Landscaping FAQ's
Below are some FAQ's for your landscaping needs provided by the experts at Underdog Landscape Supply. Though we only offer landscape supply and materials and not service, our professionals take pride in their work and own homes and have a few basic things to remember before landscaping your own home.
- I know that landscaping is about the overall look to your yard or garden, but what EXACTLY is considered landscaping?
- So the winter months are over and it is starting to get nice outside, I've noticed a lot of my neighbors are landscaping their yards, why should I spend the money to do mine?
- Ok, so I've decided I am going to landscape around my home, where should I start?
- Some of my neighbors have professionals coming in to do their landscaping, should I hire a professional?
- I've decided to complete my own landscaping, now what?
- Now I am ready to start planting, how should I lay this out?
- I guess I'm still not convinced landscaping is worth my time or money, so why should I bother?
- So I'm ready to landscape. I am doing it on my own and feel very comfortable with my decision. I have even mapped out my backyard and have found exactly what I want to do. Now where can I get what I need to start landscaping my home?
- I know that landscaping is about the overall look to your yard or garden, but what EXACTLY is considered landscaping? - By definition, landscaping is said to be home improvements on a property's grounds. The average person probably thinks of landscaping as everything that stands outside of the home itself as it is part of the property's landscape.
There are easily a million different things one can change outside of the home; landscaping design is considered the art of affecting these things individually to enhance the look or feel of your outdoor area or yard. No matter what size the area is, everyone has a landscape of some sort; everyone may not be able to see it the way some can though. » Return to top
- So the winter months are over and it is starting to get nice outside, I've noticed a lot of my neighbors are landscaping their yards, why should I spend the money to do mine? - Though you may not be in the market, it is a proven fact that landscaping can raise the real estate value of your home. It's almost like saying your home is on the market, but you refuse to clean it; more than likely a dirty home will turn potential buyers away. If the outside of your home is as enjoyable and as beautiful as the inside, someone will notice it, and when you are in the market to sell your home, it may just help you.
Statistics actually show that landscaping enhancements can raise your real estate's value by at least fifteen percent in some areas. » Return to top
- Ok, so I've decided I am going to landscape around my home, where should I start? - Your first concern is probably those old, dead, large oak tree's hanging over your roof, yes, that's part of your landscape too. For most people, their house is the biggest investment they have; so protect it!
Hire a professional and get any old limbs or trees cut down that may be near your house. Depending on the amount of work that is done, you may even start to see sunlight in areas of your yard you did not know was possible, what a perfect place for the new garden!
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- Some of my neighbors have professionals coming in to do their landscaping, should I hire a professional? - Hiring a professional is a matter of an opinion. If you feel you can complete the job yourself and complete it with a result you are satisfied with, you might be better off doing your landscaping on your own.
If you're worried that you may not have enough time or patience, you may not even have the creativity to landscape your own home, or skills, price out some of your local professionals! Talk to your neighbor up the street who hired a company and see what his opinion on their services and prices were.
The decision of do-it-yourself versus hiring a landscaping architect and other professionals largely depends on your budget and personal tastes or skills. Even many people who can afford to hire a landscaping company prefer to do the work themselves because the find it relaxing and rewarding. » Return to top
- I've decided to complete my own landscaping, now what? - Start where you feel comfortable. Look online for ideas that you like along with books, neighbors yards, and even on TV; your choices are endless!
Most people start with a plan. Take precise measurements of your yard and draw up the blue prints or a sketch of your property. Make sure you find where your cables are underground (with help from your utility companies) so you know what strategies you may unlikely encounter. Keep a close watch on your yard over a short period of time so you know which areas are sunny and which are shady, which have poor rain damage, which are fertile.
Once you see your backyard starting to map out, you will start to see how you can map out your following steps of landscaping such as installing patios, walkways, gardens, etc.
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- Now I am ready to start planting, how should I lay this out? - Whenever you put something together, you are engaged in designing, no matter what size the job. There are a few basic fundamental steps to follow now that you have decided to do-it-yourself.
1) Color or "Color Theory." Color theory is pretty complex in a whole; we will look at it from a landscaping point of view. According to color theory, the color spectrum is divided into four basic parts. These parts include:
A) The Primary: reds, yellows, and blues.
B) The Secondary: greens, violets/purples, and oranges.
C) Tertiary: mixtures of the primary and secondary categories.
D) The Neutrals: white, grays, and silvers.
Many know this spectrum to be represented with the color wheel divided into various hues/colors. Using this same color theory we all learned years ago, landscapers refer to this theory to choose adjacent colors in the spectrum in order to provide unity. Other landscapers may mix items in order to display contrast with their landscapes.
A simpler way to achieve unity is to match warm colors with other warm colors. This would mean using warm colors such as red, yellow, and orange, or cool colors such as blue, purple, and green.
A colors found in a backyard is actually much like the inside of a store or restaurant on the walls or logo; they all have some psychological meaning. In psychology, color theory has been proven to influence the moody. You can use this same idea to influence the mood felt in a yard. An example of something like this would be a meditation garden, where you will find blue flowers, something calming.
2) Form. In landscape terminology, form describes the shape of the plant. Plants can be upright, oval, spreading, weeping, columnar, ect...
3) Line. In landscape terminology, line refers to the fact that the viewer's eye movement or flow can be governed by the arrangement of plants and their borders. Eye movement is influenced by the way plant groupings fit together and even flow together both horizontally and vertically.
4) Texture. In landscape terminology, texture is the perceived surface quality of an object or plant.
Keep all of these factors in mind when designing your new landscape and try not to make it look more like a jungle than a comfortable backyard. » Return to top
- I guess I'm still not convinced landscaping is worth my time or money, so why should I bother? - Along with adding value to your home, the ideal landscape can provide you and your family with recreation, privacy, and pleasure. Think of designing a landscape for the bare lot surrounding your new home as an adventure in creativity. Consider how each small thing along the way can add into the big picture and turn into an amazing project for your home. Landscaping is truly something everyone can enjoy, whether you enjoy designing it, creating it, or relaxing in it; everyone is involved! » Return to top
- So I'm ready to landscape. I am doing it on my own and feel very comfortable with my decision, I have mapped out my backyard and have found exactly what I want to do; where can I get what I need to start landscaping my home? - Underdog Landscape Supply. Underdog Landscape Supply is located in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania and has been providing landscaping supplies for professionals and people just like you since 1994. The have a store located in Conshohocken that you can visit, you can call them and speak to a sales representative, and you can even visit them online at http://www.717-569-2484.com. Once you have decided what you want, Underdog Landscape Supply even offers same day delivery services for Conshocken, Philadelphia, Main Line Area, Eastern Montgomery County (in Pennsylvania), and even delivery services for Northern Delaware!
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