You’ve decided it’s time to refresh and redesign the landscape around your home in Minnesota. Great! Now, how do you start? This is a question that leaves many homeowners in the Twin Cities stumped. Even small-scale landscape projects can require a lot of work to produce a quality result. The bigger the project, the longer it will take, the more it will cost, and the more planning it will require.
Before you undertake a landscaping design and build project around your home, there are some things you should consider and some questions you should answer for yourself. Here are some good tips to ready yourself for effective landscaping design in Minnesota.
What to Consider Before Starting Work on a Landscaping Project
- Learn the Strengths & Weaknesses of Your Yard – The better you know the layout of your yard in Minnesota, the easier the landscape design process will be. Start by determining the positive qualities of your yard. Does it have nutrient-rich soil that plants thrive in? Is it nice and even, allowing for easy hardscape and water feature installation? Working around the strengths of your yard is crucial to good landscape design. Of course, you’ll also need to be aware of your yard’s flaws. If your yard is susceptible to erosion and flooding, is lacking in shade or is a common target of garden-destroying pests, these are problems you need to be aware of and prepared for as you begin the landscape design process.
- Define Your Landscaping Goals – A clear goal will always yield the best results when it comes to landscape design and build in Minnesota. You should start by considering the results you hope to achieve with your landscaping project. Do you want to make your yard a fun, open space for kids or dogs to play in? Do you want to plant larger, more beautiful gardens to create a shady spot for relaxation? Are you determined to add a major feature like an outdoor patio or a swimming pool? Figure out what you hope to achieve through landscape design and the rest will fall into place.
- Pick Big Features First – If you’ve got a big landscaping project in mind, the design process will be simplest if you start by picking the biggest feature you want to add to your yard, such as a pool or an outdoor kitchen. Then, choose other hardscapes like paver walkways, pergolas and fire pits. Finally, you can pick out your plants. Even if you just want to redesign the plants in your yard, going from biggest to smallest is beneficial. After all, it’s easier to work in extra flowers around a big maple tree than it is to plant more trees as an afterthought.
- Plan for the Long-Term – A common mistake that Minnesota homeowners make when landscaping is failing to consider the way their landscape will change over time. Plants, especially trees, may grow exponentially larger in a few years’ time. It’s essential to know the growth rates of trees, bushes and other perennials to ensure they won’t grow too big for a space or choke each other out. You should also consider the longevity of hardscapes, which will gradually deteriorate due to their constant exposure to the elements. Wood structures, like gazebos and pergolas, will deteriorate faster than stone will, so make sure you have an idea of how soon you might need to repair or replace these features.
Hire a Professional Landscape Design Company
For more extensive landscape design and build projects, trying to tackle the whole thing by yourself might prove a Herculean task. By working with an award-winning landscape design company, you can have your outdoor property transformed to look exactly the way you want it, and you won’t have to break your back in the process. Call Ground One today for professional landscape design and build services in the greater Twin Cities area!