Landscape Design: Plan Before You Plant
By Chad N. Mitchell
Freelance Writer
Your Home Magazine

On my way to becoming a true man of the outdoors, I remember the countless times my Dad would tell me to "measure twice, cut once" in carpentry and "plan ahead and make a diagram" when it came to gardening or landscaping. Whether you can relate to these words of wisdom or not either as the speaker or the attentive pupil the art of landscaping is a process where plans can save precious time and money.

"There's almost a hybrid solution to landscaping," says Paul James, host of the HGTV show, Gardening By The Yard. "One way, is to hire the designer and let them do all the work. The other is to have them design a bubble diagram, then you can implement it over time."

James adds, "I would emphasize that you don't hesitate to interject your strong feelings about ideas. After all, you're paying for it. Make sure you hire someone who listens to your ideas, instead of someone who shoves their ideas down your throat."

James, who is an avid gardener and adds a twist of fun and humor throughout his television show, encourages homeowners and business owners to look at a landscape project or garden as an evolving project that could take at least five years before you see the realized concept.

"It's extremely important that people be prepared to change their mind," says James. "I do it all the time. Sometimes, I'll dig something up and move it a foot or move it 300 feet."

James recommends that homeowners put their budget into the part of the yard they will use and appreciate the most.

"Probably, the most consideration for [Homeowners] is still curb appeal," says James. "I find it odd that people spend a bulk of their landscaping budget for others to enjoy, yet they spend most of their time in the backyard."

For one Central Illinois landscaper, choosing to look at the yard as a whole is the first step.

"The first thing I do is take a look at the entire outside of the house and determine how to accent the building," says Kevin Massie, owner of Illinois Forest Products, in Beardstown, Ill. "The role of the landscape designer is to design a comprehensive plan that entails most of the desires of the property owner, including the outside aesthetic framing view, hobby areas, gardening and play areas. We can do the entire project or just the design. About 90% of the projects we do are design and install."

Lori Greene, of Concord, Ill., recently completed construction on a new house and hired Massie to assist in the outdoor finishing process.

"Our time was the deciding factor in deciding to use a landscape designer, coupled with the lack of tools and expertise to do the job ourselves," says Greene. "Mr. Massie came into our home and took a view from each of the window settings, the view from the kitchen table, and even from the kitchen sink. Then we walked the perimeter of the property and talked about the possibilities of what we hoped to do."

In addition to the level of expertise she expected, Greene expressed the concern for a professional landscaper to listen and understand how her family intended to use the yard.

"We have expectations of how a phased project would unfold," says Greene. "Mr. Massie also had to take into consideration the amount of time we intend to spend in maintaining the plants."

And just as trees, shrubs and flowers add to the landscape, more households are including playground equipment and leisure areas that mirror the lifestyle of the family.

"The landscaper goes in and does their thing around us," says John Wilkins, owner of Spring Fresh, in Decatur, Ill. "We sell the gazebos, pools, spas, grills, patios, and Childlife play systems."

Wilkins, who does some basic computer-aided design work, works in harmony with the landscape designer to create a balance between natural beauty and man-made structures.

"A lot of the gazebos and spas we sell are all cedar with hidden screws, shake shingles roofs, finished cedar walls, screens and windows. It gives it a very finished look."

Depending on your budget, Wilkins recommends choosing a finish that is commensurate with your residence or landscape. Most cedar gazebos or spas carry a price tag of $3,000 to $8,000. Choosing the vinyl version, which provides less cost in the long run without repeat painting or decay, typically costs about two to three times the amount of wood for the initial installation.

"We talk about leading the eye to the front of the building, which is part of the Better Homes and Gardens approach," says Chris Sanford, owner of Sanford Lanscaping LLC and Sanford's Garden Center. "For businesses, the number one reason for hiring a landscape designer is pride of ownership. People who take pride in their business want it to look nice on the outside. Naturally, people will gravitate to a business that looks nice."

Sanford, who ranges in commercial landscape design projects from a couple hundreds dollars to a quarter of a million dollars, says more and more corporations are wanting to enhance their outdoor presence, not only for customers but for their employees.

"[Business owners] need to be realistic about landscaping," says Sanford. "If you're patient, you can pay ten dollars a piece for plants and end up with a landscape over time that is just as nice as an instant landscape. Most people look for the instant gratification."

Larry Ramey, Senior Vice President of Soy Capital Bank, in Decatur, Ill., looked to Sanford for landscape design as part of a remodeling project that including razing one building next to his bank and constructing a parking lot.

"You do what you do best," says Ramey. "We're bankers and Sanford is the landscaper. We knew something needed to be done, and it was his job to create it."

Ramey explains that the process was simple. Sanford provided the initial concept designs, and with some personal recommendations and compromises, Ramey was able to agree on a final design that allowed for an aesthetically pleasing landscape, while providing a natural flow of traffic for his customers.

With scenic routes on a larger scale, John Rainey, owner of Rainey Nursery Company, in Argenta, Ill., has taken working with traffic to a larger scale.

"We basically planted almost all of the trees from Springfield to Champaign along the interstate highway," says Rainey, referring to Interstate 72. "We also did a truckstop in LaSalle/Peru, which was one of the biggest jobs I've ever done."

Rainey, whose large-scale projects including college and university athletic fields, tracks, apartment complexes and commercial strip malls, says that he still takes the same approach of meeting with the client, accessing their needs, then trying to build to their requirements.

So whether you're a homeowner who is willing to treat a landscape like a child, watching it blossom over time, or a business owner who needs the ready-made landscape, take it from the professionals who say it is better to plan before you plant.

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Reprinted with permission of Stone Marketing Images, Ltd. - Decatur, IL.