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Createing Levels In Landscape Design
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I read somewhere that the most interesting landscaping ideas need to have at least three levels. I'm not so sure about that but I will say that I do like for my own designs to have at least two levels. I've yet to create a flat design. They're just so uninteresting.

What I'm going to show you are three of our latest completed projects using retaining walls to create a second level. The first and second use pre-fab store bought bricks and the third uses natural stone that we picked up in the hills surrounding our area.

LANDSCAPE DESIGN 10 - A Sloped Lot Xeriscape Design This design appeared on the site at the end of last year but has since been planted in and finished. It's what I call a design of necessity since the design helped save the foundation of the home from washing away. Here's the link:

A Sloped Lot Xeriscape Design

See it finished here:

Two Level Xeriscape Landscape

LANDSCAPE DESIGN 16 - Mediterranean Garden Design This design first appeared on the site a few months back before we started on the project. It has since been finished.
Here's the link:

Mediterranean Style Landscaping

See it finished here:

Finished Mediterranean Garden Plan

LANDSCAPE DESIGN 17 - Small Two Level Xeric Garden Design This design is new to the site. It uses a dry stack natural stone retaining wall to create the levels. Dry stack means that no mortar is used in the joints. However, in all of my retaining walls I do use a concrete footing no matter how small the wall is. Here's the link:

Small Two Level Xeriscape Garden Design

See it finished here:

Xeriscaping Garden And Landscaping

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LANDSCAPE TIP - Berms, not just bumps
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Berms (small sweeping hills) can help add height, levels, and interest to otherwise dull flat yards and landscapes.

I've never been asked how to make a berm or what one is..... until rescently. I all of a sudden got a slew of emails requesting information on how to build a berm correctly.

While there's no trick, special art, or rules to createing berms, I guess there is a way to keep them from looking like odd bumps in your front yard landscaping ideas. These are just the simple "rules" that I can think of. They're not written in rock.

A berm should be at least 5 to 6 times as long as it is high and should gradually "feather" into the yard. If you create a two foot high berm, make it "feather" 12 or so feet long into the yard.

Width is, I think, just a matter of feel for what looks natural and good. A 2 foot high, one foot wide hill would have too much of a slope to hold ground cover and would look very unnatural. The width should also "feather" into the yard.

Most often, berms occupy and fill corner areas and a lot of times have a crescent shape open toward the yard. However, shape can be anything that fits, is creative, or follows the flow of the yard.

In bed areas, boulders or larger rocks can be placed into the berm to give it a more natural look, places to plant around, and aid in holding smaller ground cover in place.

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Easily Design And Install Your Own Sprinkler System
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One of the first considerations of your new or refurbished landscaping design should be how you're going to get water to your new lawn, trees, bed areas, and etc.

However, irrigation and sprinkler systems is where I see most do it yourselfers make the most mistakes. It's not hard to design and install your own system but it is easy to make a few serious mistakes without a little guidance.

Now, this is also one step where you can s-a-v-e a lot of m-o-n-e-y. The systems that I install range anywhere from three to thirty t-h-o-u-s-a-n-d b-u-c-k-s.

The point of doing it yourself is to keep this chunk of change in your pocket. Right?

While I know my site lacks in this vital step of information, I have intended to get a step by step out by now. But I can't even seem to get this newsletter out on time.

I'm sorry to say that I still haven't gotten it done. But I am happy to say that I have FINALLY found a new resource that I can point you to. See:

Do It Yourself - DIY - Home Sprinkler Systems

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Pathways
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Where do I begin? This has to be the most common question I get. While there are many ways to design and start a landscape design, I would say that the easiest place to start would be to lay down any path or walkway areas that might be needed. And also access to get to areas you plan on createing.

Paths and walkways can accomplish many functions in your landscape or garden. Their main function, of course, is to create a designated space for people to walk on.

However, in design and as an aid to design, their function could be to guide your visitors to, through, or away from some other area in the garden. Also, they're a great way to break up a vast expanse of lawn, meadow, or bed area.

Imagine the difference of interest that a simple flagstone walkway through the lawn would make compared to just a large plain lawn. Simple!

But first, let's look at walkways in a necessary sense.

Walkways are needed to guide visitors or yourself to and from another area. Observe that almost every home has a walkway leading to the front door, which is, of course, where most folks want to invite guests to come. So landscaping and garden walkways, whether refined (brick, flagstone, etc.) or priative (gravel, mulch, etc.), are necessary to "guide" or "lead" visitors to, through, or away from an area.

So where are the necessary areas where you need other walkways? Maybe from the back door to the alley where you dump the trash. Or from the house to the pool area. Or from the pool area to the kids play area or the outdoor cooking area. You get the picture.

In a design sense.

Now that you have walkways laid out, you can simply design the rest around them. The same goes with driveways and parking areas as well.

You can plant beds on either or both sides of a walk or use it to create borders.

Maybe you plan to place a sitting area at the back of the garden. Of course you'll need a path for you and your guests to get there. But instead of plotting a straight path, why not create a winding tour through other interesting areas of the garden on the way there?

While I recommend screening or turning unsightly areas into interesting areas, sometimes it's just not possible to do so. So why not create a path leading and keeping folks away from these areas? Take them somewhere else in the garden.

Once you lay down walkways, you'll have a good starting frame work for the rest of the design. Now, simply design around it.

Keep in mind that there are a lot of other variables to design around that can help in laying out your hardscape. See:

Landscaping And Garden Planning

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If you get stuck on your planting scheme, see Pre planned gardens - Plans for creative and economical ways to use pre planned garden designs in your landscaping project.

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That's all for this issue.

If you have questions or comments, feel free to email me at:
steve@the-landscape-design- site.com

Steve Boulden
S&S Designed Landscaping,LLC

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