Even though a DIY landscape seems like it’d be a fairly simple project (who doesn’t love spending time in the garden?), transforming a landscape on your own may not be the best use of your time and money.
Before you pull the trigger on your DIY yard, think about these other 5 valuable things a landscaper could add to your project:
1- Determine the ‘flow’ of your landscape
- Designing your landscape for optimal functionality that suits your specific needs and home design.
- Determining the best locations for hardscapes, pools, sheds, walkways, driveways and more.
- Optimizing the use of your property by understanding spatial relationships to configure how all of the landscape elements will ‘connect’.
- Making sense of it all – creating a cohesive master plan that will look great for years to come.
2 – Add their specialized experience and landscape knowledge to your vision
- Having a professional knowledge of plant material helps landscapers select the proper plantings for the right place. This removes the possibility of expensive plants not surviving.
- Increasing the longevity of plants and decreasing the amount of maintenance required—low maintenance landscapes look great all year with little upkeep!
- Selecting hardscape materials for what will work best in your plan (for instance, many types and styles of stone and pavers are available for a patio and not all types of stone or pavers are suited to every situation). A designer can help you narrow your choices for what works for you.
- Knowing the local climate and seasonal weather patterns prevents problems down the line.
3 – Give you new ideas
- Creating a master plan of your property with a fresh perspective.
- Providing a variety of layouts and explaining the pros and cons of each.
- Including all of the features you would like and some features you hadn’t thought of.
- Introducing you to different ideas for outdoor features that are new to you.
- Offering a clear vision.
- Problem-solving seating options, drainage issues, curb appeal and more.
- Providing ideas on what to refurbish and what to replace.
- Helping you explore cost-effective options and alternatives.
4 – Prevent costly mistakes
- Helping you avoid spending money and time on plants that will underperform in your area.
- Designating hardscape areas with the correct shapes, forms and locations so problems are avoided or resolved before construction.
- Suggesting proper material selection for your region.
- Recognizing challenges inherent in your yard and providing great solutions.
- Outdoor living is an investment! It’s always best to go into it with professional guidance and support.
5 – Help plan for efficient construction
- Ensuring that your project is sustainable and developed within your budget and time constraints.
- Configuring details like lighting and irrigation that are crucial for long-term landscape usability.
- Being able to forecast the cost and timeline for your project.
To summarize, a landscape designer can plan ahead for future work, get the optimal use of your yard for family and entertaining and add greatly to your home’s value. Whether you want a designer for your entire yard or just want to refurbish your yard, a landscape designer is well worth the money.