What if we told you that upgrading your yard shouldn’t be a long, painful, and expensive process?
If you have been through that already you understand how excruciating this path can become!
Or maybe you have not been on this path yet. Maybe you are considering updating your outdoor landscaping. But the thought of spending months of your life finding a landscaper, going back and forth over dozens of ideas and designs only to realize that your initial budget was half the cost in the final proposal, keeps your yard in the “one-day-some-day” bucket.
Well, there is an alternative. With just a grain of thought and a dash of planning, you can turn your yard into a space you’ll be proud of.
Ready to slay the procrastination monster and take the first step?
By the end of this quick read, you’ll have a good idea of how to save yourself lots of time and potentially thousands of dollars.
Now whether you are a white-belt gardener or a complete garden ninja, Here is a short list of topics that will save you most of the headache
Current condition– What is your starting point? Is your yard well kept or does some of the budget need to be allocated towards a yard cleanup? Pro tip- a deep cleanup will do wonders for your garden. In some cases, we’ll even recommend doing it before making any decision about the style and design of your yard. Trust us, you’ll see things differently once your yard is nice and tidy. New and awesome ideas will pop into your mind, just like a clean canvas.
Irrigation– Do you have an irrigation system? If so, is it functional? This is a pretty straightforward one. It will determine the potential plants you might use. Whether we can use ornamental plants that require more water or stick to native plants, succulents, and cacti.
If there is an irrigation system, make sure you have it checked before any planting is done.
Sunlight– An often overlooked yet super important element is the hours of sunlight your yard gets. Matching the types of plants to their preferred sunlight exposure can make a huge difference. It doesn’t have to be super accurate. A general idea of how many hours of sunlight different areas of your yard get is usually enough.
Deer– there is no nice way to say it. If you have deer around your yard and you plant deer-resistant plants, they will tear your garden apart. Don’t be fooled by their cuteness. This animal is a savage yard eliminator. So when planning your yard, make sure you use plants that are not usually on the deer’s long menu.
Maintenance– Now this is crucial, so make sure you account for that. To keep the yard in great shape after the installation you need to have it maintained regularly(!!!). It will be heartbreaking to see your beautiful outdoors, which you just spent a good chunk of change upgrading, turning into an eyesore in the blink of a month. So unless you love to work in the garden and are committed to doing it regularly, please hire someone. We might know a company…
Style– If one picture is worth a thousand words, just think about the million words it would take to describe the different styles and designs. We know you don’t have all day for this so just keep these two tips in mind:
- Pictures, pictures, and more pictures- if you see a design you like take a picture of it. It’s that simple. Whether it’s your neighbor, your friends, family, or grand master G (we mean Google) just make sure you have those designs saved. Seriously, we can’t emphasize enough how helpful it is and how much time and money it could save you to just have pictures of designs you like.
- The style you choose will determine the amount of time (and money) you’ll need to maintain your outdoors after the installation. For example, if you are looking for a relatively low-maintenance design, you may want to consider xeriscape, drought-tolerant plants, or even a wild native-plant garden. If you just love the looks of Royal English or Japanese gardens, just be aware that these styles usually require high skill and frequent maintenance.
Budget
This is where we add up everything we wrote above to get a number. If that number fits your budget, we have a winner! If not, this is when adjustments are being made and the scope of work might get pruned a bit.
And unless you have an unlimited budget, for the most part, there will be some trade-offs.
In case you have a modest budget (under $2,500) we would encourage you to focus on a good yard cleanup and maybe an upgrade of one area only rather than trying to stretch the limited budget over the entire yard. Sounds a little crazy I know but with the cost of materials and labor these days trying to tackle a full-yard transformation on a tight budget might lead to a bunch of okay-looking uninspiring areas. And okay as you know is the cousin of not good!
Ready to transform your yard into a breathtaking haven? Contact Zazu Landscaping today and let us help you create the garden of your dreams!
Call (or text) us at 737-339-8988
