Searching for landscape ideas can be quite an adventure. Or, you can just walk around the block. From the modern to the traditional, landscaping design ideas are all around you.

Take a walk around your block. Try to determine if there is a particular style or form that is common to your neighbors. If there is, does it appeal to you? If the answer is yes, then many of your ideas will be close at hand.

If the common style is not to your liking, then it is time to do some homework. Check out your local botanical garden if one is near. You will likely find a number of different styles in the garden but more importantly, you will find locally hardy and generally available plants. Make a list of the ones that you particularly like.

If there is a local home and garden show, it will provide many ideas as well as local retailers who can provide materials for building and for planting. If you get the chance to see one of the really large regional shows then you may find almost more ideas than you can easily digest.

Do not forget to visit your local agricultural extension office. They are a great resource. Frequently they offer classes as well as provide information and pamphlets. Other neighborhoods can display other styles you might not have seen before. Take a mini-tour of your city.

To learn about the history and changes in landscaping over time, the library is the place to go. Not only hardback books and picture books, but back issues of gardening design magazines are all at your fingertips. Books on how to do just about anything are in the stacks and the photocopier is close at hand. Check out the ones you love and study them in your own back yard.

If you are feeling a bit overwhelmed by now, a little organizing can help. Keep a notebook or laptop file to make access easier. With everything in one place, finding those little details will be less frustrating. Those digital photos are priceless as well. Thumbnails can let you locate elements quickly. A folder with all your info sheets and lists will help keep you sane.

So you have traveled both near and far. You have visited big box stores and botanical gardens. You are an expert in garden shows and garden literature. Now it is time to begin putting down the ideas. If you like graph paper and pencil go for it. But there are software packages and on-line resources that can aid you in putting your ideas into action. You will need to know the real dimensions of your yard. Knowing how much room you have allows you to choose plants and structures that will fit well in the scale you have to work with.

So you can find landscape ideas locally as well as at a distance, in the open air or the library and in hard copy or digital files. Your files or folders can help organize your ideas into a form that can be interpreted by a landscape designer. Of course it helps if you plan to do it all yourself. And, all those ideas are in one easy to access place.

Check out IdeaLandscaping.com to find great landscape ideas articles, advice, tips, backyard landscaping ideas and much more on landscaping and gardening topics.