Rural Backyard Series: Landscape Master Plan
Transitioning your landscape over time may require a master plan. When you begin to design, renovate or upgrade an existing landscape you should always incorporate a 1-5-10 and even 15 year plan so that you can transition your landscape as your family grows or your needs change. Designing areas that are multi-use or designing an area that can be easily redesigned as needs change can be incorporated into a master plan. It’s hard to think 10 or even 15 years into the future. You man not even own the property that long, but if you do and you have this plan you won’t be struggling to figure out how to make changes in your present design. You’ll have planned at the least a future use for the space. You can always modify a master plan. You may plan for 2 kids and end up with 4. You many need to change a landscape due to a serious injury. These are things you many want to incorporate into your master plan. At least consider alternatives in your plan just in case things change in your life or your lifestyle. A good example of this in a good design is limiting the number of steps and create pathways that traverse the landscape. When you design you need to keep in mind that you may have to move equipment or gain access to a septic system at some point. Double gates are good examples of planning ahead. You may only need to use half the gate most of the time, but having extra width for access might keep you from having to take down part of your fence and gate system. Alternative access points in the landscape design are good ideas too. Once you define a space for a certain activity and you’ve considered alternatives you are not locked into that design for all eternity as long as you have your master plan.
