Are you looking to transform your outdoor space?
Whether you’ve got a small upgrade planned or you’re gearing up for a total makeover, it’s important to know what factors will influencer your landscape design.
It’s tempting to jump straight into an upgrade without a strategy, but this can quickly lead to problems that can ruin the aesthetic of your yard and leave you with frustrating (and often expensive) repairs and fixes.
From choosing the wrong plants that aren’t suited to the Mornington Peninsula climate to making changes without correct council approval, knowing what goes into a well-planned and well-thought-out landscape is crucial.
So that’s exactly what we’ll show you how to do.
Read on to discover the 7 crucial factors that influence landscape design and how you can leverage these influences to deliver your dream garden.
#1 - Budget
First thing’s first - your budget will play the most significant role in your landscape design.
Setting your budget before ordering a single paver or buying new plants is the simplest way to avoid a budget blow-out and stay on top of your costs. The truth is, whether you have an unlimited budget or have a specific amount in mind for your landscaping project, you always want to spend your money wisely.
Here are a couple of key considerations to keep in mind when establishing your landscaping budget:
Budgeting Tip #1: The more you’re willing to spend, the more features you can add. You might decide that you want an extra water feature mid-project, or an emergency cost might pop up, such as additional building permits. An emergency fund can cover these costs without putting you under financial pressure.
Budgeting Tip #2: Prioritise where you spend your money. Instead of looking at your project as a whole, break it down by its elements: pergola, paving, plants and trees, landscape lighting, decking, etc. This will help you determine how much you want to spend on each portion. If the pergola is important but a small garden isn’t, you could allocate money accordingly.
Foliage Landscaping Tip: Any plants you choose need to tolerate pool water. It’s unavoidable that your pool’s chlorine-treated water will end up on the plants, so choosing hardy plants is key.
#2 - Usage
A primary influence on your landscape design should be its intended use.
Do you plan on hosting social gatherings in your yard? Are you looking to create a green oasis full of plants and flowers? Are you looking to cook outside and combine your interior and exterior living?
Remember, your space is just that - it’s yours!
This means designing a landscape that meets your needs and helps elevate outdoor living. You’ll also need to take into account who will be spending time in your great outdoors. For example, if you have pets then you’ll need to be careful adding plants that may be toxic to animals. Or, if you have children, you may need to rethink retaining walls and unfenced decks that pose a risk.
Looking to design a space that’s truly your own? Check out our latest articles on transforming your yard.
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#3 - Plants
Do you want delicious fresh fruits and veggies? Do you want vibrant colours? Do you want low-maintenance and hardy plants?
More than an aesthetic choice, the plants you choose can complement your lifestyle.
Keep in mind, your climate, the orientation of your garden, and your skill level as a gardener all determine the type of plants used in your garden. You don’t want to aim for a tropical look in a Mornington Peninsula yard as the southern climate isn’t suitable.
Whether a more formal garden is created over a natural-looking garden will be determined by the look you're going for and the amount of time you want to spend tending to your plants.
Your choice of landscape design also varies depending on how much time and money you’re willing to invest. Like everything else, your landscape needs regular maintenance work. The more attention you give your landscaped garden, the longer it will retain its aesthetic appeal.
Looking to spend less time working in your garden and more time enjoying it? Read on to find out how.
#4 - Maintenance
There’s no such thing as a no-maintenance landscape (unless you plan on paving your outdoor space, and even then you’ll need to undertake sporadic cleaning).
Some of the most common maintenance tasks to consider include:
- - Routine cleaning and paver sealing
- - Pulling out weeds and plants (as needed)
- - Trimming hedges and low-hanging branches
- - Regular mowing, aerating, and fertilising of the grass
- - Sealing of wooden landscape features (as needed)
Some landscape designs will require more care than others. If you don’t enjoy spending all your time in the yard and flexing your green thumb, choose hardy plants that take care of themselves. You can also opt for a design made of low-maintenance features such as steel or aluminium fencing, or installing paved entertaining spaces instead of a yard full of plants and turf that needs attention.
#5 - Connectivity
Connecting each space in a landscape is critical.
How will people move from one area to another? Where is it possible to create openings and pathways? Should there be defined borders or do you want an open concept?
This step is tricky for landscape design beginners, but connected spaces help give your yard a cohesive look and feel that makes time spent outdoors more appealing. For example, paths that lead people from an alfresco dining area to outdoor seating in the garden.
Connectivity comes down to blending your hardscape (non-growing structures) and your landscape. No matter how well-planned a garden is, if it doesn’t create movement between each space, it will stand alone and be separate from your home.
#6 - Form
In landscape design, form refers to the shape of a plant or hardscape feature. Your choice of form will influence your design and play a major role in how your outdoor space looks.
For example, plants are available in many forms including round, upright, groundcover, and freeform. Your choice of landscape structures can also influence your yard’s form with various heights and shapes whether you opt for garden paths, retaining walls, fences, or pergolas.
Typically, a more formal landscape design will embrace structured forms like hedges and trimmed shrubs. In contrast, an informal design might use more flowing or climbing plants to execute its landscape design.
So while you browse your local Bunnings or check online for plants, be sure to factor in form as a leading design influence.
#7 - Lay of the land
The natural undulation of your land will have a drastic effect on the design of your landscape.
For example; a sloping block will require excavation to create flat areas, which will impact your design and overall cost. As boundary fences follow the lay of the land, excavating near fencing will require retaining so your neighbour’s block isn’t affected.
If areas are retained over a metre in height, the retaining walls will require engineering and maybe even balustrading. To help stay out of the council’s crosshairs - and to stay in control of your budget - it’s best to speak to a local landscape design expert to make sure you’re a). getting the most from your land and b). staying out of trouble.
Curious about council regulations? Find out what permits you need for a landscaping project here
Congratulations. You’re ready to launch your next outdoor upgrade
75% of Australians are spending more time in their gardens since COVID-19, so it’s natural to want the best for a space that’s truly your own.
While some factors that influence your design might be a little beyond your control, such as climate, the natural lay of your yard, the amount of land, lack of space, council regulations, or boundary rules; other factors, like your budget, are entirely up to you.
Combined, these influences help create the perfect landscape design, and now you’ve got all the info you need to get started.
Looking for help with your next landscaping project? Call us for expert advice today.