Diary of a New Landscape
A successful landscape design starts with a good conversation and a lot of dreams. But how to put it all together?
In July of 2017, I received a huge desires list from Allyssa who lives in Colorado, a challenging climate and a big piece of property! It can be overwhelming if you don’t know where to start and your list of wants is big. But if you start sketching before you start dreaming, you limit the possibilities. Sketching out the details happens at the very end.
With a some good photos of her existing yard and Allyssa’s big list, we came up with a game plan that she and her husband were able to do themselves.
Here’s How We Put It All Together
While measurements are important, they are not critical until you actually have some dreams. By giving me a variety of photos from different angles, I could see what she could see. The shape of the yard, existing plants, trees and shrubs are
only for reference.
I like to know what the view is from each room of the house because this is where you most often look at your yard and garden. From the back of the house, what do you want to see when you look out there? Do you want it to feel enclosed, or do you want to see a vista? Is attracting wildlife important? What about veggies and fruit? I don’t think of each of these things as separate elements. Instead they are a part of the whole unit. A part of the whole ambiance we’ll try to create.
From the front yard too, you want to see what your neighbors will see. Enhancing the entry is important, but remember you will see it too. What rooms face the front? Will you spend time in them looking outside? What sounds can you hear and what sounds will you want to hear?
Often the sound of a small water fountain or pond will give you a whole different feel about your front garden. What about a courtyard? A front yard doesn’t have to be just a ‘decorator item’, but a place where you can really live.
Don’t forget the sides of your house too. Rather than using these as storage areas, they can create fascinating entries into your garden. You can have specialty plants in these areas too since the house provides a protective element.
Barbecue areas don’t have to be right next to the patio either. They can become their own specialty element. How would you feel being able to grill and cook further out in your garden, enveloped by nature itself? A small wall to block the wind for the barbecue can lend itself as a design element as part of your vegetable garden!
Have I got your mind wandering and creating? Terrific!
Now that you’ve seen Allyssa’s ‘before’ pictures, think of what you would do with similar areas of your garden. My next blog will give you ‘the rest of the story’ and how we were able to incorporate some lovely changes.
Better health from plants and in sync with nature,
Tova Roseman
Earth Diva
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