In landscaping for the first time, you will need to understand the principles of landscaping. The trees, grass, flowers and plants are living creatures that you can mold to your liking in more ways than one. You have to care for not only them but their soil or they will die. You will need to at least have a plan of how you want your landscaping to look before you actually start digging up the yard. Monitor your ground so you will know which types of flowers and plants and grass you want to use in your landscaping. It is wise to spend at least a week watching the places where you will to start landscaping so you can see how the sun hits the area or keep track of its shade. If a lot of sun hits an area, you will know what kind of plants to place there.

You will need to keep an eye on the ground and how it reacts to rain. It is important to know what areas of your ground are soft after it rains or what areas have pooling of water. A lot of times trees are a factor. Think about whether or not you plan to keep your existing trees or not. They tend to leave an ambush of leaves in the fall season. This is okay if you do not mind raking them. Few people will have the trees removed and replace them with evergreens. Sometimes it is hard for grass to grow around the roots of an evergreen.

Having an eye for colors is an important attribute to have when you are landscaping. At least and understanding of what each one brings to the table and how they will all work together are the basics. This fits into every garden blueprint. You will need to know if you want the colors to be in sync with each other or not. Colors determine your garden's moods. You will need to study the primary ones which are blues, yellows and reds. The secondary colors are your oranges, purples and greens and lastly a combination of the primaries and secondaries. Silvers, whites, grays and blacks are neutral colors that will help you mix the right shades.

When beginning to landscape for the first time, you should decide in your gardening or flower blueprint if you want the plants and trees together or lining a path. Will the colors be in sync? Will they all just have their own separate areas? Instead of sketching your ideas on paper, you can buy software that can help you do three dimensional planning. You can also get ideas from landscaping magazines or check out the books your local library may have. You will also want to make sure you have the right lawn and gardening tools and equipment for your landscaping. Most equipment can be rented, especially if you only need to use it like once or twice a year. This will depend on the size of your yards. If you are planning to do statues or ponds, you may want to hire a small crew or either a professional. You will want your yard to shine for your neighbors and passers by.