Have you ever walked into someone’s backyard and felt like you were transported somewhere? Maybe you felt like you were in a hidden oasis, the jungle, or even a remote mountain location? Most likely the homeowners invested in landscaping at some point.

Done right, landscaping has the ability to accomplish great things. It can be as simple as giving the tired old yard a sharp, clean, manicured look. However, done poorly, and it can be endless headache.

So what is the difference?

Landscaping done well means the contractor has paid attention to the details. What you see visually at ground level is the pretty part (the part that most people appreciate), but a good contractor knows that it’s what all of this pretty stuff is resting on that is most important.

Building a solid base for your stone steps that lead up to the waterfall, or making sure that the grade of your sod sheds the water away from your foundation; that’s what makes landscaping worth it.

Pre-planning is key

You might have an idea of what you want your landscape to look like, but you might not have considered what it takes to have a successfully functioning oasis  Asking the right questions is critical.

-Do you need conduit to run electrical to a pond pump, or to feature lighting?

-Is there adequate slope to drain excess water when your pond overflows due to heavy rainfall?

-Are the downspout locations forcing rainwater to wash out the mulch around the flowerbed?

-Is there heat-trace run along the water feature lines so it wont freeze and burst in -30 degree weather?

All of these things need to be considered when planning on spending the money to landscape your oasis. There is nothing worse than to spend the time and money on landscaping that may look pretty, but due to bad planning, doesn’t function to its potential. Even worse though, has actually created issues in or around your house—issues that weren’t issues before landscaping.