Here are some bigger jobs that require more time and heavier labor. Feel free to tackle them yourself if you’re inclined, but you may want to get professional help. For one thing, a professional can get it done a lot faster, without mistakes or undue waste.
Installing a fence and gate (refer to Chapter 6)
Building steps (see Chapter 8)
Installing an irrigation system (check out Chapter 5)
Building stone or stacked-concrete walls (see Chapter 6)
Planting large trees (refer to Chapter 11)
Pruning or removing large trees (refer to Chapter 11)
Doing electrical, plumbing, or gas-line work
Building large outdoor structures, such as a shed
Pouring concrete (see Chapter 9)
Installing a patio (flip to Chapter 9)
Building a deck (see Chapter 8)
Installing a pool
WHO YOU GONNA CALL?
Should you decide to holler for help, holler in the right direction. When you're ready to call in a pro, talk to trusted friends and neighbors first. Track down a local Master Gardener or Master Gardeners group, or ask at your favorite local garden center or nursery, and see whom they suggest. Ask for recommendations for companies that have done satisfying work; don't hire Jimmy-down-the-street's cousin just because he's the only name on your list. Ask for references, and check them. A drive-by around a former client's property may be all you need to see if the work is up to snuff. You can also check online reviews, but bear in mind that only the happiest and the most-disgruntled people tend to write online reviews.
Work quality isn't the only consideration, though. Ask whether the work was done on schedule, at a fair price, and whether clean-up afterward was satisfactory. Would the client hire the contractor again? When you've narrowed down your list, check with the Better Business Bureau, your state Attorney General’s office, and/or professional associations.
If you feel at all shaky about your skills as a designer, call in a landscape designer to give you advice or even draw up a plan for you. You can also show the pro your own plan and ask for suggestions or confirmation of your good common sense — all for a fee, of course. The help of a genuine landscape architect is warranted if you have a large property, are starting from scratch, and/or can afford their more-expensive expertise.
For more on various sorts of landscape professionals, including information on professional associations that can lead you to them, turn to Appendix A.
Part 2
Building Hardscape into Your Yard
IN THIS PART …
Get a handle on your site if you’re ready to add a hardscape element, including preparing the land, knowing what tools you’ll need, and so on.
Understand the ins and outs of water, including drainage and different watering systems.
Add some privacy to your landscape design by including a fence, wall, and gate.
Incorporate a path or walkway into your garden to highlight your plants and welcome guests.
Create an outdoor living space and place to entertain friends and family by building a deck or patio.
Consider a wide array of fun and creative ways you can bring your garden to life with lighting, fire pits, raised planters, and so much more.
Chapter 4
Taming Your Site
IN THIS CHAPTER
When you’re ready to install or redo a yard, you may feel overwhelmed, wondering where to start. We advise you, whenever possible, to plan and execute major landscape improvements, fixes, and hardscape projects first, before anything else. This chapter shows you how, beginning with some general guidelines for most any type of outdoor construction project. We empower you to do it yourself. If you hire some help or bring in someone to do the whole thing, though, at least you’ll have a sense of what’s involved.
The first step of landscape construction is to prepare your site for plants and structures. Whether your home is surrounded by bare land or by a mature, established yard, before installing your new landscaping, you have to lay out (locate and mark) the site improvements, grade the ground for any structures, stabilize slopes, solve drainage problems, and make sure any underground utilities, such as electrical wiring or water lines for irrigation, are safely installed.
Focusing on Construction Basics
Outdoor structures are fun to build, and many are within the capabilities of a novice builder. Other projects are more complex, requiring an experienced hand. This section provides some basic information for both types of projects — after you review our information, you should be able to determine what you can handle or what you may need help to do.
Looking at site challenges
A building project shouldn’t involve a carefree, anything-goes approach. Whatever you build or install outdoors endures constant exposure to the weather and withstands continuous contact with the ground, which teems with organisms that accelerate rotting. The ground is also subject to the following:
Frost heaves (in areas with severe winters, freeze-thaw cycles cause the ground to buckle)
Natural settling (natural compaction of soil over time)
Creepage (the sliding of soil down a slope over time)
Poor