Here are some of the major questions that I pose to you to think about during your first year in your new home. Note the answers and make comments in your journal.

• Do you have pets that will need a run or relief area?
• Will you require outside storage facilities to store items such as lawn mower, garden tools, outdoor decorations, containers and lawn furniture for out of season storage?
• Do you have young children who need a play area such as sandbox or play set?
• Are there older children or active adults who may want open areas for running, playing football, badminton, basketball or even corn hole?
• Do you need to accommodate anyone with physical limitations or elderly person? If yes, then you will want to incorporate ramps, wider all weather pathways and possibly raised beds for gardening.
• Do you entertain frequently? If yes, then you may require multiple conversation or dining areas that flow together.
• Are you a homebody and prefer quiet, private areas for activities such as reading, intimate dining or meditating?
• What are the focal points of the property?
• What views from both the house outward and the property lines inward would you like to maintain, privatize or create?
• Do you have bad views, close neighbors or neighbors with an unlimited view into your property that you need to block?
• Are there any draining problems?
• Do you want any specialty areas, such as for growing vegetables, fruiting plants, cut flowers, roses, etc?
• Do you have a specific landscape style that you like such as English, Japanese, Zen, Italian, Country, etc? Keep in mind that landscape styles do best when they blend with the style of the house.
• Do you want to include water features such as a fish pond, stream, or hot tub?
• Do you want to create habitats to attract butterfly, bees, bats, hummingbirds, songbirds, frogs, lizards, even foxes, and other wildlife?
• How much time do you intend to devote to maintenance of your lawn, gardens and landscape? The more incorporated into a landscape, the more maintenance time required.