Planning outdoor landscaping is one of the more overwhelming outdoor projects. If you're wondering where to start, Lisa Orgler, a lecturer in the horticulture department at Iowa State University says to think about your open spaces first.
“The number one thing I like to encourage people to do is to not just look at the plantings first, but look at your spaces first. What we do, is we do a spatial design first, and then we do a planting design. A spacial design is basically deciding where your rooms should be in your landscape, or where the spaces should be. So, instead of buying a plant and then putting it somewhere and being confused about where to put it, decide where you want your patio to be, your lawn space to be,” says Orgler.
“And then the planting beds go around those spaces an reinforce them, so it’s really about thinking about the spaces first.”
During this hour of Talk of Iowa, host Charity Nebbe talks with Orgler and Richard Jaron, horticulture expert at Iowa State University Extension about landscaping. They also take listener questions about plants.