Title: (Optional) Establish requirements of the commercial inventory survey.
Course: Landscaping II (18054-II) > Section: Designing the Landscape

Establishment should include

- interviewing the client to determine planned uses for the property
- determining a budget for the landscape project
- cataloging the natural and man-made features of the planned project site
- researching legal aspects of the site (e.g., property lines, zoning, setbacks, easements, right-of-ways, off-site factors, historical considerations)
- procuring and interpreting topographic information
- creating a base map
- conducting soil sampling to determine the landscape site, nutritional status, and soil type
- identifying climatic concerns (e.g., hardiness zone, site orientation, and microclimates)
- accounting for Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and sustainability guidelines.

Process/Skill Questions:

- What natural and synthetic features need to be itemized in a site survey?
- How could issues such as zoning, easements, EPA regulations, and property lines be researched?
- What is the difference between a base and topographical map?
- How does soil structure affect plant growth?
- How does a microclimate affect a plant’s hardiness?