Our Outdoor Living Planner Walks You Through the Landscape Design Process

Use our Outdoor Living Planner to outline your vision for a new dream getaway in your own yard and garden. We’ve broken it down into categories: Lawn/Garden, Hardscape, Kids/Pets, Outdoor Kitchens, Water Features and Fire Features. Consider these questions and get your creative juices flowing. Use this planner to partner with a professional for the bigger projects on your wish list.  

 

 Front yard sq. ft.

 Back yard sq. ft.

 Side yards sq. ft.

 

Parties or gatherings

Less than 10 guests:         Seated        Unseated

10–30 guests:         Seated        Unseated

More than 30 guests: #         Seated        Unseated

Outdoor kitchen/grill area

Patio with seating (for how many people?)

Quiet meditation  |  Children’s garden or play area

Yard for pets

Pool

Spa

Outdoor games or sports (please list)

Containers with plants

Garden space to grow

Herbs

Cut flowers

Vegetables/fruit

 

 

Do any of your family members suffer from allergies?      Yes        No

 

Does anyone who will use the site have mobility issues (use a stroller or wheelchair)?     Yes       No

 

Will your yard need to be fenced for safety or privacy?      Yes        No

 

Does the property have any noise issues (loud neighbors, busy streets)?      Yes        No

 

Is there a need to block any undesirable views from your property?              Yes        No

 

Are your property lines agreed upon by your neighbors and the city?            Yes        No

 

Are there any buried utilities on the property (septic systems or utility lines)?      Yes        No

 

Do you want an outdoor sound system?   Yes        No

 

Front yard  |  Back yard |  Side yards

 

Does sun exposure cause problems inside the house (like too much heat from south-facing windows)?  Yes        No

 

Does sun exposure limit outdoor use (too hot to play outside, too shady to grow vegetables)?    Yes       No

 

 

 

  Improved lawn | Groundcover | Flowers | Trees | Hardscape repair | New hardscape | New landscape design

 

 

Are there existing plants that you want to stay in the yard?     Yes        No

 

 

 

Are there other features you want addressed (unusable steep space, erosion, drainage issues, etc.)?  Yes        No

 

 

Is there wildlife you want to keep out of your yard (coyotes, snakes, raccoons, possums, moles/voles, deer)?  Yes        No

 

 

Are there pests you want to discourage (ants, bees, cockroaches, spiders, mosquitoes, flies)?   Yes       No

 

I won’t do anything myself

I will hire someone to do some tasks, like mowing

I will do it all myself

 

  Vegetable garden | Herb garden | Fruit trees

 

Front yard % of the yard

Back yard % of the yard 

 

 

Do you have an irrigation system?  Yes        No

 

Is it working correctly?    Yes     No 

Do you need a new irrigation system installed?    Yes       No

 

Turfgrass | Drought-tolerant plants | Native plants | Fruit-bearing plants | Organic and/or vegetable/fruit garden | Food and habitat for pollinators and birds | Eco-friendly landscape (i.e.,reducing water, fertilizers,pesticides and mowing) | Low-maintenance plants

 

Planting groundcover to reduce water needs

Installing a rainwater-catch system

Installing a greywater-capture system

 

(Man-made parts of the landscape)

 

Are there existing hardscape features in your yard that must stay in the design?    Yes        No

 

 Brick | Concrete | Stamped with patterns | Colored | Glossy finish | Matte finish | Flagstone | Natural shapes | Cut stone (squares or rectangles) | Tile | Natural | Man-made | Gravel | Decomposed granite (ground gravel)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do you have playground equipment already?      Yes        No

 

Do you want new play equipment?  Yes        No

 

  Natural boulders to climb |  Swingset | Slide | Tree swing or rope to climb | Sandbox (with a lid if you have pets) | Sidewalk or path for tricycle/

bicycle use | Inground wading pool or freestanding pool | Basketball hoop | Batting cages/goal nets

 

Will pets use the area?      Yes       No

 

Describe the breed, age and size of your pets: Dog | Cat

 

Describe your pet’s habits (i.e., the dog digs or the cat climbs trees and gets stuck).

 

 

Rarely—I just want a gathering place for entertainment

Occasionally, in nice weather

Often, in nice weather

Several times a week no matter what the weather

As often as possible

 

 

 

Dishes or linens | Trash | Cooking ingredients and supplies | Wood for oven or fireplace

 

Natural stone | Tile | Stainless steel | Wood | Concrete | Quartz | Eco-friendly materials

 

Natural stone | Brick | Tile | Stucco | Wood

 

Will you need cold and hot runnning water at a sink?    Yes        No

 

Pizza oven       Griddle        BBQ grill

Traditional stove with _____ burners

Traditional oven

 

Do you want an outdoor refrigerator/freezer?    Yes        No

If so, how many cubic feet of capacity do you need?

 

Wine/beer storage or service

Undercounter fridge for snacks/drinks

 

  Patio table | Bar counter

 

Permanent overhead heaters

Freestanding (portable) heaters

Wood-burning fireplace in the outdoor kitchen

 

Will your outdoor kitchen need sun/rain protection?     Yes          No

 Partially open roof      Solid roof

 

Would you want a misting system for cooling?    Yes        No

Will you want an integrated TV/sound system in the outdoor kitchen?  Yes        No

 

 

 

Exercise | Relaxation | Entertaining

 

Waterfall | Fountain | Diving board or slide | Grotto | Safety fence | Integrated fire feature | TV/sound system | Cabana/bathroom | Saltwater pool | Vanishing-edge pool  

 

 

 

Will messy trees or plants impact the area near the pool?     Yes        No

 

 

Do you want a:    Firepit | Fireplace

 

 

 

  Real wood logs | Natural gas | Hidden propane tank

 

Do you have kids or pets that need to be protected from the fire element (say, by a hearth)?    Yes        No

 

Would you like a firepit that is:  Flush with the ground | Raised | Portable

 

Connects with the patio or other hardscape?

Stands alone and is placed out in the yard?

Is covered by a patio cover or pergola?

 

Fire/water combination (fire feature with an integrated fountain, for instance)

Hearth for seating