Creative Home Landscape Plan E Book

8/2/2019 Creative Home Landscape Plan E Book

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Heres Your FREE e-Book on Increasingthe Value of your Home By At Least

$50,000

Creative HomeLandscape

PlansA Step-By-Step Guide toMaking Your Surroundings Unique,

Conserve Energy, and,

Increase Your Homes Resale Value

Roxanne Kim-Perezhttp://www.forget-me-notlandscapedesign.com/


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Introduction

What Is Landscaping All About?

A Landscape is simply an outdoor environment; it can be designed by

nature or by people. In simple words, its to improve the appearanceof your home or property by planting trees, shrubs, or grass, oraltering the contours of the ground and much more to beautify theappearance.

Landscaping is a creative art of living sculpture, works of art thatchange with the seasons and grows with the years. It aims atpurposefully changing the natural features that exist out-of-doors,with the intention of making the environment more beautiful andfunctional.

By adding a deck, patio, walkway or garden, you are increasing the

useable space and "personal value" of your home. Exteriorimprovements ought to tie in to your interior in such a way that it's aseamless transition from inside to outside and vice versa.

The ROI on Your Landscaping

Landscaping not only enhances the beauty and appearance of yourhome but it also increases the monetary value. Spending littlemoney on landscaping can increase the value of your home by15% to 20%.

It can earn you back 150% or more on your landscape budget. It isone of the most cost-effective tools for improving and maintainingthe quality of life, whether in the city, the suburbs, or the country.

Roxanne Kim-Perez is a professional Landscape Designer based in SanDiego. Her creative yet practical design style has helped manyclients live their dream in and around their home with comfort andstyle and at the same time improve the value of their home. ContactRoxanne Kim-Perez for all your landscape design needs.


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Table of Contents

Heres Your FREE e-Book on Increasing the Value of yourHome By At Least $50,000 .......................................... 1A Step-By-Step Guide to Making Your Surroundings Unique,Conserve Energy, and, Increase Your Homes Resale Value ... 1Roxanne Kim-Perez .................................................... 1Introduction ............................................................. 2

What Is Landscaping All About? ..................................... 2The ROI on Your Landscaping ........................................ 2

Table of Contents ...................................................... 3

Chapter 1 - Keys to Good Landscaping ............................. 6

Where to Begin? ........................................................ 6Important Steps When Planning a Landscape ..................... 7

Step 1 Understanding your Needs and Wants ................ 7Step 2 Understanding the Floor Plan .......................... 7Step 3 Understanding the Scope of Your Budget ............ 7

Landscape Overview .................................................. 8Knowing What You Have .......................................... 8Knowing your Neighborhood Style ............................... 8

Chapter 2 - Landscape Style ....................................... 10

Landscape Style and You ........................................... 10Understanding Design ............................................... 11

Chapter 3 - Landscape Design Elements ......................... 12The Design Process .................................................. 12

Garden Survey ..................................................... 12Survey Evaluation ................................................. 12


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Design Synthesis ................................................... 13The Four Elements of Design ...................................... 13

Color ................................................................ 13Texture ............................................................. 13Line ................................................................. 13Form ................................................................ 14

Basic Design Principles .............................................. 14Chapter 4 - Growing In Style ....................................... 16

Three Different Styles of Garden ................................. 16Formal Style Garden .............................................. 16Informal Style Garden ............................................ 16

Chapter 5 - Living and Non-Living Landscape Material ....... 18Selecting Right Plants for Your Garden .......................... 18Landscape Floors ..................................................... 19

Lawns ............................................................... 19Ground Covers ..................................................... 19Stones ............................................................... 20Wood ................................................................ 20Bricks ............................................................... 20Concrete............................................................ 20

Landscape Ceiling .................................................... 20Trees ................................................................ 21Fiberglass and Plastic ............................................ 21

How Much Time Will You Devote to Maintenance? ............ 21Chapter 6 Conserving Water ..................................... 22

