4 Seasons Landscaping's blog

Steps to planning out your landscaping

A well manicured landscape starts long before the first seed hits the ground. Every home’s landscaping is different, but the process is similar and follows the same steps.

1. Planning

Before starting anything, you will need a plan. The plan should include the scope, budget, dimensions, and details of the project. A plan will help everything stay organized and calculate materials needed.

2. Ground Preparation

Some general preparations often include removing grass or existing landscaping, removing rocks or other debris, and leveling the ground. Specific preparations depends on the type of landscaping you are doing.

3. Installation

Now you are ready to install your landscaping. Features like fences, patios, walkways, and retaining walls typically go first. This will define the space and build the framework. These elements usually take the most time, money, and effort.

4. Maintenance

Edible Flowers

Would you like to eat your landscaping?

There are a variety of plants that are edible. They are not regular ingredients in salads, but you can snack on them when you are outside! They are also colorful additions to your garden, which include:

- Pansies

Pansies are an easy to grow edible flower. They prefer full to part sun, regular watering, and well drained soil. The grassy “greens” and mild flavor of the pansy makes it an easy one to use in many recipes, from garnishing cocktails, desserts, and salads. They are also high in vitamin C, tannins, carotenoids, and saponins. Pansies have been used by herbalists for their anti-inflammatory properties.

- Chive blossoms

Chives are valued in the kitchen for many recipes, but the chive flower is often overlooked. This small purple flower lends a delicate onion flower to soups, cream sauces, potato and egg dishes, and salads. They are high in vitamins A and C. It’s health as well as daintily pretty. Grow chives in full to part sun, regular water, and good soil drainage.

- Hibiscus

Native Plants

Have you heard the buzz about native plants? They are the topic of many garden shows and seminars lately. Native plants are more tolerant of our seasonal conditions, and because they enjoy our climate and soils, they can grow strong, which makes it easier for them to fight off disease, organisms, and fungal pathogens.

Why are these native plants important though, and what do they bring to your landscaping? That is a great question! 95% of land in the Midwest has been modified over time through agriculture and the building and growth of cities and towns. This affects local wildlife and the ecosystem, but we have an opportunity to create a natural ecosystem in our own backyards. Here are a few native Illinois plants:

Asclepias Tuberosa (Butterfly Weed) (Pictured)

                - This plant loves full sun and sandy soil

                - It has bright orange flowers in summer

                - Averages about 2 feet tall by 3 feet wide

                - This is food for larval and adult forms of the                               monarch butterfly

Rudbeckia (Black Eyed Susans)

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