| If you've been considering changing you're home's | | | | together with friends? |
| landscaping, don't forget to consider your family's | | | | Plan Ahead |
| lifestyle as you create your initial plans. Everyone's | | | | You might also think about future additions to the |
| routines and daily activities need to be considered | | | | family when making your landscaping plans. For |
| before you make any significant changes. | | | | example, even though your own children have |
| For instance, if you put a flowerbed or shrub in | | | | grown up and moved out of the house, you |
| the middle of your backyard, will that hinder your | | | | might think about adding a sandbox to your |
| children from playing various games? You want to | | | | landscaping project, so your grandchildren will have |
| encourage your kids to play at home and to invite | | | | a place to play when they visit over the |
| their friends to join them, so it's important not to | | | | weekend. |
| do anything that will adversely affect the space | | | | As you think about what you might like to |
| where they usually play. | | | | incorporate into your new landscaping project, it's |
| Another example would be planting a shrub along | | | | a good idea to start keeping a folder where you |
| a route that someone in the family likes to walk | | | | can stuff pictures or ideas. You might also want |
| on a regular basis. It can be something as simple | | | | to keep a journal, jotting down ideas of possible |
| as the route to the mailbox, or something as | | | | additions that come to you from time to time. |
| elaborate as a path that someone likes to walk | | | | When you finally sit down to create your formal |
| every afternoon to commune with nature. Either | | | | plan, you can dig these out, and you may be |
| way, planting something that alters their | | | | surprised at some of the things that caught your |
| enjoyment of that simple routine wouldn't be a | | | | imagination as you mulled over your landscaping |
| good idea. | | | | project. |
| Consider Benefits in Relation to Expense | | | | Regardless of what you finally decide to include in |
| You may also want to consider what adding a | | | | your landscape remodeling project, it's important |
| particular landscaping element would do to | | | | that everyone in the household be considered. It's |
| enhance your family's living experience. Would | | | | their home, too, and they have the right to be |
| adding a hot tub to a proposed new deck be | | | | given the maximum amount of opportunity to |
| something the family would use enough to justify | | | | enjoy it. |
| its expense, or would it be enough just to add | | | | Copyright © 2006 Jeanette J. |
| the deck and use it for barbecuing and getting | | | | |