Landscapes bring a touch of beauty to any space. Be it a home or community space, landscaping is often the first thing that captures the eye. Landscaping is much more than beautification. It creates spaces for relaxation and meditation, entertainment, and most importantly, conserving our land and water.
A well thought out landscape is essential in creating healthier places for ourselves and wildlife. By creating a landscape design before you get started, you can better plan, visualize, and achieve your goals. Designing a landscape can be intimidating – there’s entire professions based on it! We’ve broken down the process into three main steps.
Step 1: Conduct a site inventory.
Although it may sound technical, conducting a site inventory is the simple process of walking around your space and recording everything you see. The first step of conducting a site inventory is to create a base map.
Create a base map.
A base map is a scaled drawing that captures a bird’s eye view of your space. This can be done by hand or by using an online mapping tool like Google Maps {link to YouTube video}. If you are going the digital route, apps like Draw Plan or Draft Paper provide a digital graph paper where you can create your base map.
You do not need to be an artist to create a base map; any drawing that makes sense to you will do. If you are planning on drawing your base map by hand, here’s a list of items you will need:
- Graph paper
- Pen and pencil
- Compass
- Measuring tape (we recommend a 25’ and 100’ measuring tape)
- Ruler (straight ruler and circle template)
Pick one side of your space and start measuring all of the different features. Make sure to include your measurements.
A good base map should show:
- Property boundaries.
- All structures including the location of doors, windows, heating or air conditioning units, downspouts, and hose bibs.
- Any “fixed hard surfaces” such as sidewalks, driveways, streets, patios, and decks. Underground or overhead utilities, pipes, and cables – Oregon 811 provides free, convenient utility locating services.
- Existing plants including trees, shrubs, and garden beds. Mark the center of the plant and use a circle to indicate how big it is. Add your own symbols: you can use them to represent different types of plants such as evergreen or deciduousDeciduous Trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally., water or sun needs of the plants, and weeds that you want to remove.
Pro tip! Drawing a good base map takes time. It’s okay if your map is rough at first. Keep revising it until you are happy with the final product. Once you feel confident in your base map, you’ll want to make a few extra copies. These will give you a blank slate to try different ideas without having to redraw your base map each time.
Assemble your site inventory.
With your base map in hand, walk through your space and take careful notes about the site’s conditions. You’ll want to record the environmental conditions you see and your personal goals.
Pro tip! Use a different color pen or pencil for your site inventory than what you used for your base map.
Environmental Conditions:
- Sun and shade patterns. A sunny area is one that receives six hours or more of full sun each day. A shady area is one that receives six hours or more of full shade each day. Partial sun, partial shade, and similar terms sound like the same thing and generally they are. Partial sunny areas receive closer to six hours of full sun per day whereas partial shaded areas receive closer to six hours of shade. Remember gardening is not an exact science, your best guess or observation is fine here. When noting the location of sun and shade, it is important to remember that sun and shade patterns change with the seasons.
- Topography. Low spots tend to remain wet and can become drainage challenges. Steep slopes create erosion problems and need to be considered when designing your space.
- Wind exposure. Areas exposed to strong winds tend to dry out quicker. Likewise, wind exposure can draw heat away from your home.
- Soil. The type of soil you have will greatly affect which plants will grow and the drainage of an area. Sandy soils drain very quickly, while clay soils are slow to drain. Learn more about soil testing.
- Existing plants. The condition of existing plants can provide clues about your space. Where plants are growing well, make note of the conditions and find plants with similar growing requirements. Look for more suitable plants in areas where plants are not doing well.
Personal Goals:
In addition to the environmental conditions, it’s also important to consider all users when designing a landscape. Users are typically you, your family, your pets, and visitors. Each has their own needs.
A few things to consider:
- How do you plan to use the space? Make a list of the activities you want to do and then determine the best areas for them. This may include places for kids to play, areas for growing your own food, or spaces for creating wildlife habitat.
- How do you want the space to look? Are there any undesirable views you’d like to screen or desirable views you’d like to frame?
- What is your maintenance style? Don’t forget to consider the time you are willing to put into maintaining your space. Make sure to be realistic about your intentions.
Step 2: Complete a site analysis.
Now that you’ve created a site inventory, it’s time to start brainstorming what you want to do with your space. This is called a site analysis. Think of the site analysis as creating a rough draft of your landscape design.
