Once you have your landscape design on paper, now it?s time to
transfer it to the actual location where you will be planting
your plants. You will need a couple of tools in order to
accomplish this. First it?s handy to have a long tape measure.
For example a 50 foot or 100 foot tape measure is a lot easier
to use an 8 foot or 16 foot one. You will be able to easier
layout your landscape with a longer tape measure. You might also
need some wooden stakes, some string, an old garden hose, and
some marker paint.
If your landscape design calls for a regularly repeating
pattern, or a very rigid formal grid structure, you?ll want to
use stakes and string. Start by finding a fixed point on your
design and take all your measurements from that one point. Check
your measurements frequently as you start laying out your stakes
in your yard. Run string or twine from one stake to another to
help lay out your design.
If your landscape design is more free-form, with curves and
random areas, you?ll use an old garden hose. Again, you want to
find a fixed reference point from which to start your plan.
Using the garden hose, layout your shape. The garden hose will
allow for very smooth and gentle arts and arches and curves as
you lay out your design.
In both cases, once you have your design transferred to the
ground using either stakes and string or garden hose, you?ll
want to make it permanent by using marker paint. Marker paint is
simply spray paint where the nozzle is upside down from a normal
can of spray paint. You hold it upside down and spray on the
ground. Use the paint to trace over your string lines, or the
garden hose.
Now that you have your entire design layed out and painted on
the ground it?s time to start adding some plants. Remember, a
good design uses a layered effect. You will want to place taller
plants in the back, and smaller, shorter plants in the front.
This gives depth and interest to your landscape design. Take
your plant material, in their nursery containers, and begin
laying them out in your design. Once you have most of your
material in place, take a step back and look at your handiwork.
Now walk through your yard, and take a look at how things
appear. Now is the time to change things. Once things are
planted, it is very difficult to make changes. But now, your
plants are still in the containers, you can very easily move
things around and change your visual effect.
Preferably, if you have time, leave your temporary landscape in
place for a day or two and take a look at it throughout the day.
Your design will look different at different times during the
day. For example, in the morning, the light is coming from a
different angle, than in the evening. So you want to be sure
that your landscape design looks good at all times during the
day.
In our next article, we?ll take a look, and the actual planting
process, how to prepare the soil, and how to make sure your
pants have a good start at a long healthy life.
About the author:
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 and
http://www.dr-landscape.com.
|
