Landscaping Tips for Beginners: How to Plan, Use Scale & Color in Your Garden

Would you like to make your yard look more beautiful, but don't know where to start? 

If you’ve always yearned to have a beautifully landscaped yard, that’s exactly what you’ll learn here. Today we’re going to talk about some landscaping tips that will help your yard be the envy of the entire neighborhood.

Here’s how to plan, use scale and color in your garden.

PLAN ACCORDINGLY

Start with the big stuff

If your plantings include trees or large shrubs, plan those out first. Smaller shrubs, flowers, and other greenery can be planned around the larger focal points.

Think about the seasons

Keep your planting zone and blooming or growth season in mind as you plan and plant. Here in Maine, we have four distinct seasons (in zones 3-6), so trees, shrubs, and perennials plants will go dormant in the winter.

CONSIDER SCALE

Plant for growth

You know that those larger trees and shrubs will grow - but are you planning space for them? Give them plenty of room based on how large you plan to let them grow out, so your landscaping doesn’t become too cluttered.

Keep height in mind

It’s not just outward growth of your larger plantings that you’ll need to consider; don’t forget about the growth of flowers and small plants too. Use the plant growth information in your landscaping plan as you determine what to plant where in the garden.

Define the edges

Many landscaping enthusiasts enjoy the look of a clear edge - whether edging material, brick, vinyl, or other hardscape material. This gives your garden areas a clear start and stop point next to your lawn.

THINK IN COLOR

Stick to a few colors

Too many colors in landscaping is overwhelming, but too few is boring. So where do you strike the balance? Choose 1 - 3 colors to focus on for each area of your garden.

Use contrast to create interest

Think of how your landscaping will look when viewed from afar versus up close. In general, from afar, large blocks of colors look best as opposed to small dots of individual colors.

Don’t forget about backdrops when it comes to contrast either. For instance, when showcased in front of a fence or a wall of your home, plant choices should pop against them (light plants in front of a dark wall or dark plants in front of a light fence).

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That’s it for landscaping tips for beginners! Start here with planning, scaling, and using color and you’ll be a pro landscaper in no time.

For help in the greater Buxton, Maine area with your landscaping needs, contact us at Prime Cut Landscaping & Lawn Care today!