Gardening with Allen: Let lifestyle changes inform your fall landscape planning

Our landscape needs some remodeling. Our needs have changed. We want to replace some child-oriented features with facilities for entertaining our friends and grown family.

Changes in lifestyle often suggest related changes in our living spaces, whether indoors or out. Other causes of landscape changes include overgrown or outdated plants, and crowded plants, as well as added features that accommodate lifestyle changes.

Before making additions, take a careful inventory of your existing landscape. It sounds like you would like to eliminate things like playground areas. Also consider changes such as lawns that are thin because of large shade trees. If they are no longer being used as play areas, perhaps more shade tolerant ground covers would fit your needs better.

Do you have a sloping area that may require retaining walls? Does water accumulate in areas that need drainage?

Check each tree and shrub carefully. Have they lost lower foliage and are no longer attractive? Do they have problems with insects or diseases that require frequent maintenance? Have they grown together and are shading each other so they have lost lower foliage? Have they been sheared into unnatural balls and boxes so they have lost their natural beauty? Would some plants be better off if moved to another location to accommodate their sun or shade requirements?

Make a list of desired uses. If entertainment is a major requirement, perhaps a larger deck or patio area is needed, or other types of hardscaping. Where is the best place to put entertainment features in terms of access from living areas and proximity to kitchen facilities? Would an added outside door improve access? The number of people you want to entertain will determine how large to make hardscape facilities.

Would an added area such as a water feature improve your outdoor enjoyment. Running water has a calming and relaxing effect.

Once you have some ideas down on paper, consider consultation with a professional. A landscape architect or landscape designer would be an early choice. Landscape contractors who have their own designers could also be used. Visit full service nurseries and others knowledgeable about plant choices when the design process is further along.

When you start selecting plants and other materials, make sure you check for ultimate sizes so you do not build in high maintenance requirements, such as frequent pruning.

Contact me if you need help with landscape consultation or landscape design.

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