Mossy Oaks Nursery Blog

Your home landscaping can be picture perfect, picture in your mind that your backyard is a blank canvas with many possibilities. It can be a big job, but if you follow these six simple steps you can manage the work load in small chunks. This can help you reach your perfect yard sooner and with less effort and expense.

1. Start by taking a survey of all areas you want to landscape. Take measurements of these areas, and make detailed notes of any abnormalities in the terrain that might need consideration. Determine your soil type, draw a diagram of your lawn area.

2. Research the growing conditions and weather patterns in your area. How much rainfall do you receive on average and how many hours of sunlight will your plants get. Be specific on the growing season, and temperature ranges in your area. Temperature will be a big factor that will influence the decisions you make about your landscape and garden.

3. Write down what your vision for the final product will be. Use this data to guide your landscape design. You’ll need a list of what types of flowers, plants, shrubs, trees, and hedges grow best in your area, and as importantly keep in mind what won’t work. If you live in an arid climate, you might decide to create an attractive rock garden. If you live in a temperate zone that gets plenty of rainfall, you have more choices of what you can do. Visit a garden nursery if you need ideas or expert guidance.

4. Create a long-term plan, especially if you are going to plant young trees in your landscpe. It will take a couple years, at minimum, for any large plants to mature. Your results will be in stages, so you should figure out a plan for protecting plants that will mature faster from pests and excess sunlight until they can be protected by shade.

5. Work your plan in stages to help keep the labor manageable. It will also help you budget the costs of your projects by breaking them into small chunks rather than investing a lot of money all at once. You will do a better, more careful job, ensuring that the end project will be that much better.

6. You will probably make mistakes and find that somethings just don’t work as planned, or you will change your mind about one part of the project as you get into it. This is the best part of your yard. It can be a continuous work in progress.