Designing a garden can be daunting. Each plant has environmental requirements that include sunlight, water, soil type, and soil pH. These requirements must be met for the plant to thrive. By asking a landscape designer to help you layout your garden can help overcome this daunting task. However, not all landscape design (or designers) is created equal.
How Can Poor Landscape Design Fall Short?
A good landscape designer or landscaping company should take a compass reading of your property to know for sure where the sun hits your garden, and where there might be trouble spots in the winter months. They should also use tools in order to do sun mapping so that they can understand the effects of the sun’s rotation on your property.
The designer should ask if you have any areas that flood during rain events or if you have trouble with flooding in your basement. A small amount of soil should be dug up from the area you would like to redesign so that the type of soil can be determined.
A soil pH test should be done so that the landscaper knows if the soil needs to be amended before the proposed plants are installed. Some plants need acidic soil to thrive, for example, Azaleas, Rhododendrons, and Blueberries. Others need alkaline soil to prosper such as Honeysuckle, Chokeberry, and Forsythia.
Nothing is more frustrating than walking out to your new garden and seeing that a heard of deer have eaten their dinner in your yard. A good designer will ask if you have seen any deer in your area, because while there is not a deer proof plant there are plants that deer prefer over others. There are many products on the market that will repel deer however, good planning can help your garden and your budget by cutting off the problem at the pass.
The Experts in Landscape Design
Finally, a landscape designer should make note of where your utilities enter your house, and where they are located on your property. It is heartbreaking to watch as the electric company hacks away at a large tree because it is interfering with the power lines. It is also a costly fix if tree roots begin to invade your sewer or water lines. Some trees will not seek out water and therefore are safe to plant near waterlines however, some are water lovers and will invade your pipes like Julius Caesar marching across Europe. These trees include but are not limited to Willows, River Birches, and Norway Maples.
So if you are looking to have your garden redesigned contact F&M Contractors for a landscape design that accounts for all of these factors.
