Professional decorators make a point of following certain rules; professional landscapers also adhere to a number of guidelines. The typical homeowner can profit from learning some of those same guidelines. Such information helps with creation of attractive and useful outdoor space in the yard.

All plans for landscaping the yard should reflect the size of that same outdoor area. Arborist in San Jose is of the opinion that this advice pertains to both the flora that will be placed in the yard, in addition to any decorations. It is best to limit the number of lawn ornaments.

Take advantage of the available software.

Programs such as Sketchup can be used to create a blueprint. Using that blueprint, the homeowner finds it easier to estimate the number of plants/ornaments that fit well into the available space.

Plant those things that should survive in the existing setting.

Smart homeowners have the soil in their yard tested, so that the owner of a nursery can better judge what plants would grow on the homeowner’s property. By the same token, observant homeowners pay attention to the local weather conditions. Their familiarity with such conditions should aid selection of the plants that will get placed in the homeowner’s yard.

Invest in a container for clippings and branches.

Buy one that aids transformation of the stored clippings and branches. When stored properly, those items can become useful fertilizer.

Consult with someone that understands how much light a given plant requires.

Place flowers, bushes, ground cover and trees in those spots where the amount of shade and sunlight appears close to ideal.

Learn how to plant a tree.

A large number of homeowners think that a freshly-planted tree should have an exceedingly generous amount of soil placed around it. Do not trust the veracity of that belief. Avoid putting too much soil around a tree that has been just been planted in the ground.

Learn how to cut the grass.

Do not assume that you can just let the lawnmower do the job. That particular machine needs to have the proper setting. Otherwise, you could expose the grass’ roots to insects and disease-carrying organisms.

Do not try to carry-out stark changes to the existing landscape.

Try to make use of any natural hills or slopes. Take the time to add items such as stones, so that rainfall does not wash away a large amount of soil. Seek to enhance the natural ups and downs in the space that surrounds your home.

Select an enhancement that matches with your budget. Maybe you can afford to put concrete steps on a slope. If not, you should not hesitate to add some stone steps instead. Alternatively, you might want to create steps by using a series of logs.