Jade Pulman

Post Date: Oct 19, 2020

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Designing And Landscaping Your Yard

Landscape design is an entire professional field devoted to planning outdoor spaces. People study it for years before they can become a licensed landscape architect and provide their services to others for a fee. A landscape architect works with you to design an outdoor space that is beautiful and functional. Here are some ways you can work more effectively with the architect.

1. Learn Some of the Terms

Communication is always much easier when you and the other person understand the same meanings of terminology. Every professional field has its own unique jargon, and the landscape architect Utah is no exception.

It is not necessary for you to have an in-depth knowledge of all the jargon that the architect uses, but when he or she refers to scale, form, and color, you should have an idea of what he or she is talking about. For the record, form is the shape of an object, scale is its size in relation to adjacent components, and color is defined by color theory that designates some shades as primary, others as secondary, and so on.

2. Focus on Scale

Now that you know that scale refers to the size of objects, you should then apply this principle with the help of your landscape architect to create size variations throughout your yard. Think about the effect the size of an object and its placement have upon people's perception of the space. By placing large objects close to the walkways, you create an atmosphere of openness. However, by placing them closer, you create a more tunnel-like effect.

3. Have Reasonable Expectations of Your Landscape Architect

It is understandable that some people confuse the different jobs involved in designing, installing, and maintaining your outdoor space. The responsibility of the landscape architect is to design your outdoor space, not to install the landscape elements and certainly not to perform maintenance on them. A landscape contractor is the professional you need to perform the actual installation, and if you don't intend to perform the upkeep yourself, you need to hire a gardener.

4. Check Credentials

Whenever you hire a professional to do a major job on your property, it is always a good idea to check that he or she has the required credentials. Before you decide on a landscape architect, check to see that he or she is properly licensed.

5. Try To Look at the Big Picture

Landscape design involves looking at the site in context with its surroundings and looking at individual elements in connection with one another. Nothing in landscape design exists in a vacuum, and everything has an effect on everything else. However, as the owner of a property, it can be easy for you to focus on small details to the exclusion of the context. Try to take a step back and look at the big picture with the help of your landscape architect.

As a simple example, if you want to plant a tree for its shade, you must place any plants that require full sunlight well away from it. Otherwise, as the tree grows, its shadow will fall on the plants and they will not receive the sunlight they need.

6. Trust Your Architect

Once you've done your due diligence and checked out your landscape architect's credentials, you should then defer to his or her knowledge and experience. In other words, if your architect tells you that a fire pit won't work in a particular part of your yard because the wind will blow it out, pay attention and listen to the suggestion of where you should put your fire pit. You are paying for the expertise, so be receptive to it.

You may be able to handle a simple landscape design in a small backyard yourself. However, a more elaborate project may require a professional. A landscape artist designs an outdoor space that not only looks good right away but evolves to be even more beautiful over time.


Oct 19, 2020

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