{"id":117,"date":"2014-01-17T14:42:49","date_gmt":"2014-01-17T14:42:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/patiopads.com\/blog\/?p=117"},"modified":"2019-02-13T09:39:55","modified_gmt":"2019-02-13T13:39:55","slug":"big-dreams-learning-to-landscape","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/patiopads.com\/blog\/big-dreams-learning-to-landscape\/","title":{"rendered":"Big Dreams &#8211; Learning to Landscape"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-118\" src=\"https:\/\/patiopads.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/landscaping2.jpg\" alt=\"landscape\" width=\"341\" height=\"177\" srcset=\"https:\/\/patiopads.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/landscaping2.jpg 341w, https:\/\/patiopads.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/landscaping2-300x156.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 341px) 100vw, 341px\" \/>As much as I love to garden I have to admit that I\u2019ve always been a bit intimidated by landscaping. It\u2019s just so much more obvious when you screw something up. I\u2019ve accidentally killed a plant or two (ok, way more than that) but is so much easier to pull up a plant and throw it into the compost pile than it is to hide an entire lawn of dead grass. For this reason, I\u2019ve always avoided landscaping and just confined myself to my pots and garden beds. But, this year, I decided to make a change. I will no longer distinguish the difference between yard work and garden work. They will become one and I will learn to master them simultaneously, one day being able to stand up in front of the masses and say \u201cyes, I do my own landscaping and I do so with no fear or hesitation!\u201d<\/p>\n<p><!--more-->So I realize that\u2019s a bit dramatic, but landscaping is something that I really want to get my brain around. Before beginning my landscaping adventure, I hit the books for some basics and this is what I learned.<\/p>\n<p><strong data-redactor-tag=\"strong\">[1] Planning is essential.<\/strong> This was the first tip I found and probably my least favorite. I\u2019ve never been good at planning. My favorite technique to working in my garden is to just go out and start getting dirty. The only time I plan is during the winter when I realize that I can\u2019t possibly fit anymore indoor plants in my house. Needless to say, when I read this I was already turned off. But I\u2019m nothing if not stubborn, so I read on.<\/p>\n<p><strong data-redactor-tag=\"strong\">[2] Execute your plan in stages.<\/strong> This tip wasn\u2019t so difficult for me to palate. It doesn\u2019t have to be like ripping off a Band-Aid; I can do it in stages. Not everything has to be completed in one weekend or even one season. It\u2019s ok and even recommended to spread it out.<\/p>\n<p><strong data-redactor-tag=\"strong\">[3] Visualize your yard for aesthetics and function.<\/strong> Sheesh, ok, I\u2019ll plan. So, I don\u2019t want my hose to be trapped behind some ill-placed rose bushes. I also don\u2019t want my flowers sitting in the area of the yard with perpetual shadow. As for looks, it was neat learning about how to play with plant height and placement to turn the yard into a work of art. Of course, my goals aren\u2019t so lofty now, but I like having challenges for the future.<\/p>\n<p><strong data-redactor-tag=\"strong\">[4] Get inspiration!<\/strong> There are a ton of <a href=\"https:\/\/avantgardendecor.com\/shop\/outdoor-decor\" target=\"_new\">garden decoration ideas<\/a> out there! Check Pinterest, walk through your neighborhood, look at famous gardens and lawns. Get as many examples as you can and figure out what you like best. The sky\u2019s the limit!<\/p>\n<p>With these tips in mind, I\u2019ve begun the process of designing my yard. One of the biggest things I\u2019ve been wanting is some sort of pathway making its way between my garden beds. In the past I\u2019ve just usually had patches of grass with maybe a stepping stone or two thrown down in random places. A lot of people suggest that I use gravel but, to be honest, I don\u2019t want to deal with keeping it all in its place. I want something like brick molded stones. I also want them to be held together tightly enough to wheel my wheelbarrow across them without getting stuck.<\/p>\n<p>Another thing that I really want is some sort of focal point for my yard. Currently, I have sporadic garden beds throughout my yard, but I think having a fire pit would tie them all together nicely. I also think that it would give me a nice excuse to roast marshmallows every night which is something I\u2019m always down for.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m still in the planning process of my landscaping endeavor so I\u2019m sure I\u2019ll come across a ton more tips as I move ahead. So far, I\u2019ve taken some steps towards my molded stones by digging out some grass so they\u2019ll lay flat. In time, I\u2019ll be as self-sufficient as they come! Either that or I\u2019ll chicken out and hire someone to do it.<\/p>\n<p><em data-redactor-tag=\"em\">By: Mackenzie Kupfer<\/em><\/p>\n<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on the_content -->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As much as I love to garden I have to admit that I\u2019ve always been a bit intimidated by landscaping. It\u2019s just so much more obvious when you screw something up. I\u2019ve accidentally killed a plant or two (ok, way more than that) but is so much easier to pull up a plant and throw [&hellip;]<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on get_the_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on get_the_excerpt --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-117","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.1.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Big Dreams - Learning to Landscape - PATIOPADS.COM BLOG<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/patiopads.com\/blog\/big-dreams-learning-to-landscape\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Big Dreams - Learning to Landscape - PATIOPADS.COM BLOG\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"As much as I love to garden I have to admit that I\u2019ve always been a bit intimidated by landscaping. 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I\u2019ve accidentally killed a plant or two (ok, way more than that) but is so much easier to pull up a plant and throw [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/patiopads.com\/blog\/big-dreams-learning-to-landscape\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"PATIOPADS.COM BLOG\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/islandcoast\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2014-01-17T14:42:49+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2019-02-13T13:39:55+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/patiopads.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/landscaping2.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"cindy\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@IslandCoast\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@IslandCoast\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"cindy\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/patiopads.com\/blog\/big-dreams-learning-to-landscape\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/patiopads.com\/blog\/big-dreams-learning-to-landscape\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"cindy\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/patiopads.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/8a630de7dc826f6789ac631470ec3269\"},\"headline\":\"Big Dreams &#8211; 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