Evaluate your garden or yard.

Look at your garden and rate it according to the different elements of a good landscape design. It is better if you have a checklist and note down the areas that you have to improve in terms of color, arrangement, theme and alignment of all the things that you see.

Step 2 - Sort and remove.

Identify which among the plants, accessories and other objects should be retained or removed. Check the pots if they are consistent in terms of size, color and shape or style. Check on the plants and see which ones do not belong to the group. Examine which would require trimming or replacement. Also, check on the grass and make sure that you will have a well-trimmed and enough green to surround the area.

Step 3 - Decide on the theme and be consistent.

You have to decide on what theme you would like to emphasize in your garden. You can have an Asian, traditional, water, earth or fire as choices. Anything that is not aligned with the theme should not have a place in your new landscape design .

Step 4 - Use your creativity and artistry to arrange all the plants, rocks and other accessories.

Color creates the initial impact as one sees your garden. The choice of plants, flowers, pots and accessories can enhance the element of color. All the colors found in your garden should complement. If there are contrasts, use them for emphasis of some special plants or highly sensitive ones. Orchids can also add great colors but they have to be placed in one corner as one of your garden or yard's accent.

The design and style should be considered and you have to decide the theme that you want. You can use choices of earth, water or fire theme. Water theme follows that you should have one or two fountain where the soothing sound and sight can make your garden relaxing. The size should also correspond to the size of your garden. You cannot just put a big fountain in a small garden. This inconsistency does not create the balance that should be visible.

Landscaping is not difficult if you have an eye to details and you are artistically-inclined. It is like arranging and designing your home interior. The only difference is the setting and your knowledge about plants. Generally, the principles are the same. Apply them in landscaping and you will achieve an impressive result.