Bought a large place with tremendous potential for a lawn in the front but didn’t know how to go about it? You’ve come to the right place. Landscaping 101 will show you just how easy it is to get a beautiful lawn going and develop it over a period of time.

Landscapes add big value and curb appeal to your home. With adequate water and moderate climate, it grows well in all seasons and does not cost a great deal of money. Here's how to get started with your landscaping plans.

Plan your Landscape

1. To plan your landscape, walk to the opposite side of the road and view your property -if possible, ideally from a slight height.

2. Go back into your house and look up the internet or magazines / books on landscape designs. Since you have a good idea what the front of your property looks like, it should be easy to choose a design that with some modification will suit your property.

3. Next, bring out your camera or smartphone and revisit the opposite side of the road and this time, imagine the selected landscape design as applied to your property. Don’t hurry. Take your time scrutinizing every square foot or meter of your property. Take a few pictures of your property.

4. Go back into your house and print the pictures you’ve just taken. Print them in a large format (A4 size should do nicely).

5. Visit the local council office to make sure you’ve understood and taken into account any local laws and regulations governing landscaping.

6. Use a pencil to sketch the outline of your lawn and pathways. Will there be a children’s play area? If so, sketch that in. Anything that isn’t there at the moment and you would like it to be a part of the landscape should be sketched in. Similarly, use photo editing software to erase anything that is currently there but you plan to have it removed once the landscape is done. Add notes and ideas to the paper. If something strikes you, put it down or you may not remember it later and take help form Austin Landscaping Design.

You now have the makings of a plan. You can take these drafts and visit the neighbourhood draftsman to have your sketches formally rendered – your landscape master plan is now ready.

With your master plan in hand, visit the Austin landscaping professional and show him (or her) your plans and also mention your budget for the whole thing. Listen to what they have to say – from their experience they may point out some problem areas or offer better ways of achieving some things. Most Austin landscape contractor will also be happy to give you a free quote for the work.

When you are ready to have them start on your landscape, ask for a contract and read it carefully. Usually these are Austin Landscaping standard service contracts but if you think it prudent, you can hire a lawyer to go over it.