The Basics of Residential Landscaping

The Basics of Residential Landscaping

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residential landscape

 

Landscape design is the process of consciously arranging outdoor space for your satisfaction and enjoyment. A home that has been well planned is more aesthetically pleasing and more functional. It enhances the look of the neighborhood, increases the resale value of a property and offers pleasure to the family. With a little planning and thought, you can make provide maximum use and pleasure to your home with the right landscaping.

 

An important aspect of any residential landscaping project is good planning, which is often neglected. The features within the plan must blend and support each other in enhancing the outdoor space. A lack of planning will make the project more expensive and the end result will not be as impressive. Taking a little time to plan will save a lot of time in the long run as well as effort and money.

 

When you start the planning process, think about the space as a whole and what you want to achieve. Your ideas should not be limited to the common features, you can include other features provided they blend in with the general look of the space. Here are some steps that you should follow when creating a landscape design.

 

Develop a plot plan

 

This is the first thing you should do before anything else. Make sure you accurately draw a plot that shows the boundaries and physical features that might affect your chosen design. The plan should have all the angles and property lines showing the position of the property and other aspects like driveways and utilities. It should include all the possible limitations.

 

Conduct a site analysis

 

The next step is to conduct a site analysis which will show you the environmental features of the site. The overall design will be largely determined by the way the sun affects the house and site to be designed. This will let you know the position of the sun at different times of the day. With this information, you can, for example, determine the type of tree needed to provide shade during the different seasons.

 

Knowing the direction of the wind will help you determine where to put the windbreak. Take a walk around the space and note down the good and bad views.

 

Assess family needs

 

Knowing what the family needs means you will create a design that will be great for all your loved ones. The family will play a role because they would use the space most of the time, thus they need to love it. If you have young children then the design must factor must cater for their needs. If the family doesn’t have a lot of spare time, then your design must be low maintenance.

 

Locate areas of use

 

You will need to refer to the needs of the family in order to provide enough space for each activity. You will then divide the space into separate areas serving a specific purpose but still combined in a single design. The private, public and service areas should also be defined.

 

Design, construct and plant

 

What you should always remember is that this is your space and you have the freedom to try things you think will help improve the look of your outdoor space. Choose features and plants that will enhance the area surrounding your home.

 








OUR REFERRALS

  • Paula and Jon Whitty
    We knew that we would need a landscape designer with imagination, creativity and the ability to listen to our requirements. When you came to our house you took time listening to what we wanted and the scale of the project. This was important to us, because we were on a budget and timeline. You then offered wonderful suggestions within the scope and offered details. You have transformed our featureless front garden into a beautiful space where the plantings and lovely stone features enhance the natural contours of the yard and existing trees. Our front yard is now more welcoming and complements the look of the house. You gave us a yard that is easy to maintain and and is beautiful in every season. We are extreemly happy with the quality of the workmanship, and your professional nature, and highly recommend you to all our friends. We couldn’t be happier. Thank you!
    Paula and Jon Whitty
  • Gina and Marc Di Paolo
    In November 2012 we commissioned Teedo Beggs to landscape our property in Mount Macedon. The distinguishing qualities that determined our decision to go with Teedo (over other companies we had approached) were his knowledge of indigenous/native horticulture, his understanding of and familiarity with the gardens of Mount Macedon, and his ability to help us to articulate and visualize our own garden on what was a modern architectural structure on a sloping building site. The ‘landscape challenges’ Teedo took on were significant, beginning with a sharply sloping block, significant ‘drainage’ issues, and the presence of large forest eucalyptus trees that we wished to keep. Teedo was able to masterfully incorporate our desire to create a garden that would complement or enhance the sharp angular features of the architecture, protect existing vegetation, include and incorporate native/indigenous plantings, build dry rock retention walls, and provide us with a beautiful outdoor living space that we desperately needed. Teedo’s approach to his work impressed us from the outset because of his uncompromising high standards and attention to detail. Whilst the end results in mid-March may have reflected Teedo’s detailed landscape designs to a T, they far surpassed our own expectations and dreams. Our house on a slippery red slope of Mount Macedon had been transformed into a home with a truly beautiful and functional garden. We are exceedingly proud of what Teedo was able to realize and we highly recommend his work- without reservation.
    Gina and Marc Di Paolo
  • Kate and Dominic White
    Teedo Beggs responds to each garden space as an artist, the plants are his media and the landscape is his canvas. He introduces sculptural elements through natural and constructed materials. The result is an ever-changing work of art. How do we know this? Our family was fortunate enough to be able to commission Teedo to transform our country garden into a magical place. Using existing plant forms, such as established trees he creatively introduced new excitement into the landscape. The keyhole design of the formal front lawn added a theatrical element to the entry of the property. Visitors were drawn into a green, scented walkway off the sweeping drive through rendered pillars with the promise of more beyond. This opened out into the drama of the larger garden where the eye was greeted by a sensual vista full of wonderful perfumes, colour and graduating forms that complimented the enormous Golden Elm. A wrought iron handmade bench seat embedded in a hidden position ensured a comfortable view. Visitors were then coaxed downwards to the unfolding garden scenes around the house. Beautiful features were integrated into the many gardens created on the property. A graduated fishpond with its babbling waterways was set in a ‘Fairy Garden’. A tennis wall on the court beyond was superbly engineered and constructed to appear as a ‘crumbling ruin’ from another era. A post and rail fence of cypress enclosed a kitchen garden that featured generous raised beds of vegetables, accompanied by fruit trees and red brick pathways. This was a joy to work in and allowed us to feed our family. Teedo Beggs was not only artistic in his vision and execution of his ideas, but he was very professional, sensitive to our needs as a client and respectful in the way he conducted himself and his team throughout the project. We would highly recommend him
    Kate and Dominic White
  • Pete & Geri Walsh
    We have engaged Mr Beggs (Teedo) now for three different landscaping jobs at our residence in Woodend. All jobs have involved both design and construction. In respect of design, Teedo impressed us with his ability to listen and understand our requirements. This lead to a number of design ideas of which we were very pleased. In all cases we then engaged Teedo in the construction. We found his work to be both competitively priced and was completed on time as agreed, despite some minor modifications, at our initiation. The work was finished to a high standard and we have had no reservation in recommending him to our friends and colleagues.
    Pete & Geri Walsh
  • Bruce Cameron
    Being determined to make a garden from an overgrown bush block on the steep slopes of Mt. Macedon had/has it’s challenges. Luckily there is a community here of skilled garden loving and knowledgeable peoples. Most of them think that they are gifted and a few of them actually are. Teedo has an abundant and creative mind that can spit out real and never thought of options and can even more importantly manage these ideas and concepts through to a smooth and real outcome. His forte’ is structural garden design and then the project management/implementation of that design. He has an accurate and unusually quick eye for land/earth contours, levels and drainage. These lines evolve into structure, light and shade, harmony and reflections. Working with him has been a straightforward and professional affair. I have never given him a cheque without feeling pride, happiness and goodwill.
    Bruce Cameron

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