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Laying Out Your New Landscape

Laying Out Your New Landscape

When planning your new landscape, the first place to start is by driving around your neighborhood and seeing what other people have done with their landscapes. Bring a sketch pad or digital camera to record things you like. Your next stop is your local nursery or garden center. Look at what plants do well in your area. Look at any displays they have setup to get an idea of which plants work well together. And don't be afraid to ask questions.

Now comes the planning stage. Get a long tape measure and some graph paper and take some accurate measurements of your yard. The more accurate you are, the more detailed you can be with your plan. Don't worry though, if you aren't perfectly accurate. Even if you pace off your yard and get some general measurements, you will be better off than just trying to guess how large an area you are working with.

After the measurements are done, you can use either graph paper and pencils or one of the new software packages that are available. I prefer the software only because it allows you to make changes very quickly and easily, and also allows you to see three-dimensional views of your design. One unique feature is that many software programs allow you to preview your landscape five-, ten-, twenty- or more years from now! This way you can see how your mature lot will look in the future! This will help prevent over-planting areas.

If you don't use your computer to lay out your new design, use a piece of graph paper and transfer your measurements to the paper. Begin by laying out the larger elements like trees and shrubs, and then adding the smaller elements around them to complement the design. Also keep in mind the relative heights of the materials you are going to use. When viewing a landscape you want taller items in the back and shorter elements in the front.

This article series will continue over the next couple of issues as I take you through the entire process from planning to planting!

Dean Novosat is an avid gardener and landscaper. He has transformed many boring yards into beautiful landscapes. He has several websites including http://www.the-garden-doctor.com, http://www.dr-landscape.com.

In The News:

