| Are you in the planning stages of landscape gardening | | | | landscape planning is to choose your plants. Think |
| your own property or yard? Whether you are home | | | | about the 3 types of plants you'll want.You need low |
| landscaping for the first time around a new home or | | | | growing plants for the front and beneath taller plants, |
| just redesigning the landscaping around your present | | | | medium sized plants as your main fillers, and specimen |
| home, there are certain principles you should follow. | | | | plants to act as accents and anchors to your design. |
| These basic rules on how to landscape will help you | | | | Locate them on your paper plan. |
| achieve pleasing and beautiful results every time. | | | | - Visit a garden center, plan in hand, and talk to the |
| - Start by designing your landscape on paper. Once | | | | staff. Ask for recommendations, and make notes |
| the planning is done, establish the outlines of your | | | | about their suggestions. If you are working to a |
| planting beds. Be generous with the size. Never make | | | | budget, then buy the plants you can afford, and add |
| your planting beds less than 4 feet wide at their | | | | more over the next years. Landscaping is an ongoing |
| narrowest point. As your plants grow and mature, | | | | process. |
| you will not want them to look oversized for the size | | | | - Never lay down weed barrier cloth or plastic for to |
| of the bed. Sure, they may look a bit small for the | | | | stop weed seeds that are present from germinating. |
| space as you first plant them, but consider how they | | | | They are ineffective and a waste of time. The mulch |
| will look in a few years. Use gentle curves and | | | | you'll put over them will decompose, making a nice |
| rounded beds as they are much more attractive. | | | | layer of soil for weeds to grow, completely wasting |
| - Build up your beds with at 8 to 12 inches of good | | | | your effort and money, and you will have to remove |
| topsoil. This is the most important step to begin with. | | | | it. If you do want a weed control layer to begin with, |
| Don't skimp - you can't add more topsoil later without | | | | lay down several layers of newspaper. It will rot and |
| a whole lot of trouble and extra work. And you need | | | | decompose eventually but will do the job of |
| that good layer of topsoil for your plants to grow | | | | controlling any weeds in the meantime. |
| lush and be healthy. This is especially important if | | | | - Plant your new plants so the top inch of the root |
| your soil is a clay type that doesn't drain well. If you | | | | or soil ball is above grade level. Mound around this and |
| have sandy or gravelly soil, this topsoil layer gives | | | | add 2 inches of mulch. If you are planting burlapped |
| your plants both nutrition and moisture retention. | | | | plants, just leave the burlap on as it will eventually rot |
| - Choose the topsoil carefully. Never use a clay type | | | | away. Simply loosen the burlap around the stem so it |
| soil, as it will pack down and your plants will suffer. | | | | doesn't constrict the stem growth. Water your new |
| Check the soil quality before you buy. Look for live | | | | plantings, but don't add fertilizer. Your new topsoil has |
| roots that would indicate you'll have grasses and | | | | enough in the way of nutrition for the first year to |
| weeds to deal with, and if they are present, | | | | get your plantings established. |
| screening the soil may be necessary. | | | | Now sit back and admire your new landscape! |
| - Now the bed is prepared, the next step in your | | | | |