Landscape styles:

a. Formal. Straight lines and perfect geometrical shapes. Orderly and close arrangement of plants instead of random positioning.

b. Informal. Beds with curved edges instead of straight lines and random placement of plants.

c. English Garden. Emphasizes harmony between the house’s architecture and the garden.

d. Oriental. Found in small backyards. Uses rocks, evergreens and water. A wide variety of plants.

e. Woodland. Suits a house with a wooded backyard and sloping ground.

Think twice before hiring a pro. An independent designer might cost you hundreds of dollars when you may be able to access free plans on the internet or at a nursery. But if you have an awkward block such as very steep ground, a pro might give you the expertise to save costly mistakes.

The style of your home must be taken into account. If you have a rural cottage, formal gardens surrounding it will look out of place. Think also about your lifestyle. Do you want to spend hours caring for many beds of annuals or pruning beds of roses? If so, go ahead and plant them, but if you'd rather spend your free time at the beach, then go for an easy-care garden and landscape.

Spend some time thinking about exactly how you want the final design to be. You need to take account of the style and function of your landscape. Do you want to include an area for entertaining? A barbeque? Is there to be an area for children to play, a fishpond or a swimming pool? An idea of the plants you want to be there will also help. Focus on the area where you spend most of your time. That's a good place to start.