If you’re thinking about a home landscaping project, you may want to take the do-it-yourself route. While working with a landscaping professional is advisable for major projects, it’s possible to do much of a landscape redesign yourself if you have the necessary knowledge and skills.

You can teach yourself how to landscape, provided you have patience and an open mind. As with any home improvement project, careful planning, a reasonable budget and some creativity will help make your landscape design a success.

Landscape Design: First Steps

Before you begin on a major landscaping project, you’ll want to take the following steps:

1. Develop a plot plan: A plot plan (or base plan) is a scale model of your property drawn on a piece of paper. A plot plan shows the boundaries of your site and its physical features. Creating a plot plan before your begin work helps you understand the space you have to work with.
2. Complete a site analysis: A site analysis looks at factors that affect your landscape design. These include soil conditions, existing plants, the position of buildings and the location of utilities.
3. Develop a budget: Remember to include both upfront expenses and long-term maintenance costs in your budget.
4. Generate ideas: Use images from design magazines or websites for inspiration. Think about a theme for your landscape, and consider design elements such as color, line and scale as you generate ideas for your landscape design project.
5. Create a sketch: Using your plot plan as a guide, sketch out some ideas for your landscape design. Consider what plants and other elements you want to include (such as patios or retaining walls). Once you’re satisfied with your sketch, you can create a master plan that you’ll use as a guide when you create your landscape.

Other Things to Consider

As you develop your landscape design, you’ll also want to think about the following:

• Existing elements: In general, your garden should complement the site’s existing features, such as your house. A large English-style garden, for example, may not fit well with a more modern home.
• Functionality: What needs does must your outdoor space fulfill? Will it be used primarily as a children’s play area, or for entertaining? Do you want to add elements such as a vegetable garden? Landscapes and their function may also need to evolve over time.
• Maintenance: Some landscapes need little maintenance, while others require more attention. Before choosing a landscape design, you should consider how much time and money you are willing to invest in your landscape.
• Traffic: How will people move around in your landscape? Consider the placement of driveways, walkways and entrances. Remember to allow easy access to utility and maintenance areas.
• Users: Who will be using the space? Remember to include family members, visitors and pets in your calculations. Think about how the space is currently used, and how changes to the landscape might affect that use.