Xeriscape or Water Wise Gardening .............................. 22Seven Useful Water Conservation Tips .......................... 22


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1. Select Native Plants for Native Climate ................ 222. Limit Lawn Size ............................................ 223. Rethink Irrigation/Sprinklers ............................. 224. Consistent Mulching ....................................... 235. Efficient Landscape Design Layout ...................... 236. Soil Management ........................................... 237. Stay on Top of Weeds ..................................... 23

Chapter 7 - Make Your Surrounding Unique and IncreaseYour Home Value ..................................................... 24

Elements That Increase and Improve Home Values ........... 24Chapter 8 Landscape Improvement Checklist ................ 26

Ways to Enhance Your Landscape: ............................... 26Plan for Practicality ................................................. 26

Chapter 9 10 Tips for Reducing Landscape Maintenance ... 27Chapter 10 Nine Critical Things to Look for in aProfessional Landscape Designer .................................. 28


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Chapter 1 - Keys to Good Landscaping

Every homeowner dreams and wishes to have a landscape that bringsthem joy and beauty to their home as well as to serve theirlandscaping needs. A good landscape has provides all these features.

A successful landscape is the result of the sensitive balancing ofmany elements. Before creating landscape work you must be sure ofwhat you want and what you need so that when the landscape isready it can be according to your requirements.

Thoughtful planning can yield a practical and an enjoyable outdoorliving space where you can be very close to nature, relax, forget allyour worries and play with your kids.

Where to Begin?

One of the major concerns while doing landscaping is deciding the

starting point. Its a big hurdle to decide where to begin.

The key to a good landscape is to divide the entire task into sectionsand then starting with one section at a time.

This will make your work easier and give confidence.

The vital thing to a successful landscape is design, distinguished frommere fancy decoration. Having a good design will give you what youwant and will be functional whereas to decorate is to put things intothe environment without a purpose in mind.

For example, if you dont have kids its not worth putting a slide or

swing in your lawn; instead, you can put a beautiful patio. A welldesigned landscape is one that has been properly thought throughfrom start to finish.


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Important Steps When Planning a Landscape

Step 1 Understanding your Needs and Wants

Successful landscape planning involves some importantconsiderations. Landscape is similar to your home. In your home youpay special attention about the flooring, the walls and the ceiling.

In the same way treat your ground as your floor, your ceiling will beyour sky and your house boundaries are your walls. A goodlandscaping depends on how well you understand your needs andyour wants.

Step 2 Understanding the Floor Plan

Next step is to study the floor plan. Consider the location of yourentrance door and then your window locations and then figuring outadequate spacing in your front yard or back yard, primary livingareas of your house to establish a relationship between living and

service areas in the house and similar areas out of doors in yourgarden.

Step 3 Understanding the Scope of Your Budget

Lastly, final landscape plan will depend upon how much money youwant to spend on the entire landscaping project.

Keeping in mind whether you have kids or not, location of yourhome, your family's interests and activities they like, amount of timeyou will be giving to maintain your landscape, and what type ofneighborhood you have.

Once all of the above steps are considered and put in writing then asuccessful landscape plan can be developed and implemented to getthe desired results.


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Landscape Overview

Some of the basic concepts of landscaping should be consideredbefore developing a landscape plan. A proper understanding of theseprinciples will help to develop a functional Landscape.

Knowing What You Have

A good Landscaping plan can fail if its not meant for your home. Itmay fail to take advantage of the unique qualities of your home andits surroundings. Avoid using generic cookie cutter plan that servesmany locations or places. One must be aware about the climate, soilcondition, location, etc. to get a good Landscape.

Try to take advantage of what you have. If you live in a condominiumand have very little space for landscaping, consider this as yourpositive point and try to get best out of it.

In a condominium, you cant plant huge big trees; instead, you may

want to grow small plants or might want to create a beautifulcontainer garden.

A container garden is a simple concept of growing plants in pots orurns in addition to other objects, offering you a variety of enjoyableand creative ways to maintain and experiment with your garden.

