Landscaping Essentials For People Who Like To Get Their Hands Dirty

Many homeowners choose to engage in DIY landscaping projects for various reasons. Some do it to increase the appearance and value of their property, while others do it to keep themselves busy. When they do it successfully, it feels like a conquest, a work of art that they can be proud of, and justification for those long hours planning, researching, designing, choosing the right plants, buying or borrowing tools, watering, and many other mundane activities.

Yeah, it’s a lot of work, but don’t let this reality check discourage you but rather challenge you to get the fundamentals of do-it-yourself landscaping right to make it an enjoyable project. If you plan on trying your hand at DIY landscaping, follow these essential elements:

Planning

During the planning phase, consider the following:

• Design: Figure out the style you’re going for, because your home’s landscaping is an integral element of its beauty.
• Plant selection: Research about the plants that do well in your locality. Then find an assortment of plants that will provide you beauty and structure throughout the year.
• Budget: Determine how you will finance the project. As a rule, when you’re preparing your budget, write down actual numbers, but overestimate the budget within a reasonable range. The reason why you do that is to leave yourself some wriggle room in case you encounter unexpected expenses or prices increase.

You should write things down to make it easy to keep track of all the activities and purchases to avoid things getting out of hand financially and materially.

Asking For Help

Although it is a DIY project, you can do with a bit of help from people who know a great deal about landscaping. A professional designer, for example, can help during the planning phase by giving expert opinions on your designs as well as proposing new ideas that you may have never conceived on your own. The fact that you have spent your money hiring someone to help you with your landscaping project will give you the impetus to take it more seriously if you are lacking in motivation.

Tools

You can’t just pop into the store and pick up a bunch of tools. You have to pay attention to things like durability, cost-effectiveness, and ergonomic design.

Here are some rules of thumb to abide by:

• Buy gardening tools with circular handles to avoid straining your wrists
• Buy tools made with stainless material for durability
• Buy electric machines to save on the fuel costs.

On that last point: although electricity usage adds to your energy bill at the end of the year, it is significantly cheaper than buying gas. The key is to find machines that are energy-efficient. This electric mower reviewed here is a good example. Electric machines also conserve the environment because they do not emit smoke and they run quieter. Equipped yourself with the right tools, so that implementing your landscaping project will be a breeze.

Break Down The Project Into Phases

If you approach the entire project head-on, it can feel daunting and intimidating. Instead, try breaking it down into a series of phases that you can work on over a few months or years, depending on the scale of your project.

There are many variables in do-it-yourself landscaping, and things can go wrong, making you feel discouraged and disappointed. But rest assured, the results will be worth the effort in the long run, so stick it out and get ready to admire the fruits of your labor each and every time you drive up to your home.