Landscape Renovation: Piece by Piece

Landscape renovation piece by piece spreads the cost of installation over time.

Consider a plan for the entire property before deciding how and where to begin, otherwise, connections to other parts of the property may end up seeming cobbled together or fragmented.

Two ways to approach this type of landscape renovation are to renovate each area separately or renovate each stage separately.

1. Renovating Separate Areas

Sometimes only a specific area needs to be renovated. With or without an existing …

Residential Landscapes: Opportunities and Constraints for Design

Opportunities and constraints or pros and cons in residential landscapes are identified in the analysis phase of landscape design following a complete inventory  of all elements on the property.

Identify all elements on the property and note them on the landscape or plot plan. Decide what elements should be kept or enhanced and what should be changed or removed. Also, get a sense of how the site “feels”. For instance, the site might feel exposed due to a lack of …

Residential Landscape Design: Keeping a Garden Journal

Keeping a garden journal during the  landscape design process is an excellent way of keeping track of valuable information that will guide future changes and plant choices.

As you progress through the inventory and analysis phase of design, documenting characteristics of the landscape that might influence plant survival can be noted in the journal.

  • Observe soil drainage in the landscape
  • Identify areas in the landscape that are getting too little or too much water (ponding)
  • Pay attention to plants that