To obtain an effective landscape, you must know your family's and your yard's needs.

Dreaming
Some landscaping ideas are born full-grown. New homeowners have been known to put in a pool before they unpack their boxes. But most plans take longer to gain shape.

A year of surveying your situation may seem excessively long, but taking your time has a built-in advantage: If you move too fast, you could destroy one of your yard's present pluses before you are even aware of it.

Purpose in Mind
Next, weigh your family's needs. All landscape improvements -- from the planting of a single shrub to the building of a deck and patio system -- should add to the ease, comfort, and delight of your everyday living.

And this can be true for all members of the family, from indoor grandparents, who appreciate easy entrances and grand views of the grandkids, to children, who play in every inch of yard from the sandbox to the treetops.

The Whole Site
As the details develop, think of your yard as a whole. Everything should go together with harmony. You don't have to be an artist or know much about the aesthetic principles of line, scale, texture, and balance. These elements of good design are largely common sense. An inner eye will tell you if they are present or not.

Drawing a Plan
Because some decisions will firm up more quickly than others, the sooner you move from your lists and dreams to the actual planning, the better.