Our Top 5 Landscape Design Tips for DIYers

GD Services is proud to be a one-stop shop for everything from design to finishing touches. We’re also happy to educate everyone about the best ways to improve their land and their lives. As you dream about that luscious lawn or beautiful tree line, it’s easy to get carried away. Every dream we build starts with a design. So, as you plan your project, keep these important landscape design tips in mind. 

Take a Deeper Look

It’s essential to plan as much as possible. This is one of our most crucial landscape design tips because the bigger your project, the more detailed your plan needs to be. Having a plan helps to reach your end goal efficiently while minimizing the headaches from snags and mid-project doubts.

Find the Right Plants

We love Better Homes and Gardens just as much as the next guy. But seriously, stop looking at national magazines for design inspiration from places that don’t have the same climate as your location. In the KC area, we have freeze-thaw cycles that shift hardscapes and freeze plants for weeks on end. Support a local nursery when deciding what plants to include and to account for your climate. They will typically carry plants that grow well in your area.

Form Needs Function

Every design needs to account for the site conditions. Does the grade require walls and steps, or does it need to be excavated and regraded for positive slope? Can the existing site be accommodated for the new project? What are the neighborhood factors? These are all major questions many DIYers forget to answer as they look at redesigning their landscape.

We take the natural slope, grade, and shape of your landscape into consideration. By walking alongside you on your project, our pros can help you understand ways to nurture your land while creating a sight to be proud of. Our years of experience tell us everything we’ll need to know to account for drainage, soil composition, and other factors.

Everything Needs Maintenance

Unlike hardscaping projects like patios and firepits, plantings grow. Which means they need to be trimmed, blooms will need to be spaced, and upkeep is always required. One of our most valuable landscaping design tips is to anticipate the maintenance your design will need. Unless you can hire a gardener, look for solutions that minimize maintenance and increase efficiency, such as proper, high-quality fertilizers and irrigation systems. 

Take Your Time

Find the right professional for advice the first time. If the person helping you isn’t standing in your yard and carefully considering the conditions, they’re working on sales, not results. True professionals will help guide you to the right materials to make your landscape an easy installation instead of putting you on a never-ending path of replacing and rebuilding your projects. We factor in conditions most homeowners don’t think about, such as shade and soil composition, when giving landscape design tips in person.

Help Is Just a Call Away

Guys, we know it may be hard to ask for help. But friends don’t let friends have bad landscaping. We learn new things every day because, while we are one of KC’s premiere landscaping companies, the pros need help sometimes too. Learn more about how to improve your landscape design by scheduling your consultation or contacting our team.