Most outdoor environment falls somewhere in between the twoextremes. Its very hard to find a house with perfection. Sometimesyou have problem of limited space or too big space. Whatever casemay be you can always create a beautiful landscape with what youhave.

Knowing your Neighborhood Style

Before designing your landscape plan make sure to take into accountthe landscaping styles adopted in your neighborhood. The flowersyou grow, the trees you plant will be seen from afar as they grow.

What you do within your yard boundaries makes an impressionelsewhere. The attention you pay to the streetscape will definitelyhave an impact on the atmosphere of your own place. The moreinterest you take in the environment around your home, the moreyou will, in effect, own it.


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Appreciating What You Have

You will appreciate and enjoy nature more if you are alert to itsneeds, and if you work to satisfy them in the design of the garden.

Landscape designing is not only the art of making changes thatcomplement existing architectural and natural surroundings. It also

involves appreciating and using the unique qualities of the area. Thegenius is that special quality characteristic of natural setting,unchanged by human hands. This demonstrates attentiveness to andfeeling for what is natural.

Try to preserve all of the best natural resources of the site, such astrees, brooks or streams, good soil, rock outcroppings, and turf.Carefully study good as well as bad views. Screen out unattractiveand objectionable views either by structures or by proper plantings.

For more information visit us at http://www.forget-me-notlandscapedesign.com/index.html.


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Chapter 2 - Landscape Style

The style that you choose for your garden landscape may reflectmodern concepts, traditional concepts or it may be highly individual.Whatever the style, it will almost certainly give you moresatisfaction if you begin now and consider carefully what landscape

style meets your personality.

A Landscape with a consistent design style has a special kind ofintegrity and coherence. A Landscape designed with a specific stylehas a look, whereas landscapes without a coherent style often areconfusing to visualize.

It is not simply a collection of unrelated ideas, but it is a unifiedwhole with parts that work together to achieve an overall effect. Anawareness of your gardens natural and man-made surroundings isvery vital to the development of a coherent landscape style.

You must always remember that landscape style is a reflection ofones nature, personality and individuality. Also it is very importantfor you to consider the difference between fashion and style.Fashion changes with the time but style remains more or lessconstant. A garden that suits one place or person may not be worthfor other people or place.

Landscape Style and You

You must choose or develop a style that best suits you and yourfamily. It speaks about your personality, your taste, etc. Beforedeveloping your personal style, you must first determine your needs

for landscaping.

The landscape design and style, landscape functions, and its featuresand their arrangements will all depend on your landscaping needs.

Your needs could be to create privacy, beautify the property, attractwildlife, reduce your electricity bills etc., or an important need isjust to create a low maintenance landscape, your garden might havemany structures, few plantings with the resulting style that is spare,clean, and simple.


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You must always remember that when creating a style that it shouldplease you first before pleasing others.

Understanding Design

Your design choice will always depend upon your site. For example,the style of your home may influence the type of design youd like to

have. A house with natural wood siding will have wood-chip pathsand rail fencing. If you have a brick house, the landscape mightinclude brick paths.

There are two general types of garden design styles, one formal andanother informal.

Formal style gardens have classical symmetry. Flower beds, pools,and other features are generally rectangular or sometimes roundwith straight walks. They are simple and less fussy garden styles.

While informal style gardens include curved, free form flower beds

that sweep along the lands features. Lawns, terraces, walkways areirregularly shaped yet they jell well together.


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Chapter 3 - Landscape Design Elements

A successful landscape requires the use of basic design principles. Byapplying this principles you will be able to create the look andfeeling you want for your landscape.

The trees, shrubs, flowers, plants are noticeable features of anylandscape. Other obvious features are the physical confines of thesite, such as the fences and the houses and the outdoor living areassuch as decks, patios, walkways, etc.

The degree to which each element is considered in creating thegarden plan will determine how effective and successful the finallandscape will be.