One way to help organize your ideas is called bubble drawing or bubble diagramming. A bubble diagram allows you to organize your space in a way that fits your site conditions and personal goals.
The bubbles simply define general areas of your space. They offer a quick look at how a proposed layout would look and feel. Unspecific terms such as “shade tree,” “vegetable garden,” or “sunny, pollinator meadow” are still fine. At this stage it is okay to not know specifics and details.
Create several bubble diagrams and select the one that best fits. Use the final selection to develop a more detailed concept plan. In the concept plan, refine the individual bubbles into specific shapes and include any notes that will help you complete your design.
Once you’re satisfied with the concept plan, it’s time to dive into the details.
Get into the details.
It’s the moment you’ve been waiting for — it’s time to select plants. When choosing plants, keep in mind:
- Right plant, right place. Find plants that are well suited for your space’s conditions including sun and shade patterns, soil type, and water availability. Most plant guides will also include information about how quickly a plant will spread. Remember low-maintenance landscapes does not mean that no maintenance is required, all plants require some routine care to flourish.
- Design in layers. Different species of birds, insects and other wildlife use different layers of vegetation. Include large trees, small trees, large shrubs, small shrubs and flowers, and groundcovers to provide the best wildlife habitat.
- Plan for year-round blooms, berries, and seeds. The most wildlife friendly habitats incorporate a variety of plants that bloom throughout the growing season. This will provide rich nectar and pollen for pollinators and food for birds as they busily buzz around your landscape.
- Mix your plant palette. Look for plants that have a contrast in foliage color, shape, size, and texture – including a nice mix of large-leafed plants, spiky plants (think grasses), and smaller, more textured plants will add interest to your landscape. Consider color as well. Choosing a flower color will affect how your space feels. Purples, blues, and soft yellows are calming; bright reds, oranges and yellows are spicy and invigorating. A mixture of textures and colors means additional food sources for more animals adding biodiversity.
- Incorporate water and shelter. Providing a shallow basin of water allows your bird and bee neighbors to keep cool during hot weather. Nurse logsNurse Logs A fallen tree that supports plant seedlings and provides food and habitat for wildlife. and brush piles provide shelter and nesting spaces for birds, bats, bumblebees, and squirrels. Learn more about creating wildlife habitat.
- Watch out for structures. Trees too close to rooftops or large shrubs near fences can lead to problems down the road. Likewise, rain gardens sloping towards building foundations can cause long term damage. When in doubt, contact the experts at your local SWCD or Master Gardener to get advice. These services are free and are always available to help!
- Check out local resources. Check out local guides to help select the right plant. Some of our favorites include the Native Plants for Willamette Valley Yards booklet, the Meadowscaping Handbook, the Oregon Rain Garden Guide, and the Backyard Habitat Certification Program.
As you research plants, create a plant list. Take note of a plant’s height at maturity, its sun, shade, and soil moisture needs, and include a rough description. This will be helpful when you identify a final planting location.
Step 3: Finalize your design.
Now that you’ve selected your plants, it’s time to finalize your design. The final design is the culmination of all the work you’ve completed thus far and is the blueprint for your landscape.
Your final design will include your notes, graphics, plant lists and more. It is often best to break your final design into multiple drawings so you can quickly reference it while planting. A few things to consider:
- Plant populations, rather than specimens. Plants provide greater habitat and look better when planted in groups or “drifts.” When planting in drifts, it’s recommended that you do so in odd numbers like 3, 5, or 7. This will help plants to stand out to you and to the birds and bees you will be attracting to the garden.
- Allow room for plants to grow to mature size. By spacing plants to accommodate their expected size, you ensure that they have enough room to develop healthy root systems. As a result, plants will grow straighter and be less stressed and more resistant to pests.
- Be patient. Remember the common gardening phrase, “the first year they sleep, the second year they creep, the third year they leap.” It’s normal to not see much growth at first. Rest assured, there’s a lot of important work happening underground.
- Be prepared to edit. Plants often have a mind of their own. Some plants can’t be found at a nursery and may require substitution. Repeat what works, abandon what doesn’t. Revising your design as you go is all part of the fun!
Join Tualatin SWCD to practice creating a landscape design.
Tualatin SWCD can help you design your next landscape project. Join one of our upcoming in-person Naturescaping: Site Design workshops or watch a recording of a past webinar. Check our event calendar for the next in-person workshop.
Resources:
- Download this series of landscape designs for future reference.