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Do it yourself landscape design
- Where to begin
There’s an old saying that states
something like - “Getting Started Is
Half Finished”. And so many times I
find this to be true as I see do it
yourself landscapers struggle to find
their initial design idea. However, once
they establish a framework of necessary
design elements, it usually goes pretty
smooth from there.
It’s not surprising that the most
common landscape design question that I
get is - “where do I begin?” or
“how do I start my design?”. I
know it can be difficult. And especially
if you don’t have a vision for your
design.
So where do you begin? How do you start
your landscape or garden design?
While every design is different and every
designer follows a set of rules and
principles, I find that most do it
yourselfers all have the greatest success
from using the same starting point. Begin
by laying down any paths, driveways,
access routes, or walk areas that might
be needed. And also create access to any
areas that you may plan on creating. In
many designs, this will help to establish
a framework that you can simply design
around.
Of course, this won’t be applicable
in all designs as many don’t require
any access or travel. So take and use
this advice where and if you can.
Paths and walkways can accomplish many
functions in your landscape or garden.
Their main function, of course, is to
create a designated space for people to
walk on.
However, in design and as an aid to
design, their function could be to guide
your visitors to, through, or away from
some other area in the garden. Also,
they're a great way to break up a vast
expanse of lawn, meadow, or bed area.
First, let's look at walkways, paths, and
such as necessary elements.
Walkways are needed to guide visitors or
yourself to and from another area.
Observe that almost every home has a
walkway leading to the front door, which
is, of course, where most folks want to
invite guests to come. So walks, whether
refined (brick, flagstone, etc.) or
primitive (gravel, mulch, etc.), are
necessary to "guide" or
"lead" visitors to, through, or
away from an area.
So where are the necessary areas where
you need other walkways or access? Maybe
from the back door to the alley where you
dump the trash. Or from the house to the
pool area. Or from the pool area to the
kids play area or the outdoor cooking
area. You get the picture.
In a design sense.
Establishing walk, drive, and access
areas will in turn help to create borders
and boundaries. Once you have your
walkways laid out, you can simply design
a lot of the landscaping around them. The
same goes with driveways and parking
areas as well. You can plant beds on
either or both sides of a walk or use a
walkway as an edge to create borders.
Keep it interesting if you can.
If you were to, for instance, plan to
place a sitting area at the back of the
garden. Of course you would need some
type of path for you and your guests to
get there. However, instead of plotting a
straight path, why not create a winding
tour through other interesting areas of
the garden on the way there?
Curves and winding paths do more than
just create interest. They can also
create an illusion of more space,
distance, and travel. This is especially
useful in creating small gardens and
landscapes.
Once you lay down walkways, driveways,
and access areas, you'll have a good
starting framework for the rest of the
design. Now, simply design around them.
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