Designing a landscape is not simply an ordered process of workingwith a known set of elements. As with any project, the whole of asuccessful landscape more than equals the sum of its parts. Amemorable landscape makes an impression on the viewer on manydifferent levels, some of which are quite subtle.

The Design Process

The process of design is a creative, thoughtful process involving newways and ideas of beautifying and modifying the existing landscape.

It involves..

Garden Survey

Surveying includes all the relevant information about your garden

i.e. type of soil, climate, topography, existing plants, etc. This isvery important and requires a lot of homework from your side beforeyou can enjoy the final fruits.

Survey Evaluation

It is evaluating the results of the survey to decide what is mostimportant to change and what can be retained. It is a constantprocess till the final landscape is ready.


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Design Synthesis

Assessing the information collected will help to get ideas about thegarden. By examining the features of the landscape and thepriorities for changing it, you can begin to create a design. This isthe process which helps to get better landscaping ideas.

The Four Elements of Design

Basically, there are four elements of design namely color, texture,line and form. When all this four elements are used in proper way itcan give your garden an impressive look.

Color

Color is the first element easy to identify, but at the same timechallenging to use correctly. Carefully placed color directs yourguests right to your front door.

Flower beds are obvious sources of color, but trees, shrubs, vines are

bloomers as well. Color evokes an emotional response. Bright colorsgive a garden a cheerful look.

Texture

Texture is a subtle yet an important element of good design. Ifselected rightly it can give professional look to your landscape.

Texture is not just something you touch and what you feel but itsalso something you see. Coarsely textured plants have big leaves,large flowers, while finely textured plants have tiny leaves, smallflowers. Leaf texture matters in landscape design because flowering

time is usually brief.Line

Lining has a major impact on landscape design. The horizontaloutlines of patios, walkways, and bed lines carve fluid shapes andcreate spaces. They separate planting areas from lawns.


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Vertical lines are also important. If everything is of the same heightit will make the landscape look dull and flat. The goal is to frameand balance open spaces with vertical lines.

Form

It defines the physical presence of a plant and the space it takes in

your yard. Knowing the form of the plants is very vital before youplant them. Regular forms are symmetrical, compact or oval.Irregular forms are uneven, resist pruning, loose, spreading, andairy.

Basic Design Principles

Now its time to apply the elements of design in your garden. Everygood garden design owes its effectiveness to certain basic designprinciples. These rules apply to all levels of gardens, from a simplegarden to more larger and complicated garden.

In a well-designed garden no one factor, plants or structure, isdominating. Instead, every individual feature work together toestablish a sense of harmony.

1. Repetition: Repeating an element like color, shape, certainplants, textures throughout a garden adds unity and harmonyto a design. For e.g. repeating red color at regular intervalsin a flower bed leads the eye through the design and createsa feeling of wholeness and unity.

2. Balance: Balanced design gives the viewer a feeling ofpeacefulness. Balance doesnt mean symmetry; it is whenelements on two sides of a central point are similar in size

they are called balanced. Symmetrical balance is a hallmarkof formal gardens and for informal gardens its asymmetricalbalance. No one element or feature should overpower all ofthe others.

3. Simple: The design should be very simple from beingcluttered and unfocused. Simplicity enhances the designstyle.


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4. Proportion: Various garden features like plants, beds, andflower are in proportion when their scale is in goodrelationship to their surroundings. Scale refers to the balancebetween sizes of various elements, which includes the house,walkways, paths, fences, garden beds and plantings. No one

element or feature should overpower all of the others. Forexample, a huge shed would be out of proportion in a smallyard.


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Chapter 4 - Growing In Style

The exterior of your home is also very important as your interior andshould fit your personal style.

The appearance of your home, its architectural style is very vital.

The way you arrange the plants to create a setting is the essence ofstyle. Understanding this will make it easier for you to create alandscape in style thats right for you.

Three Different Styles of Garden

Formal Style Garden

A formal garden style is characterized by even number of windowssymmetrically placed, formal columns, and balanced wings.Formality is achieved by arranging the plants, and other outdoorfeatures along an invisible line, known as an axis.

