My landscape is my own personal retreat. In it my husband and I find a great amount of pleasure entertaining, relaxing, and playing with our two dogs. I love the solace it brings when I can get into the dirt to nurture and grow things. In the winter, I admire its snow covered beauty, grateful to have some substance of interest to carry me through the six months indoors.

Come April, I can hardly contain my excitement when the first sign of a crocus or snowdrop pokes its head through the snow. By May we find ourselves on our back porch curled up under blankets sipping our morning coffees watching the orange and pinks of the sunrise blaze across our massive Green Ash and I am always keen to show him my new rose bush or the zone 5 plant that managed to survive our zone 3 winter, much to his delight I am sure.

The summer and fall bring many gatherings of family and friends which find us barbequing and dining out on our patio, and sitting around the firepit into the wee hours of the night. There is no doubt that we have put a lot of money, as well as blood, sweat, and tears into our yard, but there is no price you can put on the joy it brings us. The real value of our landscape is in the lifestyle it brings.

For many landscapers and home owners, their initial sense of value is in the financial costs. And any landscaper, professional or home owner, needs to consider the basic costs. Be prepared to pay for site analysis, design, site preparation, hauling & delivery expenses, materials, tools, labour, sub contracting, and no one can underestimate the value and costs of expertise.

Do your research and have an idea of how much each of these cost and what you will need for your job; you will be surprised at how quickly they add up. Do not expect a cedar fence, deck, paved pathway, new trees, and a water feature for $10,000 – at least not in Calgary. If you can get a landscape deal that is too good to be true, it probably is. Ask yourself where corners are being cut – are the contractors experienced, is the plant material healthy, is the water feature well crafted and easy to care for? Have an idea of what you want and generate a budget based on your estimate of the costs; only then do you know what you can have in your landscape.

When determining a landscaping budget, you should be prepared to invest an amount equivalent to 10 – 40% of your property value; if you live in a $300,000 home, this is between $30,000 to $120,000. You can spend more or less than this, but you get what you pay for. Despite the investment, this is not to say your $300,000 home is now worth $420,000 because of the landscaping. You may never see the financial return of your landscaping investment in the resale price of your home. But will you ever get the value out of your landscape? Absolutely, because the value of a landscape is in more than the financial costs.

Imagine for a moment the yard of your dreams. Do you see a $3000 lawn, an $8,000 paver patio, $13,000 in plant material, and a $20,000 water feature? Or do you see yourself engaging in that space? Perhaps you see yourself playing catch on the lawn and entertaining friends on your patio; or you may be relaxing in a hammock under the shade of your trees, or resting by the banks of your pond with the soothing sound of trickling water around you. The real value of a landscape is not in its individual elements, but in the lifestyle it creates. And there is no price you can put on that.

The next time you walk into a well landscaped yard, take the time to think about how you feel in that space. Be aware of what elements you are attracted to and why. You may find yourself being drawn away from the questions of cost, and more towards the meaning of the experience. In planning your landscape think about the lifestyle you want it to provide and the true value it can bring you.

This article was provided by Ananda’s Landscapes. Shannon Collier is a designer at Ananda’s Landscapes in Calgary, and a recent graduate of the Landscape Management diploma at Olds College. Visit them online at Ananda’s Landscapes .