Layout Landscape Scale
Landscaping a New Chicago Home
The purpose of this article is to provide you with some ideas that can help you make the most out of landscaping your new Chicago home.
New home landscaping can be defined as the art of conscious arrangement or organization of outdoor space for human satisfaction and enjoyment. Naturally a new home owner will want to make the landscape look as great as the interior of the house. If you just take a casual look at magazines or websites devoted to 'new home landscaping', you will find out that today your problem is not what to use but how to limit yourself to the most effective plants and materials for your particular landscape. The idea is to create a landscape that tells everyone who you are and makes your home even more beautiful. Below are some steps that could be useful for you to follow when designing and implementing your new home's landscape.
You start your new home landscaping project with a plan. A landscaping plan typically shows an aerial view of the lot and notes the location of patios, sidewalks, trees, shrubs, flower beds, ponds and other features. To create this plan, you can either hire a landscape architect or contractor, or do it on your own. A landscape professional will visit the site and draw in detail every aspect of the yard, and design the landscaping.
Here is a guide if you want to create the landscaping plan on your own. First and foremost, get a layout diagram from the builder showing your property and its boundaries. Copy it and even enlarge it to a scale that you find useful and readable. It is advisable to make several copies as you will use them for different aspects of your work. With a copy of this in hand, walk around your property and take note of anything that may affect your design. Mark the location of trees, fences, utility lines, water, sidewalks, driveways. Indicate drainage patterns and slope of the land. After preparing the base plan, place tracing paper or tissue paper over the original plan to sketch possible ideas and solutions to your landscape needs and problems. The final goal is to get to know your property as much as possible and get a detailed vision of what you want to make out of it.
The next step is to create a vision in your mind of how you would like your new home landscape to look like. But what you should never forget is your budget. Plan before you make any purchases. Without a plan, you may buy things you don't really need, and that can waste money. Only after you know exactly what you need for this project should you start buying supplies.
Your next task is to decide how you will go about doing your new home landscaping, which quite often depends on your budget as well. You have two options here: to make the whole project at once, or do it piece by piece, in stages. There are many instances when landscaping in stages is the best solution. For some home buyers, their budgets will not support a full scale project all at once so they find staging to be the best choice.
Even though home landscaping can't be broken down to a series of rules, it may be helpful for the homeowner to keep the following design concepts in mind as the design develops:
1. Always choose building materials that fit into the overall look and feel of the landscape, materials that blend well in the natural environment or that may be found there.
2. Repeat materials and colors already used on the home in the landscaping.
3. Group similar plants together.
4. Regarding the trees, choose spots that have adequate sunlight and make sure the trees are protected from pests.
About the Author
By The Chicago Real Estate insider.
Layout Landscape Scale
 |
 10 Scale OO HO Model Pink Flower Trees Train RR Set War Scenery Landscape Layout  US $9.55
|
 10x Scale Train Layout Set Model Tree Handmade OO HO Landscape 12cm D0086 US $9.48
|
 10x Green Model Tree For Model Train Layout Landscape HO N Scale 115cm US $9.48
|
 Set of 10pcs Model Tree 1100 1150 Scale Layout Train Landscape 12cm D0093 US $8.07
|
 Set of 5pcs Model Tree 150 175 Scale Layout Train Landscape 14cm D0092 US $7.59
|
 20 pcs N Z Scale Model Tree Layout Scene Landscape 70mm US $6.99
|
 Set of 16Pcs Assorted Model Trees Train Landscape Layout OO HO Scale US $5.98
|
 10 x Winter Snow Scene Landscape Layout Model FOREST Cedar Trees HO SCALE 315in US $5.52
|
 10pcs 9cm HO Scale Green Landscape Scenery Layout Cedar Trees Model Solid 1100 US $5.49
|
 10 HO Scale 1100 White Scenery Landscape Layout Train Model Tree Building Decor US $4.99
|
 1x HO O Scale Handmade Model Trees Layout Scene Landscape 19cm D0095 US $4.73
|
 12x Model Tree Building Street Tree Landscape layout O S Scale US $4.35
|
 Model RR Train Tree Railway Layout Landscape Scale HO N US $2.60
|
Landscaping Ideas for the Do-It-Yourself Gardner
Landscaping your garden is not such a difficult task. Many people enjoy doing it themselves. You've just got to have the ideas and know the basic principles of landscape design.
Begin by taking a close look at the gardens and parks in your neighborhood, identifying the consistency, balance, simplicity, proportions, transitions, lines and contrasts in the landscaping designs and the use of plants, garden decor, landscaping fabric, etc.
Then sit down and make a landscaping plan for your own garden. Take measurements and prepare a sketch. Select a theme and decide the focal points. Provide for irrigation systems, sprinklers and vehicular access.
Decide on the materials, plants, decor, colors, textures and positioning. Keep an eye on the details and take a bold yet simple approach.
Have confidence in yourself and see yourself landscaping your garden as a do-it-yourself gardener. Sound fantastic? Yes, you can do landscaping all by yourself and create a splendid visual. Read on.
Landscaping begins with a basic understanding of the principles involved.
*Be simple. If you"re doing it for the first time, don't make a complicated plan for landscaping. Select something simple, do it, find out how easy is it. Happy? Try something more complex next time.
*Create a theme. This helps you to be consistent. You place things that match each other in shape, size, color, texture and tone. Don't place a big red rock next to a small white one. If you are working on the theme "water", have a fountain or two and a couple of small ponds in the design. Repeat things. You get more unity in landscaping this way.
*Balance things in landscaping. It can either be symmetrical or asymmetrical. The former is the mirror image type. One part replicates the other part in layout, design, plant height, plant grouping, bed choice and color scheme. The later creates diversity in landscaping design – some abstract form with widely different shapes and layouts.
*Be creative in color choice. Color adds life, so use it imaginatively to create maximum effects in landscaping. Place contrasts, bright against the subdued and get the real beauty. Achieve depth with dark colors. Draw things close with cool colors. Make the distance noticeable with bright colors.
*Move naturally. Don't jump abruptly-use the staircase effect. Tall, small, smaller, smallest-follow this order in landscaping when planting trees and shrubs.
*Follow lines. These appeal to the eyes most naturally. Use straight lines to create sharp impacts and curvy lines to bring in pleasing effects.
*Stick to proportions. This is basic in any design and landscaping is no exception. Don't strike a discordant note by placing a big artifact in a small garden. Or set up a small fountain in a big, splashing pond! All our objects and decor should match one another in proportion to create the most appealing landscape.
All landscaping designs have a focal point. Get good garden statues, natural objects and garden decor to be your focal points. Place tall plants in the middle or behind a group of small plants-the tall plants attract us naturally. Circles have a special appeal, so placing the focal point in the deepest part of an inside curve often gives very special effects to the landscaping.
Draw out your landscaping plan. Take measurements of your plot. Make a sketch using an appropriate scale, like 1 inch=10 feet. Prepare the layout of paths, beds, objects, sidewalks, decks and driveways. Get ideas and read books. Select the appropriate style-formal or informal, classic or contemporary. Finally, give shape to the master plan. You may try the "bubble graph" for a better representation. Select a good landscaping fabric. Avoid plastics and don't let gaps get between sections of fabric. Now, your landscaping plan is ready. Go ahead and implement it, become a do-it-yourself gardner.
About the Author
Copyright © 2006, Heather Colman. Find more
landscaping
resources at
landscaping-report.info
.