Designing and landscaping your new outdoor space or garden can be the last step in realising your dream home. But getting it right from the start is important, as with landscaping it’s all about the planning. Unlike interior design where furniture can be shifted or walls painted – your outdoor space tends to be more permanent and long-lasting. Here are a few things to consider when planning your new outdoor space.
1. Start with a vision
The fun and arguably the easy bit is deciding what you want your space to look like. What’s its primary function going to be? Will you include trees? Are you wanting to host large gatherings and need a central clearing? Or are you more focused on where the kids are going to play? The answers to these questions will ultimately guide your decision making on how and where it all fits together.
2. Planning ahead is the key
You’ve heard it many times before, but planning is always critical. If you don’t have a solid plan for your space trees may grow too close to the house, water drainage could affect your foundations; insert your worst nightmare here! Getting in touch with a professional to inspect and draw up an initial analysis of your site will minimise any future problems. Here are some initial items to consider:
- Tree height and positioning
- Soil quality and density
- Practicalities and spaciousness
- Design features – textures, colours, and shapes.
- Future maintenance and sustainability
3. Think weather and climate
Consider Perth’s climate: Hot and dry through summer and cool and wet through winter. You’ll need to consider how these conditions will affect not only where your plants will go but what plants you’ll be growing. Well placed trees and thicker plants will absorb noise and have a cooling effect on the surrounding area. Balancing your space with this in mind can create a lush oasis even in the middle of Perth’s dry suburbs.
4. Making your landscape sustainable
Think of ways you can make your entire home as sustainable as possible, not only is this good for the environment and the health of your plants, it can also be highly cost-effective and save you trouble down the track. Thinking of ways to reuse compost in your garden, especially if you’re growing vegetables, this can be a great way of recycling your organic waste.
5. Pick the right project managers For small adjustments around your house, you’ll want to get this done as simply and cheaply as possible. However, if it’s a larger project that requires digging and extra materials, you’ll want to get in contact with the professionals. Landscape design in Perth is a thriving industry with many great firms to choose from. Matching up a particular style with what you had in mind from a company’s past projects is one way to choose who’s right for you. Make sure to get a site visit and a quote before setting anything in stone.
