Landscaping For Dummies. Lance Walheim

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       If you plan to be outdoors in the late afternoon, figure out where you’ll be most comfortable at that time of day. Maybe the shady spot under the big tree out back. If the sun shines hot where a patio is or may be, consider installing an overhead structure for shade or planting shade trees.

       If you want to use the garden (or view the garden) at night, investigate and install well-chosen lighting (see Chapter 10).

       If you still want to be outdoors during the rainy season, investigate creating a covered patio.

       If bugs populate the yard at the same time that you do (summer evenings), a screened-in porch or patio will keep them at bay.

       If you want to get outdoors early in the spring or well into autumn, keep or plant trees and structures that don’t block the sun.

       If you enjoy every minute of summer outdoors, choose trees, shrubs, and flowers that bloom throughout the season (refer to Part 3).

       Terrace a steep site so there are beds of plants alternating with flat, open spaces and stairs connecting them.

       Devote half of a backyard to soft grass for the kids to tumble in, and the other half to a patio or deck with outdoor furniture so they can be easily supervised by lounging adults.

       Replace a lawn with planter boxes flanking wide paths that lead to a destination dining/grilling area.

       Attach decorative containers to a privacy wall or fence, and fill with various colorful and cascading plants.

       Choose food plants that are also beautiful, such as blueberry bushes, Swiss chard, scarlet runner beans, even certain grain plants.

       If you’re often away, traveling for business or pleasure, you may want a yard with hardscape and very few plants. (See Part 2 for more on hardscape.)

       Avoid overplanting or using fast-growing plants that get too large for their space. They’ll need to be pruned or even, in time, removed.

       Having cut flowers in annual beds adds lots of color to your yard, but you’ll need to replant when you harvest for bouquets. Use lower-maintenance perennials or flowering shrubs instead.An annual is a plant that completes its life in a single season, and they’re generally planted once a year; find out more in Chapter 13. Perennials, on the other hand, return year after year and tend to be more full and floriferous as they mature. Chapter 14 explains perennials in more detail.

       Lawns are a lot of work and consume a lot of resources. Determine whether you want one. Consider having a much smaller one, or instead plant an easy-going groundcover. Check out Chapter 16 for ideas.

       If you plan to build wooden landscape elements like decks (refer to Chapter 8) and fences (see Chapter 6), plan on painting or applying preservatives every two to three years. Masonry (brick and concrete) needs less maintenance.

       If you install your landscape without an irrigation system, you end up having to water everything yourself … even if you live in a climate where rainfall helps. For a practical discussion on watering and various options, flip to Chapter 5.