5 Questions to Ask When Planning Your Outdoor Landscape Design

Planning Your Outdoor Landscape

Now that the frigid days of winter and our backyards are no longer hidden under six solid feet of snow, the days of lounging in your backyard are coming soon. The choice is yours whether your backyard will be a beautiful escape, or a boring, unused space. If you prefer option A, just ask yourselves these five questions and you’ll have everything you need to transform your outdoor landscape design into a backyard paradise:

What is Your Lifestyle?

No two people are alike and therefore, no two dream backyard visions are the same. Sit back, relax, and close your eyes. What is a perfect day in your backyard? For one person, it’s lounging with a good book in a quiet, tranquil outdoor reading nook. For another, it’s laughing with friends and good wine around a fire pit. For someone else, it’s watching the kids bounce and play in a playground area. All of these visions are wonderful choices, but which one is closest to yours?  How do you plan to use the space, now and in the future? Flip through design magazines and Pinterest boards – what design aspects speak to you? What elements make no sense for your lifestyle? Make a list and start narrow it down.

What Special Features Speak to You?

You have the opportunity to create an outdoor space that is the talk of the neighbourhood, or opt for a simple, classic design. Have you always wanted a koi pond? Do you dream of Sunday afternoons destressing in your very own zen garden? Do you want work the design around a swimming pool, hot tub, or fire pit? Can you imagine a pizza oven in your outdoor BBQ area? Or an epic tree house for the kids? A backyard doesn’t need special features to be paradise, but don’t let yourself shy away just because it goes beyond green grass and an Adirondack chair.

What Landscape Design Makes the Most Sense?

Landscape design is not just about plunking a few flowers and pavers down and calling it a day. An expertly designed outdoor space has flow, and functionality. Work with your landscape designer to come up with a layout that incorporates all the key elements but has a practical flow.

What Flooring is Best?

There are pros and cons in terms of function, price, durability, and aesthetic for all flooring materials. Wood, concrete, stone, pavers, gravel, and grass all have different advantages and drawbacks. Consider the overall feel of your outdoor space coupled with practical matters when deciding the right materials for your walkways, patio, and deck (if you have a swimming pool, a non-slip deck surround is important).

What Plants Create the Right Atmosphere?

Finally, you need to think about what kind of plants will help you achieve your landscape design vision. You will have to consider the sun/shade situation for your property. Your landscape professional can recommend the optimal choices that will thrive in your backyard while offering a variety of colours, shapes, textures, and heights to give you that “wow” factor.

Hansen has everything you need for creating a stunning outdoor landscape design, from the first moments of inspiration through the nitty gritty of planning, installation, and maintenance. To learn more, don’t forget to check out Ed Hansen’s presentation on this topic at the Ottawa Home & Garden Show on March 26, or visit the Hansen team in the “Living Landscapes” garden!