A landscape assessment helps
you identify your needs --
both today and tomorrow. For
example, this play structure
will easily convert to an arbor
and shed when the kids have
grown.

Getting Started

An important step in landscaping your yard is knowing what you expect from the finished project. Think about how you plan to use your yard and how its design might enhance its use. Then assess your current landscape to learn what works and what doesn't. At first, focus on what you like and don't like about the existing landscape; then start identifying your family's wants.

Make landscape planning an enjoyable process that includes everyone's ideas. Hold a family meeting to discuss the questions on the next page and brainstorm the possibilities. These questions will help you in creating a complete assessment of your current landscape, leading you to discover the best landscaping solutions for your home.

Landscape Strategies for Typical Lots

As you discover your yard's assets and shortcomings, list them in a notebook or on a computer. Take notes as you identify your needs and desires. Start a wish list and let the ideas flow -- don't worry about costs or labor at this stage. If an idea seems muddled at first, jot it down anyway; the details likely will become clear in time.

Keep an open mind and wait until later to make specific decisions. Your landscape's problems and your household's needs will change with time. Both people and trees mature; lifestyles and tastes change, so consider the pros and cons of all the ideas.

Landscape Strategies for Narrow Lots

 

In many cases, you will spend
more time looking at your
landscape from inside your home
that outside. It makes sense to
plan for interior views.

Think about where you spend the most time in the house. Consider the view from your bedroom window, your favorite chair, the kitchen sink, or your seat at the dining room table. When you look out windows and doors, think about what you see, as well as what you would like to see. As you make landscaping plans, take advantage of existing views and consider how your proposed changes will alter the view.

Landscape Strategies for Corner Lots