Spring is here and Summer is just around the corner. The long hot days and cool nights of summer can be so much more enjoyable with great landscaping that will enhance the quality of time spent in and around your home. Landscaping is an important extension of your home that can provide beauty and character for many years to come.

When planning the steps for landscaping your home the first step should be to think about what you want to accomplish. What are your objectives for the space? How are your needs going to change and grow over time; and how much time do you want to spend maintaining it? Knowing what you want and need is the first step to planning your landscape. Whether you design it yourself or work with a professional it is important to identify your needs.

Before your brain goes off and running in a million different directions it is not fun but very necessary to think about a budget. How much money do you have set aside for your project? Perhaps it will be necessary to create a plan that can be accomplished in phases.

Drawing your plan is the next step. The base plan is the key to successfully creating a new outdoor living space. You don’t have to be a professional to draw one. Roughly sketch out the layout of your lot and house. Make sure to note all fixed elements such as trees. Add the essential elements such as property boundaries, fences, outdoor walkways and lighting. Once you have your base drawn out the fun begins. You can sketch multiple designs by placing tracing paper over your base plan and experimenting with numerous different designs. Keep sketching until you come up with a design that you love.

When planning your landscape think about the flow of the design. A good flow will offer a transition from your home to your outdoor living space. Keep in mind the traffic patterns that currently exist as well as how you will work around the slopes and various points in your yard. Visualize the plantings in different seasons with the different colors and shapes.

Your outdoors can be just as sophisticated and polished as the inside of your home. There are plenty of extra luxuries that can help to personalize your space while making it comfortable and useful. Built in fireplaces, planters and seating as well as outdoor bars and cooking spaces are fun additions to any backyard. Sculptures and fountains are inexpensive ways to add your own unique personality and design to your backyard oasis.

Professional experts can be helpful depending on how extensive your work is. It is important to know your professional. The best way to find your landscape professional is by asking someone you know like your friend, neighbor or other service professional such as a contractor referral service for reliable landscape contractors.

In addition to enhancing your outdoor living there are numerous landscaping steps that you can take to minimize your home’s impact on the environment. Using trees and vegetation can cut your summertime air conditioning use by shading all of the east and west facing windows. Shading windows from the outside with strategically placed trees or trellises with vines can not only help to keep your home cool but also provide a beautiful look both inside and out. In addition, spending more time cooking outdoors can keep the house cool and reduce the need for air conditioning. Using native plants to your area can reduce watering and maintenance. Keeping traditional lawn areas smaller and instead replacing with ground cover or hardscape. Recycling kitchen waste into garden compost is an effective and affordable way to keep your plants healthy and reduce your garbage.

There are several different types of hardscape available on the market today. Bricks and pavers offer a tremendous amount of versatility and offer a very traditional look. In addition pavers stay cooler, look nice and allow vegetation to grow through. Concrete and gravel can be an asset to your yard in that they can be poured into any shape and finished in a variety of ways. Tile and flagstone are other options.

Keep a running wish list of everything you want in your backyard, even if you think you can’t afford it. You never know when you will find a great deal. Collect pictures from magazines and photographs from friends’ homes.

Remember that beautiful landscaping will not only enhance your home life but it will also be beneficial to its resale value.

If you are planning a backyard landscaping project there are many reputable contractors that offer the necessary services and options. When choosing make sure the contractor is properly licensed. Always get multiple bids. Five Star Consumer Referrals, Inc, offers a free referral service to homeowners. While homeowners are ultimately responsible for who they choose to work on their home Five Star Consumer Referrals pre-screens its contractors through the California Contractors State License Board.

For more information contact Five Star Consumer Referrals, Inc. at (949) 305-5900.