The landscaping design of your home or business plays a crucial role in how others perceive you or your company. Are you clean and orderly with a well-designed yard or careless and disorganized with a chaotic landscape? 

A superior landscape design takes careful planning and preparation and meticulous implementation. If you’re overwhelmed by all the possibilities that open landscape presents, here’s a guide to help you get started.

Map Your Property

Every beautiful yard starts with a thorough plan, so start by drawing out your property. The more precise you can be regarding measurements and proportions, the better. Use graph paper to help make this process easier. 

Be sure to include hardscape items like fences, buildings, sidewalks, etc. If you have any existing trees or shrubs that you’d like to keep in your landscape, include those in the map as well.

Once you’ve drawn out where everything above ground is located, it’s essential to sketch out the location of any wells, septic systems, or utility lines. Marking these early in the process will help eliminate any trouble when it comes time to dig and can help prevent large tree roots from breaking through underground pipes down the road.

Finally, every good property landscape map should indicate where any sunny or shady spots are. This can help avoid placing plants that require total sun exposure in shaded areas and vice versa. Plants can be costly, and the last thing any homeowner wants is to lose their investment because it was planted in the wrong place.

Create a Wish List

Now that you clearly understand what you have to work with, make a list of everything you’d like to incorporate into your landscaping design. Consider the following questions, and make a note of anything additional you might want to be included:

• Do you need to add a privacy screen or block an unsightly view?
• Are you working with any water restrictions that would require drought-resistant plants? 
• How much grass do you want?
• Do you want to include landscape lighting in your design?
• What plants have you always loved or stood out in other yards or gardens?

While a wishlist is a helpful tool for understanding what you’d like to have in your landscape, not everything on your list may be practical. You might be facing constraints due to yard size, finances, ground type, or location. 

For example, having a successful vegetable garden might be challenging if your soil is very rocky. You may need to find ways to work around existing conditions using raised garden beds or other elements that you hadn’t originally planned to include in your landscape.

Consider Your Needs

A business’s landscape will have different needs than a home’s landscape, and each homeowner’s needs will differ as well. If you have young children or pets around often, your needs will probably include enough space for them to run around and play. A small yard space will need to make the most of the available area without allowing it to feel cluttered.

If your needs include a sidewalk, a secret garden getaway spot, or a retaining wall, these features should be installed before the rest of the landscaping.

Know Your Home or Business’s Style

The landscape surrounding your property is like an extension of your home or business, so the styles should complement eachother. Consider what the style is of the building you’re working with, and plan your landscaping accordingly. Here’s a brief overview of some of the most popular landscape styles:

• Formal Landscape – This style of landscaping favors symmetry and straight lines. It might include fountains and has well-pruned plants. Topiary designs are common in formal landscapes, which is part of what makes this style extremely high-maintenance. 
• Informal Landscape – If you have young children that play outside often, an informal landscape might be the right style for you. It typically includes lots of curves that create a more natural and comfortable mood. Much less pruning is involved and plants are often placed assymetrically.  
• Xeriscape Gardens – Nearly half of the United States is in a current state of drought, so it makes sense that xeriscape gardens are rising in popularity. This style of landscaping favors drought-resistant plants that require very little water to survive.  
• Natural Landscape – The natural style of landscaping immitates nature in all of it’s beauty and chaos. These yards have plenty of plants local to the area and probably include a lot of weeds, too. It’s very low maintenance and blends in with it’s surroundings. 

Contact a Landscaping Design Company

Creating a beautiful landscape for your home or business takes a lot of work, and the planning is only a small part of it. Once you have a clear idea of what you’d like to include in your landscape design, it’s time to call a professional landscaper to help make your vision come to life. 

You can discuss your plans and ideas with them and they will let you know what’s realistic and if anything needs to change. They’ll also make sure all of the digging is done safely and properly. 

A landscape professional will help ensure your sprinkler lines are installed correctly, so you don’t end up with any dry spots and dead plants. And if you’d like to add any landscape lighting, they can handle that too. Hiring an expert landscaping crew is the best way to ensure that your landscape is beautifully designed and installed with precision. 

Aeroscape Property Maintenance & Landscaping Is Here to Help

If you’re ready to create a stunning landscape for your home or business, Aerorscape Property Maintenance & Landscaping is here to help. Our landscaping experts are prepared to serve your Utah property all year long, from landscaping design and installation to sprinkler repair and everything in between. 

We provide superior property maintenance and landscaping services in Midvale, Utah, and throughout the greater Salt Lake area, including Park City, Lehi, and more. Contact us today to get started on creating the landscape of your dreams!