Plants are set in rows or in recognizable patterns like a circle or asquare which lends a formal style to a landscape. Formal landscapingshows the designers hand in nature. Your choice of plant materialalso affects formality.

Informal Style Garden

This style represents natural arrangement of elements. They areasymmetrical i.e. their components dont match up like a mirror.

Instead of dividing the landscape with an axis, arrange planting bedsin broad, sweeping curves. This will soften the hard lines of any

house and make it seem nestled into the landscape. Plants withnatural and irregular forms are informal.


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Combined or Blended Style Garden

This type of a style is a combination of formal as well as informalstyle and should be done carefully. As long as you dont have formalfeatures competing with the informal ones, you can combine stylessuccessfully.

Combining styles can also add contrast. A landscape full of curvingbed lines without a central axis is informal, but to this you canalways add formal effect.


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Chapter 5 - Living and Non-LivingLandscape Material

Landscapes are made from various living and non living materials.Selecting colors, textures, plants, and materials is very vital and at

the same time an opportunity to express your creativity, ideas, andviews.

Most people are familiar with the characteristics of constructionmaterials like wood, stone, concrete, brick, and other substancesand one can confidently select one or another based on appearance,suitability, and cost. But because of the diversity of available plants,some people feel less confident and comfortable about choosing theones needed to complete their landscape project.

A good landscape designer can be of incredible help here.

It is very important to get yourself familiar with the plants that grow

in your area to create a successful and functional landscape. To getthe most out of your garden you create, you need to research thetype of plants you would like to plant in your garden.

Some elements may already exist in a landscape. Try to adjust theminto new landscape design. If you have recently moved into apreviously owned home, there must be some elements available foruse in the landscape which may not be readily apparent. In suchcases dont make hasty decisions to change these elements. Inalmost every case, size or established nature of the plants makesthem a valued addition to the landscape.

Selecting Right Plants for Your Garden

Choosing right types of plants which are well adapted to your sitei.e. soil, climate, rainfall, and topography is very essential forbalanced and healthier growth of any garden.

If the plant is appropriate or not will depend on how well it fits yourrequirements and complements the landscape as a whole, and if itwill be able to grow to maturity in the location where it is placed.


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Native plant selection is also something that you should consider.These plants are already adapted to your area and chances arethey're already growing "right in your own back yard". This couldamount to a substantial savings not only in plant purchases but innatural resources as well.

Proper plant selection is one the most important "secrets" in

successful landscaping. Plants and colors are the flavors that bringlife to your garden.

The goal in choosing plants for a landscape is to create a willinggarden, one that welcomes and nurtures the plants within it.Selecting the right plants are much less easy to recognize simplybecause they blend easily well into the natural setting of yourlandscape.

Landscape Floors

The color, texture, and pattern of a good garden floor covering

should blend with other features of landscape. Materials can beselected for their ease of maintenance but at the same time itshould be pleasing to the eye.

For decorating the floor various living and non living choices areavailable. Proper selection is must to reduce maintenance cost,time, and labor.

Lawns

This is one of the most popular and favorite ground coverings. Theyare often used to stimulate a meadow surrounded by flowers, treesand other plants. In areas where there are few meadows because of

water shortage in summer they become an inappropriate choice. Butthey help in oxygen conversion, filtering of air particulates, preventssoil erosion, and place for kids to play.

Ground Covers

These popular flooring plants include cotoneaster and wild lilac,which when used as ground covering or carpeting gives a less tailoredlook than lawns.


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Stones

This comes under the category of non living material for groundcover. By using stones as landscape flooring, its color and texturewill give a completely new look to the landscape. It also works wellaround trees and large shrubs, as air and water circulate throughsand base.

Wood

This is another common non living material used in relation to decks.A wooden deck is generally about twice as expensive to construct asa concrete surface.

