Do you admire with envy beautifully landscaped lawns and gardens? Wish your yard looked more like those and less like a hodge podge of weeds, bare spots and badly placed bushes? If you want a yard others will envy, there are several sources for ideas. These sources include neighbors, professionals, and lawn and garden magazines as well as landscaping software.

One of the best ways to get ideas for landscaping your yard is just to take a drive around the neighborhood. Look at what neighboring homes have planted in their yards and decide what you like and don't like. After you get a feel for what you like, you can move on to the actual landscape design.

If you've driven around your block and don't find any landscaping styles that suit your fancy, you might try checking out lawn and garden magazines. Often these publications will feature unusual or unique landscaping designs that can be adapted to fit your yard. These ideas are especially great if you want your yard to be different from those around you. If you wish, you can also integrate a combination of ideas you get from your neighbors - yards along with any inspirations you may find in magazines.

Another way to get good ideas for your new landscaping is to hire a professional. Even if you'd rather do the work yourself, a professional landscaper can be of great value to get initial ideas of what to do with your yard. Often these landscapers will look your yard over for a small charge and give you ideas about what you should plant where as well as what features, such as a water garden, might look good in your yard. A professional can also tell you what types of plants will grow well in your yard as well as any additives your soil needs to make plants grow better.

Landscaping software is another great way to get landscaping ideas. These computer assisted programs allow you to get an idea of what your yard and house will look like with the shrubs and plants you choose placed around it. This software also allows you to rearrange your plants until you get them in just the right places. It is a great idea to do this on a computer since it is not usually a good idea to continuously dig up and replant live plants.

If you want a beautifully landscaped yard, but aren't sure where to start, there are several places from which to get landscaping ideas. First, look at neighboring yards to get an idea of what you might like. Next, check out some lawn and garden magazines if you want something totally different from all your neighbors.

You also might want to consult a professional to get their opinion of what you should do with your yard. Finally, before you actually plant, try out your design with landscaping software to make sure it is what you had in mind. Using one or more of these sources, it is easy to find landscaping ideas that will fit your yard.