we come to grips with your property the way it is now:
What are its strengths and weaknesses?
What do you like or dislike about your yard?
What kind of problems does your landscape have that you need to find solutions for?
This process of assessing your yard is called site analysis. This is the time to make a rough drawing. To do some serious drawing — with dimensions — check out Chapter 3.
Figure 1-1 is a sample of what your initial site analysis can look like when you’re finished. You identify what you have to work with and imagine what improvements will be there soon.
The following sections help you analyze your site and include some common approaches to help you think fresh and creative thoughts about your landscape. The object here is to bring your unique landscape and its possibilities into sharper focus.
© John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
FIGURE 1-1: A completed site analysis notes significant features of the property.
Drawing your site analysis
Stick to these steps as you draw your site analysis:
1 Get a sheet of paper and a pencil and sketch your existing property.Include your house with windows and doors, existing plants, and general north/south directions. Although you should try to draw to scale, your rough drawing doesn’t have to be very precise.
2 Go outside and put the drawing on a clipboard and walk around your yard, making notations of the following:Sun and shade: Mark areas that are sunny or shady, and at what times of the day.Views: Note good and bad views — ones that you may want to preserve and ones you may want to block.Good views — surrounding hills, the coast, maybe just the nearby skyline — are easy to recognize.Bad views, on the other hand, take a little more eyeballing. For instance, determine whether the neighbors can see in your yard or you can see in theirs, or whether you feel the need to block your view of their garage or old-car collection. Determine whether you have things on your own property, like a utility or storage area, that you’d rather not see. Figure out what you’ll see if you put in a raised deck. Look to see whether utility poles are visible. Check how the view changes when deciduous trees lose their leaves.Prevailing winds: Note if you regularly feel winds that you may be able to block with fencing or plants.Slope and drainage: Put in some arrows that give you a rough idea of the contours of your yard. Sloping ground or uneven terrain can be an interesting part of a landscape, especially if you accentuate it with walls or plants combined with stone to simulate a dry streambed. High points may also provide some views that you want to take advantage of.On the other hand, sloping ground can also mean erosion or drainage problems that can threaten your house or yard. Be sure that water drains away from all the walls of your house. Mark down any areas that seem overly wet or where moss or algae is growing. If you can stand getting wet, go outside in a rainstorm and watch where excess water flows. Just don’t take your clipboard with you! Chances are, your landscape isn’t isolated, which means that changes you make can adversely affect a neighbor’s property. Routing your drainage off your land and onto theirs isn’t the answer (and of course, not a recipe for neighborhood harmony — no holiday card!). So, too, can your alterations lead to erosion beyond your property lines. Therefore, you must work to avoid such scenarios and find solutions that work within your own property. If the situation is daunting, seek advice/help from a professional.Existing plants: Draw in large trees, shrubs, vines, and perennials that you may want to preserve. (Leave out or cross off ones that you mean to get rid of.)Interesting natural features: A small stream or handsome rocks protruding from the ground can become special landscape features.Noise, smells, and lights: Let your senses go and write down anything else that you notice — lights at night, noise from next door, and even unpleasant odors. You may be able to do something about them.Winter sights and sounds: Look to see whether your plants are getting crushed by snow under the eaves. Determine where you put the snow when shoveling or snowblowing, or where a snowplow shoves piles. Be sure to avoid planting or installing seating in those areas.Do this over a period of several days, at different times of the day. Doing so will give you an opportunity to observe your landscape better or more completely than you perhaps ever have before. In particular, notice when the sun shines (or doesn’t) in different areas and for how long. Does your yard have microclimates? Many do! This term refers to a spot that has different and unique conditions, compared to the rest of your landscape. Instead of struggling to alter its natural inclinations, we suggest you capitalize on them. To do so, for example, find moisture-loving plants for a soggy spot. Place a comfy chair in the perpetually shady corner, and put in ferns and other shade-loving plants around it.
3 Make notations of what you see from inside the house including:Views: Note the good views and the bad. Look out your windows; what do you see? A nice view of the yard or the neighbors’ back porch? Determine who can see in the windows from the street or next door.Sunlight: Note whether the sun blazes through your windows, heating the house in the afternoon. Or perhaps you get a pleasant light that’s cast on the kitchen table as you drink coffee in the morning.Lights: Observe whether car lights or signs shine through your window at night. (Ask yourself if a tree or even a vine-covered trellis could block that problem.)
4 Where applicable, consider the needs outlined in the section, “Drawing within the Lines: Living with Practical Issues,” earlier in this chapter.Note whether you’re already accommodating these needs. Are you satisfied/happy? Can you reserve or even add space?
Knowing how much of your yard you can use
Most houses are plunked somewhere in the middle of the lot. Though the surrounding areas may vary in size, you almost always have a front yard, a backyard, and often two side yards — that’s called a four-sided landscape.
At first, you may have a tough time overcoming the tradition that backyards are where you actually live, front yards are for show, and side yards (if any) are mostly ignored. We suggest you think outside the box and break some of those old rules.
A DAY IN THE LIFE
An accurate sense of where light falls and when in your landscape is so important. Even if you’re not home when the sun is full-on a flowerbed, the plants will know — and you’ll have planted sun-lovers. So, observe at morning, noon, and evening, and make note. When you’re ready to purchase plants for your landscape (flip to Part 3), this information helps you match plants with appropriate light conditions.
Noting sunny and shady areas can also give you ideas about creating more comfortable outdoor living space. In midsummer, the south and western sides of the house are the sunniest and warmest. If you live in areas with cooler summers, place outdoor furniture in those same locations. If, however, you live in an area with hot summers, look into adding shade trees (see Chapter 11) or perhaps installing an arbor or pergola (see Chapter 10).