Bricks

Bricks may be used formally or in a zigzag pattern and it is the mostversatile material for ground covering. However, a house need notbe made of brick for a brick walkway or patio to look attractive. Byusing appropriate shape, color and texture bricks can give a unify

look to any garden.

Concrete

Concrete floors are the most economical of all paved surfaces.Popular ways to add proper color and texture to concrete are toinlay it with stone, intersperse it with planter beds, or make goodpatterns by combining it with bricks and wood. Today, concrete cancome in a variety of colors, and designs that look nothing like yourparents old patio. These new and modern techniques allow theconcrete's surface to be transformed into an endless array ofpossibilities.

Landscape Ceiling

Sky is the most beautiful ceiling for any landscape. Although mostoutdoor space is open to the elements, a landscape should haveplaces that are covered and protected from sun, rain and wind.


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Trees

It is one of the best natural materials available for landscape ceiling.They provide cool air, shade, fresh oxygen as well as have appealingsize, texture, etc.

Selecting the right trees is very vital and proper knowledge about

the leaf shedding time, leaf color, their mature height, spread,growth rate, fruits, pest problem, etc. all this helps to know whetherthey require some special maintenance and care. The best suitedtrees are the native ones, which can thrive in natural conditions witheasy maintenance. Other options are broadleaf evergreen trees,deciduous trees, and coniferous trees.

Fiberglass and Plastic

Mostly this material is less popular for landscaping purpose. Buttransparent fiberglass or plastic panels overhead ensures completeprivacy, softens the light, and provides beautiful view.

How Much Time Will You Devote to Maintenance?

Its an important question to ask before starting the landscapingactivity. Maintenance consideration will affect choice of style. Howmuch time will you to devote to your landscape maintenance is veryimportant on which to base your selection, arrangement and gardenstyle.

If you enjoy pruning, try a formal landscape with lots of plantsclipped into neat shapes.

To reduce maintenance hassles avoid mixing many different kinds of

plants closely together. Consider growing condition of your site whenchoosing plants for your garden.

The right type of plant and in the right place is the foremostprinciple of practical landscaping.


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Chapter 6 Conserving Water

It is a moral duty of every individual to minimize the wastage andconserve the most valuable resource Water. Due to recent droughtand water shortage conditions citizens of California and also otherparts of the globe are aware to avoid wasteful use of water.

Xeriscape or Water Wise Gardening

Xeriscaping refers to the practice of planting native plants, shrubs,and trees to reduce maintenance, water usage, and upkeep.Whereas water-wise gardening ensures that plants always receiveenough water to thrive.

Various reports have proved that over fifty percent of the waterresources in many municipalities go towards keeping landscape alive.

Due to faulty designs, lack of proper planning large amount of water

is wasted in our own gardens. This can be avoided to a large extentby applying some of the useful tips, proper use of equipments,proper designing, right selection of plants, use of proper soil, etc.

Seven Useful Water Conservation Tips

Following tips will definitely help all homeowners to conserve largeamount of water in their landscape:

1. Select Native Plants for Native ClimateWhen selecting for the plants for your yard, make sure they're used

to your native climate, or come from an area with similar demands.2. Limit Lawn SizeKeep the size of the lawn as small as possible because it is one of thebiggest offenders when it comes to wasting water.

3. Rethink Irrigation/SprinklersProper irrigation system like drip irrigation or sprinklers is must forminimizing water wastage.


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4. Consistent MulchingProper and regular mulching your flower and garden beds goes a longway towards conserving water.

5. Efficient Landscape Design LayoutGarden layout should be such that it will use water as efficiently aspossible and by creating separate water zone areas for your plants.

6. Soil ManagementProper soil management is necessary because soil not only servesanchor for plant roots, but also serves as a reservoir for water andnutrients. Amending the soil improves its texture, allowing betterwater and root penetration.

7. Stay on Top of WeedsGet rid of weeds completely because theyre stealing water fromyour plants.

Thus by utilizing smart choice of vegetation, water saving irrigationtechniques, and other water conservation measures, we can cutdown the water use in our home by up to 60%.


