call your municipality permitting office to find out if a permit is required. New decks, patios, and water features are among the items that some municipalities regulate.
Lawns remain popular in front yards, at least, in some areas. You may have read about homeowners who turned their front yard into a food garden or a wildflower meadow, only to get in trouble. (This stance is changing in some areas, though. For more on lawns and lawn alternatives, see Chapter 16.)
Considering children and pets’ safety
If you have children or pets living with you or visiting now and then, their safety isn’t just a matter of showing you care. Their safety can be or become a legal issue. When you have concerns or questions, check with your local municipality or homeowners association.
Here are a few basic principles to bear in mind:
Incorporate raised beds or elevated planter boxes (for flowers as well as vegetables or herbs). Kids and pets tend to prefer flat, easily accessible areas.
Take out, and don’t plant, any plants known to have poisonous leaves or berries. Look them up; the information is readily available online. Cross-check with the American Association of Poison Control Centers. When in doubt, err on the side of caution and remove/avoid.
Avoid planting thorny bushes or trees, especially in high-traffic areas. These obstruct sightlines and access and also can snag or scratch skin and clothing.
Monitor children and pets when they are in the yard. Doing so is especially important if you lack fences or have a water feature.
Never leave your tools, supplies, or sprays lying about … or even accessible. Kids are curious, and these items are often hazards. Better safe than sorry — put stuff away, up high, out of reach. If you’ve decanted garden chemicals or sprays into other containers (jugs, jars, sprayers), be sure they’re both clearly labeled and stored out of reach.
Don’t set up a play structure or swing set close to trees, fences, or the property line/neighbor’s yards. You don’t want to risk injury or damage, to people or property.
Consider creating areas especially for children and pets, so the rest of the landscape is (ideally) freed up for your many other ideas and plans. Kids need places to play, relax, hide, or make forts. Get them involved in designing their areas and helping you around the yard. (How about a bean-pole teepee? Or a sunflower house?) Perhaps have a storage area or bench for their toys (see the section, “Designating storage areas,” later in this chapter for ideas).
Dogs are creatures of habit and will mark, and lounge, in the same spots, especially if you train them that way. If you create a run or outdoor play yard for a dog, make sure it’s big enough for the breed, has shade/shelter from the hot sun, and is easy to clean. As for sandboxes, if cats are in the area, keep the box covered when not in use (because cats think they’re litter boxes)!
Addressing water issues
Whether you have too much or too little, anticipating water issues is a big part of landscape design. We’re not just talking about make sure you have a faucet for a hose hookup not too far from the flowerbed. There are two major areas of concern here, both related to climate/weather and both within your ability to exercise at least some measure of control:
Flood control: Your property may need a retention area to hold runoff during a major storm event. This tends to be more likely and urgent if your property slopes. Some municipal codes require residential properties to be ready for a 6- to 8-inch (15.2 to 20.3 cm) rain event. Check with City Hall and your codes officer and/or call a professional landscaper in your area to clarify and get advice.
Collecting water: In dry climates or areas with very long, hot summers, homeowners look for ways to gather and use what water they can for their yards and gardens. This can be anything from installing a so-called rain garden (a garden set up to deliberately receive and benefit from water running from your house’s gutters) to setting up a rain-collection barrel to using gray water (basically, used household water from sinks and drains). You may get necessary information and guidance from your municipality and/or a local professional. For more discussions on all these avenues, check Chapter 5.
Designating storage areas
Inevitably, you need designated areas in your home landscape for storing things when you aren’t using them and to avoid clutter. Vehicles may or may not go in the garage along with your gardening equipment, tools, and supplies.
When creating your landscape design, make sure you don’t forget your storage needs. Here are some ideas:
Storage shed: You may need a shed dedicated to yard and garden maintenance if you don’t already have one. Having one for your tools and garden supplies can help alleviate any crowding in your garage. (Or if you don’t have a garage, a shed is a great place to keep all your yard gadgets and tools.) Think about how big it needs to be and where you want it. Don’t forget to figure out if will block access or sun. Last but not least, for security and safety, be sure it has a latching or locking door.
Potting shed: These often look like playhouses, complete with shuttered windows and windowboxes, but they can be as practical as they are cute. Install shelves and hooks, a utility or dry sink, a potting bench, and hanging nesting wire baskets for storing gardening tools and supplies. You can also use a shed as a cool, dry place to dry freshly harvested bundles of herbs and to store stacked unused pots. (A she-shed is similar but may be less practical. It may look the same on the outside, but inside, harbors a comfy snoozing or reading nook, or art supplies.)
Storage bins: These can be anything from weather-tough plastic bins with fitted lids that get stashed somewhere until needed to the outdoor equivalent of a parson’s bench — that is, a bench on your deck or patio whose seat lifts up to allow storage within.
Outdoor closet: This can be tall and skinny and perhaps fit into a corner. It’s a place to store or hang long-handled tools such as rakes and shovels as well as perhaps a coiled hose and other useful items.
Site Analysis — Understanding
