Backyard Landscape Design

Is it important to complete a backyard landscape design before you begin work on your yard? That probably depends on the type of person you are. A landscape design is a detailed layout of the landscaping plants and garden structures that you plan to install, or have installed, in your yard. Not everyone works equally well with a detailed plan, however having at least a general idea of the finished design will produce better results.

Pencil & Paper
Quite literally, you can draw a “sketch” of your house, your yard, and what you want the finished design to look like, on a plain old piece of paper. You don’t have to make it very professional-looking, and you don’t need to draw the plan to scale as a contractor would. This is a very simplistic approach, but it will give you a general idea of what the overall plan will look like once it’s finished. This method is probably best utilized by someone who already has a good knowledge of landscaping plants. If you don’t know much about landscaping plants, bushes and/or trees you will either need to do more research before completing your plan, or you will need more assistance in the process. Utilize this landscaping plant guide to help you during the process.

Landscape Design Software
You can also create your own design by purchasing landscape design software which will give you a more detailed and professional looking design. This method is a step up from using a pencil and paper, although the idea is similar. While you will have a more detailed backyard landscape design to work with, you will still have to have a general knowledge of the plants, trees and bushes you will be utilizing in your design. I have created the designs on this website with software that I purchased from Smart Draw (opens new window). I really liked having a relatively professional design in hand before starting work on my projects, and I found this program to be relatively easy to work with. The benefit to owning a program such as Smart Draw is that it has the capability to create many other documents, like graphs, organizational charts, family trees, brochures, pie charts, floor plans, flyers, maps, and on and on and on! I thought I would use it not only for my home landscaping plan, but other projects as well. Feel free to view the home landscape plan that I have designed utilizing this program.

Online Landscape Design (opens new window)
This is a great way to have your backyard landscape design created for you! Companies are available via the web to help you create the perfect backyard landscape design for your yard. I know someone who paid to have a professional complete his landscape design, which was done very well, and then he completed the labor himself. This is a great option when you’re looking at adding items such as a concrete patio, a deck, a shed, a new driveway, a built-in grill station or anything else that you think you may need completed by a professional. You can focus on the areas that you are able to do yourself, and plan ahead for those that you will need to hire a professional. I’m definitely a big fan of online purchases when the company proves itself to be reliable and focused on customer satisfaction. Purchasing a backyard landscape design online not only provides you with a professional design by someone who is an expert in the field, but it also provides you with ONLY the product that you are looking for. In other words, this type of company will not attempt to sell you a package for installation as their business is strictly in design. It’s definitely worth looking into!

Local Landscaping Business
The local landscaping businesses in your areas most likely have backyard landscape design services as well as installation services. This can be a really good option if you’re looking to contract out at least part of the work. I know some local companies will offer a significant discount on the design service if you decide to purchase an installation package as well.

While at times I have been successful completing the landscaping for a small area without a design, when landscaping a larger area, or an area that will cover, say, the front of the house, I have had much more success when working with a design. For more information please view the pictures of backyard landscape designs that I have posted on this site so far. I will be continually adding more and more pictures to make this site as relevant to as many people as possible. I would also encourage you to utilize any of the designs that I have placed on this web site to help you establish your own design as needed.

I hope that this site is a useful reference for you in completing your own backyard paradise! Thank you for visiting, and enjoy!