The process of constructing your new landscape has a purposeful order, that enables the best use of time and construction practices to insure a successful installation. The 10 Steps to a Successful Landscape Installation below will help guide you through the process that ultimately will make your installation fun and enlightening.
The 10 Steps
Terraced Living Wall and Planting
- Planning – Some people find this part of the job the most fun, while others cringe at the thought. However you feel about Landscape Planning and Design, this part of the project is very important. Wether you choose a formal drawn plan or a design on the fly, planning will go a long ways in the success of your project. Larger projects most often benefit the most from a formal plan. This makes the bidding process easier for us and ultimately for you. A plan is basically a map that is going to help guide us all through the process of the rest of the steps below.
- Rough Grades – Establishing rough grades when needed is very important to the drainage, hard- scape, planting and overall flow of your landscape. At this time we install chases and or sleeves under proposed hardscapes.
- Drainage – Drainage is often an overlooked, but very important piece of the landscape puzzle. Drainage encompasses the use of the rough grading in keeping water away from or under your home. Drainage is also very important to the life of your plants and the integrity of your hardscapes.
- Rough Irrigation – This is the beginning phase of your irrigation system and is very important to the functionality and the life of your irrigation system. During the rough irrigation your Main (live) waterlines will be trenched at a proper depth. Hose bibs will also be placed at strategic and predetermined locations. The Main waterline will also feed your irrigation valves. Establishing a point of connection for your system that best suites your homes water needs and uses will also play a key role. The location and installation of your irrigation controller timer is done during this stage. A back-flow prevention device may also be utilized at this time to separate your irrigation system from your homes water.
- Hardscapes – Now that your underground work is done we move to hardscapes. Hardscapes include brick/ concrete and stone pavers, flagstone, concrete, patios, walkways decomposed granite, retaining walls, sitting walls, water features, decks, arbors, adding placement boulders and just about any other construction that you can imagine in your landscape.
Planning ahead for steps and walls is vital
- Finish Grade – Includes prepping of landscape beds (adding soil or amending as needed), lawns, paths and other areas keeping drainage in mind.
- Planting – Plants are magic, they soften and make the hard-scapes blend and even disappear into the landscape. Plants are truly the life of your landscape. Planting too early in the process is normally not a good idea for many reasons including the risk of getting trampled, broken or not irrigated properly. When you are ready for plants the layout and installation go very smoothly. Do not plant until your rough irrigation system is ready!
- Finish Irrigation- As soon as the plants go in the ground finish irrigation is next to follow. Drip irrigation is usually the best practice for shrubs and perennials. Water efficient sprinklers are available for your turf areas. Programming of your irrigation timer / controller is done at this point.
- Mulch – Applying a liberal amount of mulch is very important to the health of your plants and can add beauty to your landscape. Mulch will add vital nutrients to your soil and keep moisture in thus saving water. Another beneficial reason for mulching is weed control.
- Enjoy – Now that your project is complete it is time to Relax and Enjoy, after all this was the reason for all the hard work.If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact. The Sweetwater Landscape Team here.
Front Yard Lawn Conversion to Low Maintenance Landscape
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