The Different Types of Landscape Design
Hardscape elements refer to patios, decks, pools, retaining walls, or other “hard” features within the landscape design. It’s essentially anything that’s built into the landscape, typically using some form of wood, stone, or building material. Softscape features are any plants or horticultural elements that add depth the design.
A seasoned design professional can help you to combine client vision + needs to develop to enhance the exterior of your property and boost your curb appeal. Below is a little more about the landscape design and build process.
What’s Involved in Landscape Design?
The landscape design process involves blending hardscape and softscape design elements to make the optimum use of the lawn space. Your family’s intended usage of the area such as entertaining guests, recreation habits, and privacy needs will all be taken into consideration during this process.
An experienced landscape designer will take a project that may feel large and overwhelming in scope, and break it down into manageable phases. This ensures that you will be able to maximize usage of your space when the project is complete.
What It’s Like to Work With Ringers on Your Landscape Design
The Property Survey
When you contact Ringers for landscape design services, the process begins with a property survey so that our experienced team can understand the different elements of your property, and how to incorporate them into the new design. This survey consists of taking note of the area in its current state.
We’ll be looking at various elements including:
- Current hardscape features – We’ll look at the current patio or deck, any retaining walls, walkways, or other features that may be on the property. It’s important to understand their condition.
- Current softscape features – We’ll look at the current plantings to understand what is growing on the property.
- Sunlight – We’ll look at the sunlight and shade ratios on the property to understand how plants, trees and other softscape features may be incorporated in later stages.
- Elevation, Drainage, Location of Utilities – These factors will be considered so that they can be incorporated into the finished master plan.
Meeting with the Landscape Design Team in the Ringers Conference Room
Our customers meet with our experienced landscape design team to discuss their ideas for the master plan. This is when we look at the customer vision + needs to determine what the best path forward will look like.
We’ll discuss various potential opportunities for the outdoor living area, including:
- Patios
- Stoops
- Gardens
- Retaining walls
- Rain gardens
- Trees
- Grasses
- Plants
- Deciduous or evergreen shrubs
- Other hardscape or landscape features
Getting Started on a Hardscape and/or Softscape Master Plan
It’s at this stage that the work begins on a final master plan incorporating hardscape and/or softscape features, depending on the needs of the customer. The landscape designer’s job is to incorporate the client’s vision and needs into a cohesive and functional design. In the early stages of the design work, the plan serves as an overview or an initial layout.
During the conceptual phase of this process, the details of the design can be discussed and altered to meet customer needs. This gives the design team and the customer the chance to align their visions for the best possible outdoor area.
Once the concept is approved, the landscape designer advances to developing a finalized master plan. This takes shape in a scaled blueprint that lays out the hardscape and softscape elements in the new plan. There will also be detailed listings that include:
- Hardscape elements and materials needed
- Softscape elements and materials needed
- Sizes, quantities and specifications for all elements
We can also incorporate computer renderings to give you a visual understanding of what the completed design will look like.
Implementation and Scheduled Work
Once the master plan is finalized, work can begin on the project. The amount of time it takes to implement the master plan depends on several factors, including the size of the job and the homeowner’s budget. It can take days, weeks, or months, depending on the circumstances of the job.
The Advantages of Having a Professionally Developed Landscape Design
When you have a professionally designed landscape, you can be confident that you are making the most out of your outdoor living space. You’ll have an area that you and your family can enjoy in your favorite ways. For instance, if you’re looking to entertain more often during the summer months, we can help you to develop a patio, pool, and outdoor kitchen setup that will meet your needs.
You will have a cohesive design that has been meticulously considered to meet your needs. This can lead to a location that you’re ready to enjoy on a deeper level.
Hire an Experienced Professional Landscape Design Company
Hiring a landscape design company for a master plan is an excellent way to develop a holistic view of your property. It’s a way to make sure that your hardscape and softscape elements are blended together to compliment each other to best serve you. While you could work on these projects piece-by-piece, incorporating them in a master plan allows you to make sure that they work together in one cohesive design.
Our seasoned landscape design team typically spends 20 hours or more on a landscape design project, determining the elements that will work the best to meet your family’s needs. They will communicate on a regular basis to ensure that everything within the plan will fully meet your family’s needs.
Are you ready to make the most of your home’s exterior? Contact Ringers Landscaping today to find out more about how we can help with a landscape master plan.
