Temperatures may be falling and your flowers and plants have lived out their summer glory, but that doesn’t mean that you have to give up on thinking about your plans for a new landscape design.  Although it may soon be too cold to install new hardscaping features or to plant new trees and shrubs, now is a great time to do some research and start putting together your plans so you can get a jump on enhancing your landscaping when spring starts to arrive.

When it comes to planning out what you want to add or change, one of the best places to start is to take stock of what you currently have in your landscaping that you would like to keep or eliminate.  In some cases you’ll find that all you need is a few simple tweaks to turn drab into fab.  Maybe for the most part, you like what you have already in your yard but you just need to add one feature to add a “wow” factor.  For example, if you are looking at changing up your front landscape design, maybe you just need to add a decorative retaining wall to add some dimension to your plantings.  Or if you have a boring entrance to your home, maybe a beautiful paver walkway can add the oomph you’re looking for.

On a similar note, if there are things you know you don’t like about your design, now is the time to consider pulling them out, or at least taking note of them so you know when spring rolls around that they are earmarked for removal.  This can consist of bushes that have seen better days and are just not thriving in your yard or plants you want to transplant to another location.  Just start walking around the house to take note of what you’d be happy to see go or moved.

If you’re looking to do a complete overhaul of your landscaping design, now is the perfect time to start thinking about what you want.  You can look at magazines, search online or start making lists or drawings of what you like and don’t like.  If you have been disappointed in the past about what some of your landscaping elements look like once the height of the summer has passed, think about taking a ride around your neighborhood to find other homes that have elements that look good all year long, even when summer beauty fades.  This will give you a better idea of how things will look through changing seasons, rather than just seeing glossy photos in magazines or online of how things look at the pinnacle of the growing season.

You can also do other things to prepare for your new landscape design.   Now is a good time to set a budget for what you are willing to spend, find a contractor that will be ready to do the work you want or need when you want them and then sit back and think about the beautiful new outdoor space you will soon enjoy once you make it through the winter season.

For more information about planning your ultimate landscape design, contact Millenium Stoneworks in NJ at 732-519-1112 or 347-723-6990.