Landscape Design Basics And Budgeting

By Stanley Worthy

Everyone with a yard wants a stunning landscape design ripped right out of a page in a glossy real estate magazine. But that kind of work needs a skilled landscaper who is not just an artist, but also a talented gardener, botanist and architect. Needless to say, anyone with such skills comes at a premium and will consider the work as an art form, and will spare no expense in creating a worthy landscaping masterpiece.

In order to rein in the budget, the home owner has to keep the plans firmly grounded. The owner also has to be familiar with landscaping principles as derived from botany, architecture, construction and gardening. As a start, the home owner's vision and needs have to be clearly conveyed to the landscaper while the site is being surveyed.

Once the landscaper understands the owner's vision and has surveyed the site, a plan is put together and the hardscape and softscape elements are listed. Hardscape elements are those which need to be built or constructed, including fountains, statues, greenhouses and paving. The plants and whatever else that's left is softscape.

At this stage, the landscaper and owner will butt heads over the budget. The problem is that most people have absolutely no clue as to the right amount to spend on landscaping. The correct answer is that it's appropriate to spend at most 5 to 10 percent of the overall amount being spent on a newly built home.

It may seem over the top for landscape design, but the truth is that it can add 20 percent to the home value. But it is still possible to cut down on unnecessary expenses. For example, an instant garden requires purchase of mature plants. The same garden can be created by planting saplings and seeds at a lesser cost, but it will need more time.

Reducing the number of hardscape elements cuts the budget further. An expert landscaper's fat fee is an unavoidable expense, unless the owner is willing to learn from do-it-yourself (DIY) landscaping guides. Find ways to make it a low-maintenance, sustainable and environmentally friendly landscape design. This will reduce the expense considerably in the long run.

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