The first thing that you need to do in your landscaping project is to know the area that you will work on. You have to measure the exact area by using a tape measure. If the lot is big enough for you to measure, you can get the exact measure by getting the lot plat from your own or local registry or properties.

For bigger areas, it is best to include the slopes and hills in the property. These should be properly marked in your plan. You can use a software to make this task easy. You can just take a picture of the property and with the software, you can experiment on the different elements that you want to place and choose the kind of plants that will make your lot attractive.

With your map or photo, you have to indicate areas that cannot be removed in the yard - a fire hydrant and posts are good examples. Utility lines and power lines can also affect your plan so you also have to take note of this.

Determine where the sunlight is coming from. This can determine the type of trees and plants that you can place in your yard. You cannot block a window getting good sunlight by planting a tree beside it. This may appear minor to some but this is an important consideration before starting your actual landscaping project.

Note down the things that you should consider as you design your lawn or yard. Should you have a fence for your kids or pets? Do you like to have a vegetable garden? How about fruit trees, do you like to see them grow in your garden? Do you want to have a walk path? What particular design will you prefer for it? Do you need an outdoor space for grilling activities? How about a place for soccer ball game of your little boys? Do you prefer to have your rose garden set up? Would you like to have a swing or a small play area within the garden or lawn?

These questions are important as they determine the theme and the arrangement of the different pieces of plants and accessories in your garden.

The next thing to do is to evaluate how the area currently looks and what are the things that need to stay and go. There are plants that may no longer be appropriate for the kind of activities that you need to do in the garden based on the list that you came up with. You need to visualize how you will arrange things in the garden or lawn. You can use a software to virtually design and see if the result is something that you want. If not, you can always change and consider other possible landscape design.

Doing the planning stage prior to the actual landscaping work is a wise move to make sure that you have a direction and goal in mind. Everything will be clear before you even wear those gloves and start rearranging things. With things carefully planned out, you already have seen your new lawn or garden even before you have worked in it. This will provide the motivation for you to start digging in and pursue that dream garden that you want.