CREATING A SITE PLAN

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The builder's site plan shows contours, the leach lines next to the house, the reserve leach field behind the house and a few of the pine trees.

Site Plan

A Printed Plan

Develop a site plan of the area you want to landscape. You may be able to copy one supplied by the developer of the property, or you can draw a diagram yourself, letting 1 inch represent 10 feet. Drawing to scale will make it easier to be sure you are allowing enough space for each plant and feature. It is also useful to include the present contours of the land. If you are skilled with a CAD program (computer aided design), you could generate your plot plan on the computer.

Try Out Several Designs

• Tape tracing paper over the plan and write on the paper rather than the plan, making it easy to start over with a clean sheet of tracing paper when you have a sudden inspiration. As an alternative, you can make multiple copies to try out various design ideas.

• Begin by outlining areas for various activities and structures. You can simply draw circles or squares and label them. You aren’t choosing plants yet. In designing pathways and planters, remember that curves are less formal and more appealing than straight lines.

• Locate features with convenience in mind. Which areas should be closest to the house? For example, children’s play areas should be viewable from inside the house. A compost bin for kitchen waste is not beautiful to look at, yet it may discourage use if located too many steps away from the kitchen. Herbs for cooking should be readily available near the kitchen. Fruit trees that produce once a year can be located farther out. A native plant garden might be more distant and accessed by walking an interesting pathway or it could be adjacent to the house for viewing through a window.

Check Your Observations

Review your design thinking about your previous analysis of the site. Your plan should accommodate the conditions and preferences that you noted during the changing seasons.

Consult a Professional

If you feel uncertain about your design, you may want to consult a professional garden designer. You can ask for a few hours’ consultation to confirm that you are heading in the right direction. After you discuss the plan, you can decide if you want to continue on your own or if you want them to do the work. You will also find local nursery personnel helpful.

Your Goal

The important thing to remember is that your plan needs to reflect your personality. Your goal is to create an area that pleases you and allows your home to function comfortably. There is no one “right way” to create a landscape.

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A CAD program was used to draw this site plan on a computer.

A smaller version of the site plan could be carried into the yard to make notes about plant placement.