| Landscaping is usually a fairly big task, consuming | | | | beach, then go for an easy-care garden and |
| much time and energy. But before you hire that | | | | landscape. |
| professional, here are some tips that could save | | | | Here are the various landscape styles you can |
| both time and money. | | | | choose for your own garden:a. Formal. This style |
| 1. Spend some time thinking about exactly how | | | | uses lots of straight lines and perfect geometrical |
| you want the final design to be. You need to take | | | | shapes. Orderly arrangement of plants instead of |
| account of the style and function of your | | | | random positioning is employed. Close |
| landscape. Do you want to include an area for | | | | arrangement and pruning is seen on many |
| entertaining? A barbeque? Is there to be an area | | | | landscaped gardens with this style.b. Informal. This |
| for children to play, a fishpond or a swimming | | | | kind of landscaping workds well with cosy |
| pool? An idea of the plants you want to be there | | | | cottages. Beds with curved edges instead of |
| will also help. Focus on the area where you spend | | | | straight lines and random placement of plants suit |
| most of your time. That's a good place to start. | | | | this landscape style.c. English Garden. This style |
| 2. Think twice before hiring a pro. An independent | | | | emphasizes the harmony between the house's |
| designer might cost you hundreds of dollars when | | | | architecture and the garden.d. Formal/Informal |
| you may be able to access free plans on the | | | | Garden. This style often comes with a brick |
| internet or at a nursery. But if you have an | | | | walkway that exudes formality. This walkway |
| awkward block such as very steep ground, a pro | | | | leads to the rear with a circle of plants. The |
| might give you the expertise to save costly | | | | arrangement of plants resembles the English |
| mistakes. | | | | garden style but it has no formal borders.e. |
| 3. The style of your home must be taken into | | | | Oriental. It is often the kind of garden found in |
| account. If you have a rural cottage, formal | | | | small backyards. It uses rocks, evergreens and |
| gardens surrounding it will look out of place. Think | | | | water. A wide variety of plants create several |
| also about your lifestyle. Do you want to spend | | | | interesting angles with this style.f. Woodland. This |
| hours caring for many beds of annuals or pruning | | | | landscaping suits a house that has a wooded |
| beds of roses? If so, go ahead and plant them, | | | | backyard and sloping ground. |
| but if you'd rather spend your free time at the | | | | |