Where to start with your home's landscaping

In planning your landscape, you need to look beyond the trees, shrubs and garden beds. Here's some ways to beautify and  create privacy without breaking the bank.

• Hardscape is the immovable elements of landscaping, including decks, paths, fences and more.
• When designing landscaping elements, keep in mind that hardscape should serve a function.
• With a little knowhow you can do some hardscaping yourself, such as laying a gravel path or installing brick edging.
• Unless you're an accomplished do-it-yourselfer, it's best to leave the bigger projects to the pros.

• Newly-built houses often look naked because they have no foundation plantings — the small trees and shrubs planted around the perimeter of the house.
• Foundation plantings soften the straight lines of the building and ease the transition from the house to the flower bed and lawn.
• Evergreens are a good choice in cold climates because they keep their foliage and colour all year.
• Several yews in a row with a tall evergreen on the corner of the house is a time-honoured arrangement, but explore your nursery for more creative combinations.
• Choose trees and shrubs that look good year-round and won't grow too large for the spot.
• Place foundation plants so they won't grow into the house, damage the foundation with their roots or block entrances and windows when they mature.

• All landscapes need what professionals call "a sense of enclosure."
• A privacy fence is a ready-made solution and will last 10 to 20 years.
• Alternatively, you can build your own, but it must conform to local zoning codes and can cost several thousand dollars.
• Make sure your fence doesn't create an oppressive, prison-like feel and make you appear unfriendly to neighbours.
• To create a fence that with less severe lines, you can incorporate openings or add latticework to the design.
• Climbing vines and other tall plants can also be planted in front of the fence to soften the straight lines

• Hedges are beautiful and less expensive to install, but can take years to mature and require maintenance. And if your yard is shady, you'll find that they won't do well.
• If you choose to plant a hedge, consider planting an evergreen variety that provides privacy year-round.
• A trellis of vines is another solution that's decorative and doesn't seem as unfriendly as a fence.
• As with hedges, perennial vines grow slowly, but they provide the privacy you desire and the end result can be very satisfying.

• You can carve a sitting area in that little nook created by the L-shape of the house, or reclaim the area on the side of the garage as an outdoor space.
• To make one of these "ceiling-less rooms," spread some gravel, set up some outdoor furniture and plant some tall ornamental grasses to block unwanted views.

Great gardens have good "bones." The skeleton of a landscape is the hardscape: the paths, fences, steps, edging, patios, decks and other immovable elements. Once your hardscape is set, you can play around with your yard until you find something you like.