Front Windows Landscaping IDEAS

According to landscape economist, John A. Harris, good landscaping can add up to 28% to the overall value of a home and it can cut the home’s time on the market 10% to 15%. In addition, if you take your landscaping to the next level, upgrading it from a “good” to “excellent, ” in terms of design, condition and placement, you can add 6% to 7% to the value of a home, according to a Clemson University study that was funded by the Horticulture Research Institute.

Whether you’re planning on enhancing your curb appeal, creating an outdoor living space, seeking the approval of your homeowners association (HOA), or are simply wanting to put your ideas down on paper, SmartDraw has what you need to get started.

Landscape Design Category

The Landscape Design Category contains a number of sub-categories that range from residential to commercial landscaping templates and sample diagrams. Depending on the type of landscape project, you can easily begin by leveraging an existing template or a blank work area or import existing blue prints of your property.

Landscape Design Category’s Sub-Category List*

• Residential
• Office Building
• Deck Plans
• Patios
• Parks
• Picnic Areas
• Pools
• Yard

*Note: Each sub-category contains a folder of templates and sample diagrams.

SmartDraw Tip: In the Left Panel of the Category Screen, select Landscape Design. The Landscape Design Template sub-categories will appear in the body of the screen, known as the Category Preview. You have option to leverage an existing template or select the “Blank” template, highlighted by the blue box in the diagram above.

Landscape Symbol Libraries

When you select any of the Landscape Design sub-categories, the Symbol Library defaults to a library that is relevant to the category you have selected. If you require a symbol that does not already exist in the library displayed, you can access more than 24, 000 symbols in the Symbol Library using the Add Symbols feature (as shown below).

SmartDraw Tip: To access the Symbol Library, navigate to the Library tab located to the right of the SmartPanel. Select the Add Symbols drop-down arrow, select More. Enter the appropriate criteria in the Search field. Click Search. Once you’ve located the appropriate set of symbols, click OK. The Symbol Library will display in the Library to the left of the Work Area and the More Symbols window will close.

Residential Front Yard Landscape Diagram

SmartDraw Tip: Before you begin your design, it is a best practice to determine the functionality of the space. This will aide in determining the design elements that are to be included. Keep in mind that the labels assigned to each of the symbols found in the Symbol Library may not be intuitive to your audience. With that said, you will see that each species of plant is labeled accordingly.

Adding Texture

The more detail you include in your landscape design, the better sense you will have in ensuring the cohesiveness of the space. With SmartDraw, you can go beyond a simple drawing you can enhance your designs with texture.

SmartDraw Tip: To add texture to your landscape design, select the object you wish to add texture. Navigate to the Home Ribbon, select Fill. In the Fill menu, select Texture then More Textures. The Select a Texture window appears (as shown above). Navigate to the appropriate texture, click OK. The texture will be added to the object that was selected and the Select a Texture window will close.

Residential Backyard Landscape Diagram

SmartDraw Tip: When designing your landscape diagram, it is important to determine your audience. This will guide you to the level of detail you will need to include.

Making Objects Transparent

By making large design elements, such as trees, transparent you are able to reveal smaller elements below. For example, have an extra large magnolia tree (as shown above) that has been made transparent in order to display the greenery below.

SmartDraw Tip: Before an object can be made transparent it must first have a color applied to it. Select the object you wish to make transparent. Navigate to the Home Ribbon, select Fill. Located below the Standard Colors bar you will find the Transparency menu. Select the appropriate level of transparency.

Residential Landscape Diagram and Plant List

In addition to the landscape design diagram, we have included a plant list table. Not only does this table function as a key to all the greenery it also indicates the greenery botanical names, common name, quantity, and size. This level of detail would be relevant when determining your budget, placing your nursery order, and collaborating with a professional landscaper.

Displaying Dimensions

The landscape design (as shown above) does not display the dimensions of the space. Since the focus of the landscape diagram is to identify the elements of the design, it would be distracting to include them. However, including dimensions may prove valuable especially when calculating costs and placing final orders.

SmartDraw Tip: Select the object you wish to display the dimensions. Navigate to the Design Ribbon, select Dimensions. In the Show Dimensions section, you will discover that you have three options. Select “Never to never display the dimension of the object even if you select it. Select “Only When Selected” if you wish to display the dimensions only when you select the object while in the Work Area. Select “Always” to display the dimensions of the object at all times.