To begin a landscape project you must first look at what is already in place.  Throughout the next cycle of the seasons, for example, look at the trees and what type of shade they provide, and if they produce any fruit.  Look at flowers and how and when they are blooming.  Consider  your view and if you want to enhance or hide it.  Observe what type and how much sunlight you have.  Think about what your yard looks like in the winter time.  After a year of observing, you might be surprised at the attributes you already have at your fingertips.  This may seem like a long time, but you don’t want to make the mistake of destroying something that could be resourceful.

    As well as the positive attributes that your yard will contain, you also need to consider the negative attributes.  Lack of privacy may be a main concern.  There may not be enough light, and you might want to work to increase it.  Wind may be another problem that needs reducing.  Good landscaping can help solve a lot of  the problem area in your yard.

    Next, consider your families needs and hobbies.  Your yard should add serenity and comfort to your everyday living environment.  This can accommodate all members of the family from grandparents who enjoy easy access to entrances to children who like to dig around in a sandbox. There shouldn’t be anything added to your landscape that doesn’t have a specific purpose in mind.  And no matter how much you plan, those needs and desires will change as the families wants and hobbies change.  Consider all possibilities and your plan will be one that can evolve as your family evolves.

    Getting started requires keen observation of the good and bad points of other yards.  Take notice of the details like colors, textures, flowers, and foliage.  Look at the charming details that are evoked by a winding path or a quaint little gait.  Browsing through magazines, books, and Internet sites can allow you to search for your landscaping desires indoors.  Pay attention to the details in the pictures of what you like and don’t like.

     A lot of your planning will be in your head, but you will need to write down all of your ideas and dreams as they come to you.  In time, even though muddled, your plans will take the shape of a beautiful yard.

    Soil provides the key to plant health and a garden's spirit.  Soil type reflects the effects of your garden along with how much time you spend there.  The ideal soil can offer hospitable surroundings for plants in a blend of air, water, and nutrients.  However, the ideal loam, a humus-rich balance of silt, sand, and clay baffle most gardeners.  Those how are fortunate enough to have good soil must contribute to it’s improvement regularly because soil changes naturally with time and weather.

    One way to keep your soil in top condition is to feed it.  Every season and every time you plant, use organic matter, such as compost, rotted manure, and chopped leaves.  This will contribute to a great landscape.  To prevent damages, don't dig when soil is too wet or too dry.  Work soil when a fistful of it crumbles easily.  Don’t walk on your beds. Stepping on soil compacts it, preventing air, water, and nutrients from reaching plants.  Avoid overtilling. Excessive rototilling or digging can destroy the  soil's structure, leaving it powdery or rock hard.

    In order to determine budgets for landscaping residential projects, there are two general rules to follow.  First, is to allow 10 to 15% of the current value for the general landscaping needs of a project. The needs should include a small entrance walk and patio, soil preparation, planting of shade and ornamental trees, shrubs, flowers, and ground covers, mulches for plant beds, sodding or seeding of lawn areas, and a basic irrigation system.

     The second method for establishing a landscape budget is to determine the total square footage of the property or site from a plot plan, Deduct the footprint or ground floor area of the house and the hard surfaces areas such as the existing drives, walks, and patios. Then you can then determine the total area available for landscaping. Next, apply a range of $2.50 to $5.00 per square foot, depending on the intricacy of your project, to determine the budget range for a landscape project for the total site.

     Basic principles of design can help you design your landscape to your desires and wants.  Color, line, form, and texture can contribute to your landscaping needs.

    Colors can be designed by using basic principles of a color wheel.  There are three basic color schemes. The first scheme is monochromatic.  Monochromatic is a color scheme that consists of different tints and shades of one color, and is not accomplished in its pure form in a landscape design.  One example of an incomplete monochromatic color  scheme would include white and pink flowers with a background of a dark pink and red brick house.  The second is an analogous color scheme.  This color scheme combine colors which are adjacent or side-by-side on the color wheel. An example of an analogous color scheme  could be     achieved by varying the foliage color from green to blue-green or by using pyracantha with orange-red berries against a red brick house.  The third type of color scheme, the complementary color scheme combines colors directly across the color wheel. An example of a complementary color scheme may be accomplished by using plants with green foliage against a red brick house.  It is possible to have varying color schemes in one area of the landscape as the seasons change. White and pink azaleas flowers can yield a monochromatic color scheme with a red brick house. The green azalea foliage would produce a complementary color for the red brick during the summer. Pyracantha berries would be an analogous color to the red brick in the fall. Color changes throughout the year should be considered when developing your plan.

    Line depends upon the purpose of the design and existing patterns. In the overall landscape, line is understood by bed arrangement and the way these beds fit or flow together.  It is also created vertically by changes in plant height and the height of tree and shrub canopies. Line can be created by branching habits of plants, arranging the leaves, and by the sequence of plant materials.  This can take place in a small area such as an entrance or privacy garden.  Straight lines can be forceful, structural and stable and direct the observer's eye to a point faster than curved lines. Curved or free-flowing lines are sometimes described as smooth, graceful or gentle and create a relaxing and natural feeling.

    Form is related also to the size of an object or area. It can be discussed in terms of individual plant growth habits, or as the planting arrangement in a landscape.  Plant forms may include upright, oval, columnar, spreading, broad spreading, or weeping.  Form is fundamentally the shape and structure of a plant or mass of plants. Structures can also be considered to  have form and should be carefully thought about when designing the area around them.

    Texture is the surface quality of an object than can be seen or felt. Surfaces in the landscape include buildings, walks, patios, groundcovers and plants. The texture of plants differ as the relationships between the leaves, twigs and branches differ. Coarse, medium, fine, smooth, rough, glossy, or dull could be used to describe texture.

    By including these basic design principles, you can achieve the landscape that you are working towards.

     Keeping your yard beautiful requires some types of maintenance techniques.  They are mowing, irrigation, weed control, and insect control.  One important factor of mowing is the height of the cut. A higher height of cut gives a better safety margin.  The grass is hardier, more drought resistant, less disease susceptible, requires less water and remains green longer than at a lower height of cut.  Irrigation is the next important maintenance technique. A lawn that requires irrigation will exhibit various symptoms such as footprints remaining when walking across the lawn, the turf has reached the wilting point and should be irrigated. A slight change in color to dark blue-green and grass blades folding inwards can also be observed when water is required.  A thick vigorous lawn is the best prevention against weed invasion. A dense stand of turf can compete successfully with weed seedlings for light and nutrients.  You can tell if your lawn is infested with pest if the lawn remains brown or show signs of thinning out despite watering. Inspection of the leaves, stems, roots, thatch, and soil will help to determine if the problem is insect-related.