Great Landscape Design Ideas on a Budget

The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) recommends that homeowners invest 10 percent of their home’s value in landscaping. Besides the personal enjoyment a homeowner will get from a beautified outdoor space, landscaping can add value to a home. But with the economic downturn affecting all facets of consumer spending, landscapers must learn to do more with less.

Start with a plan
Regardless of the economy, “People are still going to value that landscape,” says Tom Tavella, president of the Tavella Design Group in Hamden, Conn. “In good times, you’ll make a definite increase [in property value].” Tavella suggests that before investing that 10 percent of the home’s worth into landscaping, landscape designers and landscape architects should sit down with their customers to develop a master plan, which could include improved paving, the creation of an outdoor kitchen and dining space or the establishment of a pool or tennis court.

“Spend the money to get a master plan done,” agrees Dean Hill, ASLA member and co-author of Grounds for Improvement: 40 Great Landscaping and Gardening Projects. “You may not see immediate satisfaction, but with a master plan, you know what you have to allocate money to that year and you’re doing it in [an organized] fashion. Phasing plans is even more critical in a down economy and allows you to see what you can accomplish at this particular point in time.” Among the pitfalls of not following a master plan, Hill says, is the danger of doing one phase this year with materials that may not be available next year, when you’re ready to implement the next phase. “[Materials] may not match,” Hill warns.

Go green
“There are lots of ways to incorporate green products and technology into your landscape design to realize immediate cost savings and return on investment,” Hill says. Among the advances available to landscape designers are smart irrigation controls and LED landscape lighting devices. “Homeowners can see immediate savings by shading to help with cooling,” Hill says.

The ASLA recommends the installation of food and vegetable gardens—including tomatoes, asparagus, blueberry bushes and herbs such as chives, sage and tarragon—to simultaneously reduce the cost of turf maintenance, retain aesthetic value and provide a fun way for homeowners to remain engaged in their surroundings.

“Not only do you benefit from fresh produce, but these gardens offer lower maintenance time and utility costs compared to turf grass,” says ASLA President Angela Dye. “Plus, there’s nothing more convenient or sustainable than home-grown food.”

Cheaper to maintain
The installation of native plants is a quick way to demonstrate to your customers a sustainable landscape design that requires less water, particularly in communities with concerns about the local water supply. Tavella endorses the heartiness of local plants. More exotic, non-native plants can be effective as accents to a property’s landscape design, but be sure that either your maintenance contract includes the extra attention that they’ll require or that you properly train the homeowners to make more frequent water applications to these species. To retain water savings, homeowners can use harvested rainwater or recycled “grey” water to maintain non-indigenous plants.

One conundrum to overcome with homeowners is the use of common varieties of lawn turf, such as Kentucky Blue Grass, which tend to be thirstier than other vegetation. Tavella reports having seen traditional lawns entirely replaced with grape vines and also reports success with new Buffalo grass. “It grows to about six inches long,” Tavella says, “and doesn’t need to be cut or watered. It’s not as green and lush as Kentucky Blue Grass but it definitely reduces the water demand.”

Another alternative, according to Tavella is to practice organic gardening, reducing chemical fertilizer and allowing grass to brown out during dryer weeks in anticipation that they will recover once rains return. “If the roots are healthy, they’ll recover,” Tavella says.

Cheaper to Pave
When working with your customers, let them know that replacing traditional grass with xeriscaping or stonescaping can retain an aesthetic look without the needed water bills in maintenance. Stone walks will hold up better over time than stone chips, which do require ongoing maintenance. Consider creating a primary walk-way in the back yard out of formal paving stones and using colored stone at the peripheries to enhance the aesthetics.