Learning to Landscape

Landscape designer Ami Johannson gives tips on starting a project.

Looking for a new spring project to spruce up your outdoor space? Landscape designer and head of the new landscape division at Ispiri, Ami Johannson, offers advice for those looking for a new spring project.

Start a wish list file. A landscape designer can help sort out what falls within your budget and how to achieve your desired look. “The budget conversation is always a big one, but it’s a reality. Everyone has some limit when it comes to budget,” Johannson says.

Work with a designer you trust. Johannson believes that finding a compatible designer is most important. “In the first meeting we know if we connect,” she says. “You’re going to end up working together closely, so look for a personality that you can work with so you can maintain open communication.”

Invest in your own home. “Fewer and fewer people run to their cabins; people are doing a lot more at home,” she says. One suggestion is building a permanent site for a game, such as horseshoes, pool, darts or adding an outdoor kitchen. For Minnesotans in particular, it’s important to utilize the outdoors for as long as possible. “We’re some pretty hardy people,” Johannson says with a laugh. “We can shovel a path to the grill. We can find ways to live in the snow as well as we do in the summer.”

Johannson suggests Pinterest and Houzz as two websites that are great for brainstorming ideas.