Landscaping For Dummies. Lance Walheim

we’ve made some key changes and updates, including the following:

       New ideas to kick-start your landscape planning.

       Useful advice and tips for taming your site so the nonplant additions or renovations, such as fences, walls, gates, paths, decks, patios, and so on, are not only long-lasting and attractive, but also sensitive to the way your landscape is already.

       Tons of updated information and ideas for planting everything from trees to shrubs and vines to flowers, in sun or shade. We separate out and beef up the chapters on annuals, perennials and bulbs, succulents and container gardening, and groundcovers to help you access the information more easily.

       Insight into lawns and the reality that they take space from actual gardens and consume a lot of resources and time, so you may consider alternative groundcovers.

       New information about the current trends toward native plants and matching your plant choices more closely to your climate and soil.

       Straight talk about dealing with critters, from deer to insect pests, and some sensible information and advice about weeds and weed control.

       Revisions to how you can deal with and prepare for extreme weather and understand climate and climate change.

Foolish Assumptions

      When writing this book, we’ve made a few assumptions about you, our dear reader. We assume the following:

       You’re bored with or disappointed in the way your yard looks, but you need inspiration — and advice — on how to make it better.

       Although you’ve greatly admired beautiful plantings or backyard designs, you haven’t a clue how to make something like that happen in your own yard.

       You really want to spend more enjoyable time in your yard but need help figuring out how to block out neighboring properties or views and make yours into a true sanctuary.

       Buying trips you’ve made to the garden center have left you overwhelmed and confused. Plants you chose in the past just haven’t lasted or done well.

       Landscaping in an ecologically wise way is important to you, but you don’t know how or where to begin.

       You’ve experienced success with DIY indoor projects and feel ready, willing, and able to tackle your outdoor spaces, but need guidance and information.

Icons Used in This Book

      Throughout this book, you can find icons — small pictures next to the text that point out extra-important information. Here’s what they all mean:

       For gems of accumulated wisdom — quite often the kind learned by painful experience! — follow this icon.

Consider this icon like a stop sign — when you see it, stop and pay extra attention, because we only use it to help you avoid serious mistakes or bodily harm.

       You’re trying to work correctly and efficiently and to be sensitive to the environment. Problem is, you may not always know what’s right and what isn’t. When you see this icon, we’re pretty certain that we’re steering you in the proper direction.

       This icon highlights the jargon and concepts that you need to know, either to communicate with your contractor or to understand and buy materials and plants for yourself.

Beyond This Book

      This book is chock-full of tips and other pieces of helpful advice you can use as you landscape your yard. If you want some additional tidbits of wisdom, check out the book’s Cheat Sheet at www.dummies.com. Just search for “Landscaping For Dummies Cheat Sheet.”

Where to Go from Here

      We hope you’re starting to feel excited about your new landscape and the creative juices are starting to flow. So, now what? You can flip through the index or Table of Contents to find a subject that interests you.

      Or you can turn to whatever section looks to have the answers and information you’re wanting most, whether it’s Part 2’s chapter on paths, Part 3’s chapter on using containers in your landscape, or Part 5’s “theme” gardens. You can backtrack to drawing a plan or taming a slope later; it’s all here.

      When you’re ready, roll up your sleeves and let us empower and guide into making the home landscape you’ve always wanted. It’s easier than you think and more fun than you can imagine.

Part 1

      Getting Started with Landscaping

IN THIS PART …

       Figure out what you want to do by knowing what you want. Know what you already have and what you need.

       Familiarize yourself with words and concepts that designers use so that you can analyze your plans the same way that a professional does.

       Get creative with your landscape ideas and put those plans on paper.

Chapter 1

      Designing Your Landscape: The Birth of Your Design

      IN THIS CHAPTER

       Dreaming up your perfect landscape

       Assessing your current landscape’s needs and potential

       Thinking about your property differently

      Just envision it: You walk out your back door to a beautiful, comfortable oasis. Transforming your yard isn’t only totally doable, but the process is also rewarding and yes, fun. The new look begins with new thinking: figuring out what you want most, finding inspiring ideas, and dovetailing those dreams with practical considerations.

      Your new, improved landscape should be a place you and those you live with genuinely enjoy and use. The hardscape (the parts of your landscape that are physically hard, like a deck or fence) can create an outdoor room for relaxing as well as for entertaining from time to time. The plants can provide bright color, privacy, sunblock, or minimal maintenance — whatever you’re looking for. The idea is to make it yours, personalized the way you like it. It will become your outdoor home, practical and pretty.

      Here we encourage you to think what’s possible. You can cross the bridge between dreaming and reality. We show you how in this chapter.

Starting with Dreams — Create Your Wish List

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