Landscape Design Plans Important Tips Before You Plant
Question: How important is a landscape design plan for our new home? We’ve found our “Dream Property” and plan on building a house. We’ve spend a lot of money already getting our home plans drawn up and approved, but spending more money on a landscape plan before even starting the house seems like a waste of money. Can you offer any tips? Allison Franklin, NC
By the way… Do you know what reveals your house and landscape, enhances the setting, extends the hours of enjoyment, provides safety and more? Answer Here!
Answer: Building a new house is a big undertaking; I know I’ve done it! But a landscape design plan is more than a bunch of lines. The landscape plan turns a blank area into a planned, organized part of nature.
It’s important to remember that a landscape never starts off with a clean sheet of paper or a blank slate. Just like your house plan takes into account the contour of the land and landscape plan does the same thing in its design.
High and low spots, driveways, curbing, utility cables, existing trees, slopes and many other land components need to be factored into the project and find their way onto the landscape plans design.
The plan may lay out every element – from irrigation, drainage, plant selection and outdoor landscape lighting but it is the contractors who really determine the much of the long-term success of a landscape. How? The design plans help them prepare the grounds and prep the site, irrigation professionals can install watering systems to efficiently water the landscape and the plan provides safety information for those working on the job.
Landscaping and Safety
On any building site many potential dangers can lurk below the ground. The task of digging a ditch or hole for a tree can uncover gas, cable, electrical lines and cables.
A plan lets the property owner and local contractors know where potential problems are located and where various utility conduits exist before starting any phase of a landscape project. Get in touch with the local utility company and have them “tag” all potential hazards hiding under the soil. You’ll save a world of headaches.
Drainage – Telling Water Where to Go
For a landscape to begin to reach its full potential it must be able to drain properly. Plants cannot sit in a wet area on a continuous basis. The time to handle drainage problem on a site is before the plant material goes in. A landscape plan will show where changes need to be made to the property, like grading, bringing in fill or soil, terracing or building retaining walls. Many time scontractors may need to bring in some heavy equipment of a bobcat to “improve” the drainage of a site or backyard especially if a pool is in the future plans.
Irrigation Items to Consider
To make a good irrigation system you need a good design. Part of the design takes into account:
One Size Irrigation System Does Not Fit All
Each landscape project is different and requires an irrigation system designed for the needs of the landscape. Here’s a irrigation checklist.
Traditional rotary sprinklers work well for large areas where grass is the main plant being grown, but in an effort to conserve water spray slakes and drip tubing that are both low-volume may be a better solution.
Automation makes irrigation systems a breeze to operate and can turn off and on with rain sensors and soil moisture sensors. This “automation” can help ensure the right amount of water being applied with adjustments for seasonal weather changes and help conserve water.
Rain sensors can monitor the amount of rainfall and if enough rain has “watered the landscape” naturally the sensor can override the irrigation timer. Check with you local city or county, as sensors are often required in the landscape code.
Soil moisture sensors are more sophisticated and link to the irrigation system “controlling” the system by running irrigation as soil moisture levels call for water. Moisture sensors are a great tool when monitoring the irrigation needs of a landscape when the task is difficult or impractical.
Keep this target in mind when determining the success of any irrigation system. The goal should be to apply adequate water to the landscape uniformly with a minimum of overspray on driveways, roads, parking area, and any other nontarget areas efficiently and with little waste.
Overall a landscape design plan is a must for any landscape project.
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