What Does Your Landscape Say About You?

Lisa's Landscape & Design ♦ 01/31/2012 ♦ Leave a comment

Before…

Whether you like your yard simple and Green or loaded with flowers and colors there is a yard style with your name on it.

AFTER! Even the simplest changes can make a huge impact.

As a landscape consultant my mission is one thing…make your yard the best expression of you and your lifestyle as is possible. A landscape consultation is a tremendous value as it saves you money on costly mistakes and  ill-thought out decisions.

Your home is not only the largest purchase you will ever make, but it is the single largest expression of who you are to the world around you. Lets face it, your neighbors are directly affected by it, either negatively or positively :-/ Property values are hurt by neglected yards and can ultimately set a trend for the direction a neighborhood can take. Particularly if the trend is towards neglect instead of improvement. However, I get that yard work is NOT everyone’s bag…

Replace your boring sod with a Texas friendly, low water, low maintenance garden that adds value to your home and life. A landscape coach can help you lay out your plants in a prepared bed so you know exactly where each plant should go.

During a landscape consultation I come on your property and listen to your needs, wants and desires to figure out the best possible way to make your yard a pleasant place to come home to. What does your yard say about you? Does it say you are far to busy, that you really don’t enjoy the burden of yard work? Wouldn’t you like to pull into your driveway and see a yard that welcomes you and your guests? The landscape to your home is much like a picture frame, the most beautiful picture of all can be emphasized by a simple frame and the simplest of homes can be embellished by the most glorious of gardens. The magic of a landscape is that it can transform a home in both a positive and negative way. If I come to your home and you tell me you hate yard work, love sod and only want green in the landscape then I know where to start. You must first budget a lawn service. There are many individuals who mow, edge and blow for about $35 a yard and come on schedule every two weeks. As a homeowner this needs to be part of your budget if you are not interested in doing it yourself. I can educate you how to teach your lawn service to amend with organics, the proper way and time to trim and proper lawn and plant fertilization.

Next, I help you reduce your sod in the most effective way as to allow the lawn that stays to be lush and fabulous. I choose low maintenance, low water shrubs, trees and greenery properly place to reduce the amount of maintenance required, then I simplify the landscape by increasing tree rings and adding stone paths or patio areas to connect the space in a clean and simple fashion.

Xeriscape beds, reduced sod with a river rock nuisance strip, says you are responsible with water, but luxurious where it counts. However. River Rock is a no water solution, not a no maintenance option. Leave your sod if you do not want to pull weeds as they come in.

Creating a space that is beautiful and edible makes the work seem far more rewarding. Growing things with your children shows them how to garden and they are far more likely to try a food they grew themselves.

For those of you who want to garden, would like to learn more about it and love the idea of having an elaborate garden landscape, you have to start online, in a garden book or consult by a knowledgable specialist so you rent wasting your time and money. Some of these same people have small children, a full time job and all they can do to find time in the day so I know an English Garden with its intentionally, unintentional look and feel is really what they need. I again ask what kind of time are you willing to invest?  If I install, design or recommend a garden you are unsuccessful with, we both look bad!  By making your garden easy to manage you have success which breeds interest, which breeds more success. If flowers and color make you happy you will be drawn to that space and want to spend time there. I would again encourage you only take on the changes you are willing and able to maintain. Biting off more than you can chew makes it a burden to care for and that is what we are trying to avoid.

There are a lot of great resources online and in books, including your own neighbors yards you admire to inspire your new space or just a face lift of sorts. Rather it be simply stated, or over the top you want each time you pull into your driveway for your yard to welcome you like warm hug, your front door should be clean, freshly painted or stained and free of clutter. As a homeowner it is a responsibility you should not dread. If you do not feel burdened by your yard it is one less problem you have to solve in your life. The way you tackle it is up to you.

No go get your garden on!

Lisa LaPaso

Lisa’s Landscape & Design (“like” me on facebook!)

“Saving the Planet One Yard at a Time”

Check out my videos on YouTube!