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Does your residential landscape design suffer from a lack of attention or a lackluster arrangement? To give the outdoor spaces around your home a spruce, explore these residential landscaping ideas to create a functional, aesthetically pleasing, and personalized environment.
Below, we guide you through how to design a landscape and provide the tools to get your landscape project started.
This is for informational purposes. Always check with your permitted authority or regulatory body first.
Table of contents
Important residential landscaping design features to consider Visual appeal Practicality Eco-friendliness Monetary value How to design a landscape Step 1: Track the area’s dimensions and utilities Step 2: Define your wants and needs Step 3: Map the permanent fixtures Step 4: Plan the decorative elements How to bring your residential landscape design to life With professionals With DIY With a hybrid approach Final thoughts on creating your residential landscape design Residential landscaping design FAQs
Important residential landscaping design features to consider
Almost every residence contains some type of landscape. So, what key features should you consider as part of your residential landscape design?
Visual appeal
A good residential landscaping design should improve a location’s visual appeal.
The landscape in front of a home is one of the first things people see when viewing the property. Meanwhile, the backyard should work as a retreat for the homeowner. In both cases, it’s important to have something that looks nice.
Visual appeal in a landscape isn’t just about looking nice, though. Exposure to nature has been connected to stress reduction, an improvement in mood, and more. So, having something beautiful and natural just outside your window may actually improve your well-being.
Practicality
A landscape is inherently about visual appeal. However, if it is designed right, it can have plenty of practical appeal as well.
This practical appeal can be small and basic, like a shady tree providing a nice place to spend time in the heat of the summer. It can also be more elaborate, like using well-placed plants to form a visual barrier between your yard and your neighbor’s.
Eco-friendliness
A home isn’t an island; it is part of the greater ecosystem of the community around it. In this way, a home’s landscape has the potential to go green in more ways than one.
Your home’s landscape can serve as a butterfly garden or a refuge for native plants. Plus, all plants naturally contribute to purifying the air around them.
Monetary value
Since a landscape is such a prominent feature of a home, it directly relates to its value. A good landscape can make your home 20% more valuable. However, a bad landscape can similarly decrease its worth.
How to design a landscape
Whether you're creating your own residential landscape design or bringing in the professionals, understanding the process of how a landscape is planned will allow you to achieve your desired finish.
Step 1: Track the area’s dimensions and utilities
Knowing the area is one of the most important elements of residential landscaping design. After all, if you don’t know what you are working with, you will have trouble working on it.
Start by taking an in-depth look at the location. Note the area’s dimensions and keep track of how much space you have to work with. In addition, make note of any utilities present in this area. These include power lines, gas lines, water lines, sewer systems, or anything else that may be important. To help with this, you can contact the Call Before You Dig hotline .
Step 2: Define your wants and needs
Once you’ve detailed the area, you can start considering what you want and need from your landscape.
Consider the structure of the area and what its possibilities and limitations are. Where are the entrances and exits? Where will people be walking? Which spaces will host people, and which ones will host plants? Considering all of this will give you an idea of what you are dealing with.
Step 3: Map the permanent fixtures
With all this information, you can start creating the structure for your landscape. Start with pathways, hardscape, and other permanent fixtures. After this, you can move on to plants.
Step 4: Plan the decorative elements
With the permanent fixtures in place, you can now plan for decorative elements like furniture and plants. When picking plants for your landscape, choose ones that will thrive in your local climate and won’t outgrow your space.
Once you have your options, you can begin arranging them. Play with contrast by having large plants in the spotlight flanked by smaller accent plants. Or, avoid contrast by creating elegant and uniform flower beds. You can even use plants to create lines or barriers. For example, a row of flowers along a pathway looks beautiful while also making the path more prominent.
How to bring your residential landscape design to life
When planning a landscape, you can go with several different approaches. What you choose will depend on how much you want to do on your own.
With professionals
You can have professionals handle the entire process. In this case, they would design and install the landscape for you. This option requires the least amount of work from you but costs the most.
With DIY
Finally, you could handle everything on your own. Creating and installing your own design will save the most money. However, it will require a lot of work from you.
With a hybrid approach
If you can handle the installation on your own but want professionals to create your residential landscape design, then you can take a hybrid approach. This option will cost much less, as you are significantly reducing the amount of labor you are contracting. However, it will require you to have the skills and ability to do landscaping yourself.
Final thoughts on creating your residential landscape design
Creating your residential landscaping design shouldn’t be difficult. Follow the guide above, and you can help streamline the process. Doing so will put you on the right track when it comes to starting your next landscape process!
Contact My Site Plan today to get a site plan of your house and yard and get started designing your dream landscape.
Residential landscaping design FAQs
What are the first steps to take before starting a landscape design project?
Before starting a landscape design project, assess your space, identify utilities, and understand the site's specific conditions, like sunlight, soil type, and existing vegetation. This preliminary assessment helps tailor the design to the environment and practical needs.
How can technology aid in residential landscape design?
Landscape design software allows homeowners or designers to visualize changes before implementing them, creating detailed plans and virtual walkthroughs.
What are common mistakes to avoid in landscape design?
Common mistakes include underestimating the size of mature plants, neglecting local climate and soil conditions, and poor placement of elements like trees and shrubs that may interfere with home foundations or utility lines.
Can landscape design impact the local wildlife?
Yes, landscape design can significantly impact local wildlife. Choosing native plants can support local ecosystems and attract beneficial insects and birds, while non-native or invasive species might harm the local biodiversity.
What are some cost-effective ways to enhance a landscape design?
Cost-effective enhancements include using native plants that require less water and maintenance, repurposing materials for pathways or borders, and implementing gradual improvements over time to spread out costs.
This post was originally published on April 28, 2023. It was updated on March 31, 2025.
