When I was a kid I always wanted to do what my friends were up to. I would run to my parents and ask if I could also do as my peers. My parents would often say no and I would quickly say but everyone else is doing it! To answer me they would say “if your friends jumped of the Brooklyn Bridge would you”?

This familiar childhood problem can be compared to how most people select the landscape for their homes. They see their neighbors and friends installing a project and they purchase a similar style project at their home.

Our homes already are losing their individuality in these vast developments of modern center hall colonials.

Why would we want our landscapes to be so similar as well? Or if we do have a different style home why should its landscape look alike as well. There is inadequate public appreciation for the value of design and planning in enhancing the quality of life in our communities.

Your landscape should reflect your personality and lifestyle.

Don’t get caught in the “keeping up with the Jones’s” trap. Why not do a web search (or an old fashioned library search) for the history of landscape architecture. Study some of the greats like Frederick Law Olmsted, Beatrix Farrand, Ellen Biddle Shipman, Fletcher Steele and other major influences in garden design. If you read about these people you will come to understand it is not all about a serpentine paver walkway and a collection of varied plants mounded in rock and mulch. They studied spaces, views, textures, shadows, and other nuances that created an experience when you enter their gardens.

The gardens of these icons are still with us and visited by millions each year. Why not take some elements from these or other greats and incorporate them into your homes unique design? Consider your families needs and interests. Create a sanctuary for them to escape to.

Your landscape should encourage one to explore, sit and meditate, have a conversation and entertain family and guests.

Why is it that so many people will spend sixty thousand dollars on kitchen remodeling and only budget ten thousand for their entire landscape? What do you view out your window? Your neighbor’s SUV and air conditioner units or a pergola draped with flowering vines surrounded by a wash of perennials with antique brick leading towards a babbling water feature.

Have a theme and an overall goal for your landscape project.

Have a good reason for placement of elements and plants. Use plants that will work in the location long term. Hire a professional landscape designer or architect to help organize your thoughts and properly translate them to a site plan. Budget and phase the installation as it fits your budget and priorities. Work with a landscape firm that will use the highest standards so your landscape gains value with age and does not fail after five or ten years. Choose materials that are timeless and will not be out of style in five or ten years. It is far less expensive to do it right the first time than re landscaping every five to ten years.

Take your outdoor space as seriously as you do with your home’s interior. Take the time to research and study some of the great garden designers. Trust your individual tastes and needs. Have a theme and goal for your landscape. Use the best professionals you can find. Choose timeless materials and place plants in locations they can grow to maturity.  By following these pieces of advice you will have a formula for success and satisfaction in creating the perfect landscape for you and your family.