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By Ivy Pressman, VisionScape

Did you know that your backyard could tell a story? That it could set a mood or immerse you in a feeling? Did you know that your property could become a functional living environment, where you play and work, relax and celebrate?

In an age where our sedentary lifestyles are creating major quality of life problems, it’s important to use the space that you have to really live life to the fullest. Having an outdoor environment that you use like any other part of your home is good for your health, good for your spirit, and it allows you to make the most of the space you own.

It’s for Everyone

Making the most of this space can require careful planning, and probably a substantial investment. But enjoying a well-designed outdoor living space is by no means the exclusive providence of the extraordinarily well-to-do. There are several significant reasons why more and more people are investing in well-designed landscapes:

• Thanks to our culture’s love of design and customization, a ton of resources are emerging geared towards helping us find inexpensive design solutions.
• Many homeowners with families recognize the importance of having a healthy, safe living environment for themselves and their children.
• Investing in landscaping is one of the best ways to increase the value of your property. A well-designed landscape pays off hugely when selling your home.

But why is design so important? You put in a few juniper bushes and a bird bath and you’re done, right?

Wrong!

The Value of Planning Ahead

A haphazard approach too often results in homeowners throwing away their investment on a poorly conceived design plan, or beginning construction with no plan at all. We would never spend money and time on building a house without knowing anything about it, because if we did, we’d have a lot of leaky roofs and drafty bedrooms.

It’s for this same reason that homeowners should never go about overhauling their landscape without having a design plan. Many environmental features that we cannot anticipate come into play to determine the practicality of a project. For example:

• Are soil or erosion problems going to make certain plants impossible to grow, or wash away the foundations of hardscape features?
• Will slopes or weather conditions affect the placing of a water feature?
• How will sun and shade patterns affect everything from plants to entertainment areas? (Hint: enormously!)
• What design will best enhance your relationship to neighboring properties? High fences and running water to block out noise? Or a row of shared rose bushes and a granite path to connect friends?

Some of these are easy to figure out on your own, others are invisible to the untrained eye and also, at times, to the soaring imagination. But the key to creating an outdoor living space that’s functional, aesthetically appealing, and sustainable is to work with what you have and make the most of it.

Living Creatively Outdoors

Once you have determined what your landscape needs, you can begin to design exactly what you want. Regardless of the geographic area you live in, or what kind of space you have to work with, you should be able to create a design that makes outdoor living a fun, year-round part of your lifestyle.

Many landscape designers and crafty DIYers like to begin by thinking about functionality. What exactly are you going to use your outdoor environment for? Will you want play areas for kids? Open space by the tool shed for big projects? Or maybe relaxing glades to doze in while a waterfall murmurs in the background?

Often homeowners want it all, which is why it’s becoming popular to divide landscape into living areas. Maybe you start with an outdoor kitchen by the porch where you can grill and entertain. Beyond the stonework fireplace, you watch as the kids have a blast in the pool rec area. To the right along the west side of the house is your space, where you can relax in the dappled sun under a pergola dripping with grape vines.

Today, featureless green lawns are something you only see in reruns of old TV shows. Landscape design makes the most of large spaces by developing them into “rooms” that actually get used. Small properties can, in fact, be made to look and feel bigger thanks to this design technique.

Defining Your Style

On the other hand, you may want to begin your landscape design by considering aesthetic appeal. Design elements such as color and form play a major role in defining what the overall look of your outdoor environment will be. This can have a major effect on the value of your property.

Color can be used to define spaces in a property and create lines of sight, patterns, and even feelings. A front yard of cool greens and blues can give a stylish but relaxing face to your home, while a backyard of sunny oranges and yellows will bring warmth and cheer to your space on even the gloomiest day.

Alternately, color can be used to unify the different areas of your environment into a cohesive whole. This can also be done with form and texture, creating subtle effects that emphasize a personal style or mood that you would like to convey throughout your property. For example, using a variety of wild grasses would evoke a rustic, laid-back mood, while a series of zen garden elements would convey a hip, minimalist style.

It’s also important to remember that you don’t just want your yard to look beautiful at the height of summer. Any property can look stunning year round as long as the right design principles are in play. If your yard is covered in snow all winter, then turn it into a wonderland of bright berries, green firs, and maybe even a skating rink flanked by a rustic red brick fire pit.

Once you begin to research and uncover the strengths of your property and your climate, it’s easy to find ways to draw the best of each season out of your landscape. Your design should include layers that reveal themselves as the planet revolves around the sun.

Getting Professional Help

Flowing with the changing seasons isn’t the only way in which landscape design is a many layered thing. When deciding what to do with your property, it is helpful to consider the elements of hardscape, softscape, water features, lighting, irrigation, and even sound as unique layers that require individual attention.

Sounds complicated, huh?

Many homeowners choose to get help from professionals like landscape designers and gardening experts as they work to create the perfect design for their property. Taking time to make a plan with the help of experts can save you thousands of dollars, and ensure that you get exactly what you want out of your investment.

Too often, homeowners make the mistake of leaving their landscape design in the hands of contractors. Problems of miscommunication and misunderstandings can lead to you paying thousands of dollars to fix mistakes (like a raised flowerbed where a sunken path should be!).

If you have a well-laid out design plan to show contractors before they start to work, or even bid on your project, you can make sure that you will get exactly what you want. A detailed plan can also allow you to complete your project over time in cost-effective phases.

The end result of this careful process is an outdoor environment that not only meets all your needs, but tells a story about who you are. Visitors to your property will immediately be greeted by a powerful sense of style and tone. And the story told by your carefully designed property will speak of the health, wealth, and happiness of you and your loved ones. A landscape overhaul can change your life in the best possible ways.

Just remember that taking the time to plan carefully starts with a design.

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