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www2.highlandstoday.com/content/2008/dec/01/horticulture-her-blood/cid=0ei=nsI0SbnnGJf-6gOv55DRCAusg=AFQjCNH35RkXCVMfnmvc2HF9-z1LkP3-6AHorticulture Is In Her Blood/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fTampa Tribune,nbsp;FLnbsp;-/font nobrNov 30, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1quot;That#39;s too much of drinking water on blandscaping/b.quot; She also supervises 48 master bgardeners/b, who are essentially volunteers trained by the extension service b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.nwanews.com/bvwv/Wrap_It_Up/7571/cid=1274790098ei=nsI0SbnnGJf-6gOv55DRCAusg=AFQjCNGFIT1pwvIOXifJdYnrpc6dJnPF0wimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=xQSfY2Ijj-EJimgurl=www.nwanews.com/images/stories/20081126/LR_bvwv_Pc0240100.jpg width=62 height=80 alt= border=1brfont size=-2Weekly Vista/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.nwanews.com/bvwv/Wrap_It_Up/7571/cid=1274790098ei=nsI0SbnnGJf-6gOv55DRCAusg=AFQjCNGFIT1pwvIOXifJdYnrpc6dJnPF0wbGarden/b stores have plenty to offer during winter season/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fWeekly Vista,nbsp;ARnbsp;-/font nobrNov 26, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1But, on the contrary, there are many things available at bgarden/b shops that are viable year-round. Village bGarden/b and bLandscaping/b At Village bGarden/b and b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/business/business-news/landscape-company-lands-coveted-bog-oak-accolade-14051770.htmlcid=0ei=nsI0SbnnGJf-6gOv55DRCAusg=AFQjCNEb9lAHviT-ZNH9xHLWFUgLYdromgbLandscape/b company lands coveted Bog Oak accolade/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fBelfast Telegraph,nbsp;United Kingdomnbsp;-/font nobrNov 10, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1By Margaret Canning A Belfast blandscape gardening/b business has won a coveted award for its work on a private bgarden/b. Cameron bLandscapes/b won the Bog Oak b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article%3FAID%3D2008811290306%26theme%3DHOME%2520AND%2520GARDENcid=1275683685ei=nsI0SbnnGJf-6gOv55DRCAusg=AFQjCNGICI9c-dUjVNBC1LqLmU0mDmazawHome amp; bGarden/b Calendar/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fAsheville Citizen-Times,nbsp;NCnbsp;-/font nobrNov 28, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1WREATH-MAKING WORKSHOPS: 10 am and 2 pm Friday at Reems Creek Nursery amp; bLandscaping/b, 70 Monticello Road, Weaverville. The 10 am session will be on how to b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.georginaadvocate.com/News/Georgina/article/85074cid=0ei=nsI0SbnnGJf-6gOv55DRCAusg=AFQjCNHADcpL1TekF2zHiSXnK48lnasXxgGeorgina bGarden/b Centre earns blandscape/b awards/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fGeorgina Advocate,nbsp;Canadanbsp;-/font nobrNov 26, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1The goal of the organization is to support, promote and educate everything horticultural, including bgardening/b, blandscape/b design, blandscaping/b, and property b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.petaluma360.com/article/20081126/COMMUNITY/811260226/1383%3FTitle%3DCarrying_on_a_tradition_of_nobilitycid=1274921670ei=nsI0SbnnGJf-6gOv55DRCAusg=AFQjCNGI9A-gcR77J5pGo8X9gDkaIMQwqwCarrying on a tradition of nobility/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fPetaluma Argus Courier,nbsp;CAnbsp;-/font nobrNov 26, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1True to his heritage, Hagiwara-Nagata has won blandscaping/b and bgardening/b awards, and has been actively involved in local and national projects. b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/fea/home/shopping/stories/DN-nhg_fwgardenshops_1120gd.State.Edition1.13cecb1.htmlcid=0ei=nsI0SbnnGJf-6gOv55DRCAusg=AFQjCNGBg9YP5GoZtbp38kxu_6lzkBbx9gimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=8A-hFrEU-MYJimgurl=www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/img/11-08/1120gardensmall.jpg width=80 height=54 alt= border=1brfont size=-2Dallas Morning News/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/fea/home/shopping/stories/DN-nhg_fwgardenshops_1120gd.State.Edition1.13cecb1.htmlcid=0ei=nsI0SbnnGJf-6gOv55DRCAusg=AFQjCNGBg9YP5GoZtbp38kxu_6lzkBbx9g6 Fort Worth bgarden/b shops built their way up on a dream/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fDallas Morning News,nbsp;TXnbsp;-/font nobrNov 19, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1These days he is designing tropical blandscapes/b on golf courses, planting pots for Neiman Marcus and stocking an eclectic nursery with plants and bgarden/b b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.triplicate.com/news/story.cfm%3Fstory_no%3D11002cid=1276191902ei=nsI0SbnnGJf-6gOv55DRCAusg=AFQjCNGp81pAD586qMa_HOYrdMEI2iHt4gCoastal voices: Council thoughts on first week in office/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fDaily Triplicate,nbsp;CAnbsp;-/font nobrNov 29, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1See about some new design ideas to solve problems and then hand it off to their maintenance and blandscaping/b people; or maybe connect them with bgardeners/b to b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.theadvertiser.com/article/20081129/LIFESTYLE/811290308/1024cid=0ei=nsI0SbnnGJf-6gOv55DRCAusg=AFQjCNF7hBgV1G1e5fTzl4RcNRxgYPtciQAcadiana bGardening/b: Bradford Pear is a plant for all seasons/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fThe Daily Advertiser,nbsp;LAnbsp;-/font nobrNov 29, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1A: Unless you are growing hybrid bananas for blandscaping/b or for the fruit, there are few maintenance requirements. Common banana plants begin to look ratty b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.oregonlive.com/hg/index.ssf/2008/11/think_it_through_before_flying.htmlcid=0ei=nsI0SbnnGJf-6gOv55DRCAusg=AFQjCNG0IJGU8NTvXBEWDP3W241LjS1rNwimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=BP4ljwK73MgJimgurl=blog.oregonlive.com/hg_impact/2008/11/medium_dulc04.JPG width=64 height=80 alt= border=1brfont size=-2The Oregonian - OregonLive.com/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.oregonlive.com/hg/index.ssf/2008/11/think_it_through_before_flying.htmlcid=0ei=nsI0SbnnGJf-6gOv55DRCAusg=AFQjCNG0IJGU8NTvXBEWDP3W241LjS1rNwThink it through before flying off to distant gardens/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fThe Oregonian - OregonLive.com,nbsp;ORnbsp;-/font nobrNov 29, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1by Dulcy Mahar, Special to The Oregonian James Merrell/The New York TimesThe Northwest bgardening/b scene has grown considerably more sophisticated in recent b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

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Laying Out Your New Landscape

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