5. Budget
This is the fifth and final installment in the Planting Design Series. Budget is where the rubber meets the road. As you are probably aware, if the goals for a landscape project are disproportionate with the available budget, a poorly designed landscape will naturally follow. When budget constraints lead to a dysfunctional planting design, the wrong plants will be chosen or the right plants will be placed in unsuitable locations, or you might not have enough plants and have gaps within the planting beds. Situations like this will lead to buyer’s remorse due to plants dying or by having plants that simply don’t look good in the landscape. However, a tighter budget doesn’t have to turn into a landscape fiasco. Tighter budgets call for creative designs that not only satisfy financial constraints but also meet the needs of the client and the project site. As creative solutions in planting design require training and expertise, it is important to hire a professional landscape architect to craft a design that is desirable and within the planned budget.
This is what poor spacing and improper plant selection looks like—not a pretty sight.
Image Source: www.jonnawalters.com
The first thing you need to consider when making the decision to do improvements to your landscape is that a well-planned planting design is an investment into your property. A study by the Virginia Cooperative Extension shows that a good, diversified landscape design can increase the resale value of a home by as much as 12%. This is great news if you’re looking to enhance curb appeal or if you’re trying to increase the value of your property before putting it on the market. Doing landscaping work doesn’t have to break the bank to make a significant return on investment. For example, according to this article by Quicken Loans, an investment as little 5% of the overall value of your home can have returns as high as 150%.
A common misconception when it comes to creating a landscape that is budget friendly is to cut out larger plant material (i.e., trees, shrubs, perennials, and groundcovers) and invest in a larger lawn since sod is cheaper up front. However, in the long term, a lawn will cost a tremendous amount of money, time, and water—not to mention that a large lawn is not environmentally friendly. The EPA estimates that the average American homeowner consumes up to 10,000 gallons of water per year for outdoor use. The majority of that water is used by lawns—especially during periods of drought. You can cut back on water uses (and long-term maintenance costs) in your landscape by decreasing lawn sizes and increasing the amount and or sizes of planting beds that utilize water-wise plants. Additionally, a large lawn requires more intense maintenance. Whether you hire a lawn care professional or plan on doing all the mowing, edging, trimming, and blowing yourself, the cost (both monetary and time) to maintain a lawn can get pretty high. You have to consider the expense of paying someone to take care of your large lawn about once a week (to keep it looking tip-top) or, if you plan on taking care of it yourself, you have to take into account the cost of purchasing the necessary equipment and fuel to get the job done right. All of this is not to say that you should eliminate your lawn space altogether; it just means that you might want to consider cutting back on the size of lawn. Also, you’d be surprised by how a well designed landscape can make even a small amount of lawn look larger than it really is—or in the very least, give you enough lawn to satisfy your desire for lush grass to relax and play on.
While a large lawn may look impressive, it's really not practical; nor is it kind to the environment.
Image Source: Pintrest
Another good cost saving strategy is to incorporate native plants into your landscape. Native plants are better adapted to local growing conditions and, therefore, are more likely to perform well in your specific region. Plants that are native also require less water and fertilizer, thus saving you money in the long term.
A native grass such as the Prairie Dropseed seen in the foreground of this photo, is a good alternative to traditional turf grass.
Image Source: c1.staticflickr.com
So if you’re trying to sell your home, spruce up a commercial property, or simply want to enjoy a little bit of garden paradise in your backyard without incurring pricey long term maintenance costs, it would be a wise investment to have a landscape design professional assist you in the process. A landscape designer can develop a planting plan that best meets your needs and is well suited to the varying conditions of your property. Reach out to Shippey Landscape Architecture today to learn how to improve your property without breaking the bank!