Observe and Analyze Your Site

The more you understand the unique character of your site (and how you interact with it), the more successful your design will be. Plan to complete your site analysis when you won’t be rushed– the more time you can give yourself, the better.

1. Observe Your Site

Before mapping features and ideas out, it’s essential to switch off your analytical mind. Connect to your surroundings and notice things you would normally overlook.

• If you don’t know where to start, follow this site-observation exercise:
  • Find a comfortable spot to sit or stand in your landscape. Take a few breaths to settle yourself. 
  • Begin to move slowly through your site, either physically or mentally. Engage all of your senses to make observations.
    • What do you see?
      1. Notice structures, plants, views, and eyesores. Also consider colors, shapes, light, shadows, and movement. 
    • What do you hear?
      1. Listen for wildlife, wind, water, or ambient noises like passing cars or children playing.
    • What do you feel, physically and emotionally?
      1. Notice things like temperature, wind, or physical comfort. Pay attention to emotions that come up: maybe you feel peaceful, exposed, cramped, inspired, or overwhelmed.
  • When you’re done, jot down your overall impressions. Avoid writing down ideas or solutions to problems.
    • Think of notes like “felt on display for neighbors,” “noticed a lot of birds,” “much more road noise than I’ve noticed before,” or “garden bench area feels peaceful but underused.”

2. Take Inventory

Turn your analytical mind back on to log your site inventory. This process provides vital details for your landscape plan moving forward. This step will take some time, so feel free to break it up over multiple sessions.

To start, tape a fresh piece of tracing paper over your basemap. Following the list below, use colored pencils, pens, or whatever you prefer to mark existing site features. This doesn’t have to be pretty, it just has to be legible to you. You can even use different sheets for different categories, like “human elements” and “natural elements”.

• Sun and Shade
  • Areas that receive consistent, all-day sun, deep shade, or dappled light
  • Areas with changing light conditions (morning sun, afternoon shade, etc.) and approximately how long those areas receive sun (2 hours in the morning; 5 hours in the afternoon, etc.)
  • Seasonal sun patterns (does part of your site stay shaded during spring and fall, but receive full sun during the summer? Google Earth satellite imagery can help track this.)
•  Moisture
  • Drainage patterns, including where water enters the landscape through downspouts, hard surfaces, or slopes
  • Areas where the soil stays consistently dry or consistently moist (shady or sunken areas often stay much more moist than sunny or elevated areas)
  • Existing irrigation systems
• Existing Hardscapes
  • Paths, patios, and other structures not already marked on your basemap
• Usage
  • Most- and least-used areas of the site (gathering places, functional places, frequent footpaths, etc.)
• Utilities
  • Buried and aboveground utility lines, boxes, or other features
• Views
  • Distant views of the surrounding area (mountains, a shopping center, etc.) 
  • Close views (a beautiful tree, pleasing architecture, an ugly fence, etc.)
• Nearby Off-Site Conditions
  • Noise sources (traffic, farm animals, loud neighbors, etc.)
  • Water influences (nearby detention pond, runoff from a neighbor’s property, etc.)
• Topography
  • High and low spots, including both larger slopes and smaller depressions
• Soil
  • Soil type and condition (clay, loam, sand; compacted, loose)
  • The jar test is an easy way to get a clear idea of your soil type:
    • Fill ⅓ of a clear jar with soil from your site (use soil from at least 6” deep).
    • Fill the rest of the jar with water, replace the lid, and shake vigorously for 2 minutes.
    • Let the jar settle for 24 hours.
    • Observe the distinct layers that form:
      1. Sand settles first (bottom)
      2. Then silt (middle)
      3. Then clay (top)
    • Measure the thickness of each layer to get rough percentages of the composition.
  • Soil types:
    • Sandy soil: 70%+ sand; drains quickly with low water retention
    • Loamy soil: balanced mix that has ideal drainage and retention
    • Clay soil: 40%+ clay; drains slowly with high water retention
    • Silty soil: compacts easily, is erosion prone, and forms surface crust
• Existing Vegetation
  • What’s there? (trees, turf grass, shrubs, etc.)
  • What is the condition of existing plants? (Do some seem to be particularly happy? Do some seem to always be struggling?)
• Wildlife
  • What kind of wildlife have you observed? (including bees, butterflies, birds, squirrels, deer, neighborhood cats, snakes— you name it)
  • How do they interact with the site?
• Wind
  • What direction do the prevailing winds blow? (On the Front Range, it is usually from northwest to southeast)
  • Are there areas on your site that get hit hardest by wind? Areas that are particularly protected?
• Site Restrictions
  • City ordinances (easements, ditches, etc.)
  • HOA rules and regulations

Assess Your Findings

Now it’s time to evaluate everything you’ve observed and recorded. Ask yourself the following questions to help summarize your findings:

• Did your site analysis reveal any new possibilities or inspire new goals?
• What currently works well on your site?
• What areas or features are underperforming?
• How might existing elements be repurposed or enhanced in your new design?
• Do your vision and goals seem compatible with your site conditions?

Keep your notes from this stage on hand; you’ll need them for the next step in the planning process.