Landscaping is a big task, consuming much time and energy. It also provides a great sense of accomplishment, well being and is a great source of energy. But before you hire that professional, here are some tips that could save both time and money.

1. Spend time thinking about the design to want for your home. Consider the style and function of your landscape and home. Do you want to include an area for entertaining? A barbeque? How about an area for the children to play, a fish pond or a swimming pool? What plants do you want and where or when is you landscape going to get the most foot traffic.

2. Think before hiring a pro. An independent designer might cost you hundreds of dollars or you may be able to do some research on the internet or local garden center. But if you have an awkward landscape challenge such as steep grade, a landscape designer might give you the expertise to save costly mistakes.

3. The style of your house 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 have the time to maintain flowering annuals or prune beds of roses? If so, go ahead and plant them, but if you'd rather spend your free time at the beach, then you should consider a low maintenance design.

Here are the various landscape styles you can choose for your garden:

Formal: This style uses lots of straight lines and perfect geometrical shapes. Orderly arrangement of plants instead of random positioning is employed. Close arrangement and pruning and lot of maintenance is required to maintain the formal and structured appeal.

Informal: This kind of landscaping works best for cottages or more rural settings. Flower beds with curved edges i and random placement of plants suit this landscape style.

English Garden: This style emphasizes the harmony between the houses architecture and the garden. It is important to consult a landscape designer to get the best results.

Formal/Informal Garden: This style usually includes a brick walkway that exudes formality. This walkway leads to the rear with a circle of plants, and the arrangement of plants resembles the English garden without formal borders.

Oriental: Often the preferred garden for small backyards. It includes rocks, evergreens and water features. A wide variety of plants create several interesting angles with this style.

Woodland: This landscaping suits a house that has a wooded backyard and sloping ground.