Landscape Planning

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Some people may ask why spend the time and money to have a professionally designed landscape plan? I can’t stress the importance of getting a comprehensive design put together before attempting any landscape installation. There is great value in a well designed plan in which I will go into detail below. Pine to Prairie takes an artistic approach to the drafting and design process which produces a beautiful end result in the plan as well as in the landscape.

A master plan allows the designer to better convey their thoughts and reasons for design solutions. It also acts a construction document informing contractors how to implement the design. Having a master plan also allows the home owner to work within set budgets by being able to phase a project over a number of years. The end result is that your project falls within your budget and you didn’t have to compromise the design.

It’s obvious when a landscape was not planned out ahead of time or was designed at different times - the final product can end up looking “hodge podge”. A master plan also allows you to keep cohesiveness throughout the landscape.

Before you meet with your landscape designer it is important to do a little homework by looking through books and magazines finding pictures of landscapes that appeal to you. This will help you convey your likes and dislikes clearly to the designer. The first part of the design process is to break up areas on the property into rooms with a bubble diagram. This involves designating areas for recreation, dinning, entertaining, cooking, and relaxation. Once that is complete you can better visualize the flow and function between all the rooms.

The next step is the creative process. At Pine to Prairie, we make sure that no two designs are alike. The style of the landscape will reflect the individual style of each home owner. The idea behind creating a plan is to look at the big picture. Start with structural elements like patios, walkways, decks, pergolas, and seat walls. Then look at plant form not just the flower color or fall foliage. Think of flowers or foliage as specks of color within the landscape. There are three key design elements:

• Visual structure
  
• Relationship among elements
  
• Balance

Keeping those key elements in mind while designing will ensure an outstanding finished landscaped. A well designed plan will make a connection between the architecture of the home, the existing natural surrounding as well as reflect the home owner’s personal style.

We view a plan as being functional as well as a beautiful work of art. All plans are rendered and some include perspective drawings, all of which help you better visualize the end product. We feel a landscape design is of equal in value to house plans. Most people would never start building a house with out plans; why should the landscape be any different? Pine to Prairie provides a unique service in that once a design has been completed for you the designer is there from start to finish helping manage the installation of the project ensuring a high end, quality landscape. Contact us today to begin transforming your yard into a work of art.