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Above and beyond the improvement of home value, attractivelandscaping actually reduces the apparent age of a building, furtherbolstering curb appeal and improving the potential asking price whenwishing to sell the property.

Realtors believe that mature trees have a "strong or moderateimpact" on the salability of homes. A good landscape improves home

appearance and optimizes the use of land and outdoor space.

Besides offering monetary value trees can reduce temperature by asmuch as nine degrees Fahrenheit and help to create pleasantsurroundings by the chirping sounds of the birds. When a proper treeis selected, planted and well maintained it can significantly absorbsounds waves and reduce noise pollution by 50%.

In short landscaping is a profitable investment. It can earn you back150% or even more on your landscape budget. According to a study,consumers value a landscaped home up to 10% to 12% higher than itsbase price.

Call your residential landscape designer now to find out how aprofessional can help you with your landscape design needs andprovide you with the surroundings that reflect your unique style.


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Chapter 8 Landscape ImprovementChecklist

There are many ways by which you can use plants and gardens toenhance and give new look to your landscape. Start preparing a

garden notebook once youve started thinking about your yard. Agood record will help to know what you want and how and where youwant in your yard.

Ways to Enhance Your Landscape:

Add a welcoming entrance to the house. Create a place to walk to in the yard. Beautify a lamppost or your mailbox. Make the front yard and specially the home entrance more

appealing.

Create a sitting space under tree shade. Install a small water fountain in the front yard.

Plan for Practicality

Always make sure that your finished landscape plan suits your needsand wants. Dont add a pool only because your neighbor or yourfriends have it. Add only if it is needed and useful for you.

Make use of plants, trees, shrubs that are best adapted to your area,soil, climate, only then your landscape will have the appropriatelook and will consume less time and labor for maintenance.


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Chapter 9 10 Tips for ReducingLandscape Maintenance

1. Using proper plant selections which are well adapted to yourarea is very vital for easy maintenance and healthier growth.

2. Applying mulch under trees, shrubs, and plants reducesweeding, watering and trimming.

3. Confine the lawn to small or limited areas only because lawncare will take a lot of your time, labor and money.

4. Choose plants that dont create mess by dropping seedpods,lots of leaves, and fruits.

5. Choose disease and insect resistant plants to avoid pestcontrol problems.

6. Use the right tool for right job which will make a tedious joba pleasure. Always keep right tools handy for easymaintenance.

7. Use hedges, shrub borders, and special plants that havenatural looking shapes.

8. Choose plants which do not require supplemental watering.Also install drip irrigation systems for plants which needregular watering.

9. Make a few large beds around a number of trees and shrubs,rather than dozens of little planting islands that consumes

lots of time to mow and trim around.

10.Use pavers in mortar, or plant something like ground coversbetween them to keep weeds from growing up.


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Chapter 10 Nine Critical Things to Lookfor in a Professional Landscape Designer

A designer should create a livable design plan that is within aclients budget.

The designer is flexible to a clients need, uses creativethinking and is good at problem solving.

The designers specialty and a clients desired style shouldmatch to get the most benefit.

The designer should have considerable experience in thefield.

The professional landscape designer should use knowledge tobetter educate clients.

The designer should have artistic talent and create afunctional space that reflects a clients personality.

The professional designer continues to broaden his or herknowledge and stays current with industry and landscapetrends.

The professional designer should have good interpersonalcommunication skills and be able to deal with people fromdiverse backgrounds.

A professional landscape designer primarily focuses on aclients interest first and foremost.

Roxanne Kim-Perez is a professional Landscape Designer based in SanDiego. Her creative yet practical design style has helped manyclients live their dream in and around their home with comfort andstyle and at the same time improve the value of their home. ContactRoxanne Kim-Perez for all your landscape design needs. She can bereached via email at [email protected] or via phoneat (858) 229-6035.


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Documents

Creative Home Landscape Plan E Book