One of our favorite things about living in the South are the mild winters which allow families to enjoy using their backyards well into December. However, our most common requests are from folks who want to transform their empty backyard into a fun, functional space, but are not sure how. Most backyards in the South have an amazing potential to become delightful outdoor living areas with the help of a good landscaping company. By starting with a professional landscape design you can easily transform an unused backyard into an inviting place that will accommodate a quiet fireside chat, a dinner party under the trees or a soak in the hot tub. Experienced landscape design companies have the training and experience to perfectly incorporate several hardscape areas such as an outdoor kitchen, a stone fireplace, flower beds, water features or even a swimming pool with lush pool landscaping.
Survey the Area
Obtaining a survey is the first step to creating a good landscape design. Size and placement of all critical details and features are marked, including the building itself, the position of doors and windows, drains, and changes of level. After the survey the designer takes measurements of the yard. This is important. It enables the designer to draw the garden to scale, which allows the quantities of plants and hardscape materials to be accurately planned. Accuracy here is extremely important. A scaled drawing simply represents the yard at a smaller size. For example, a scale of 1 to 100 will produce a drawing in which the yard is one hundred times smaller than the actual plot, but in exact proportion to it. Another reason for preparing a scaled drawing is that very often, particularly with an unusually shaped yard, the true shape looks very different on paper from what you may think it looks like. Creating this miniature version of your backyard allows your designer to effectively plan your new outdoor living space without mistakes. Soil type, the slope of the yard and any existing plants should be noted along with the sunny and shady areas. Other factors your designer will consider are how you will be using the space, the long term growth potential of plants and any drainage issues.
Determine Your Landscape Design Budget
It is important for you to determine a realistic budget for your project in the beginning. Most people tend to underestimate the costs associated in creating a landscape design, but it helps to realize the skill needed and the hours of time involved. Building and furnishing an outdoor living area is not much different from inside the home and there are hundreds of critical decisions to be made as well as dealing with dealing with HOA’s, pulling permits, legal boundaries and government inspections. Although a professional landscape design typically costs $100 an hour to create, it will save you time and money in the long run by expediting the process and avoiding costly mistakes.
Home & Landscape Harmony
Lastly, a seasoned landscape design professional should know that the most beautiful backyards are designed to take their surroundings into account, embracing amazing views, making the most of the forgotten areas, and cleverly concealing anything unattractive. With careful attention, your designer can identify the specific advantages and limitations of your yard, which in turn will suggest the basis of a wonderful design. One important factor that is often overlooked is the relationship between the inside of the home and its outside space. Does it flow smoothly out from French doors or does the yard sit in a low spot adjoining a basement? Its particular situation will almost always determine the direction of design of the backyard in terms of hardscape materials, colors used and plants.
If you’re looking for a reputable landscape design company, Coogan’s Design-Build can provide you with an intelligent design for your new outdoor space and has the experience to help with even the most challenging of yards for a beautiful end result. Contact us today. We make landscape design easy!
