A Fresh Start

Is it time for a change in the garden? Start by assessing its foundation

- By Daryl Beyers

During our search for a new house last year, my wife and I developed a strategy when visiting potential properties. Carrie and our rea-estate agent would go in the front door to evaluate the house while I assessed the garden. As they reviewed the floor plan, bedroom count and storage space inside, I looked at the lay of the land, soil quality and the patio space outside.

Though I didn't have time to complete a full site survey and analysis like I do at the beginning of a design project, there were a few quick appraisals I could make that told me if the garden stood in decent shape or needed work.

After decades working in gardens, I find this evaluation comes naturally, but it's also something simple anyone can do. Whether you are assessing your landscaping after gardening on the property for many years or you're looking at it as a new homeowner, there are several important features to review above and beyond the prettiness of the plants. These include landform, soil and structures. Here's how to do it.

Landform: THE LAY OF THE LAND

Every garden assessment starts with a study of slopes, because these will affect the potential use of the outdoor areas and indicate how water moves through the property. Surface water runoff shapes a landscape, making proper drainage a key component in every garden. Large, complex properties may require a grading survey to understand the lay of the land, but most homeowners can see everything they need to know simply by observing the surface water.