Landscaping 101

Anew construction home is a blank canvas for landscaping. You can be as creative as you want with design and layout while also being practical with features such as steps, paths, or decks. It all starts with envisioning your dream yard—do you want to add privacy with protective trees or tall hedges? Or do you imagine more of an open space with a vegetable garden, patio, or swing set?

Start by discussing your goals as you evaluate your property. Of course, the location of your new home also makes a difference when designing your landscape. For instance, some plants or flowers in the Northeast may not be suitable for the climate in the Southwest. In this brochure, we break down each region of the United States and share tips for how to navigate climate when creating a garden that bursts with color. Got your sketchpad handy? Let’s get started.

HOW TO DESIGN THE

Perfect Landscape FOR YOUR HOME

The first step to planning your landscape is layout. This may seem daunting at first, but it’s just a matter of thinking about how you want to use your space while figuring out how to add beauty and utility into your design. Start by imagining your dream yard, then work on sketching a plan to make it happen (you can always scale back your design to fit your budget). With your plan in hand, you can do it yourself or work with a professional to transform your ideas into reality.

SETTING LANDSCAPE LAYOUT GOALS

Think of landscape layout as a trouble-shooting and problem-solving process that will make your life easier. Just as you would with a kitchen remodel, begin your planning with a list of qualities you want. Landscape changes could include adding privacy screening; dealing with an eroding slope; creating beautiful views from inside the house; starting a new vegetable garden; building a storage shed; or making your entryway and front walk more welcoming. At this stage, go wild. It costs nothing to dream, and you can always execute your plan in stages as time and budget allow.

HOW TO EVALUATE YOUR LANDSCAPE

Before you physically add your dream landscape elements, take notes to evaluate what you like and don’t like about your yard. Walk around the perimeter of your property as if you were a stranger, objectively viewing the space. This site analysis will become your road map for change.

Make two lists of your best assets: one for the house and one for the yard. Notice what’s behind overgrown shrubs or

vines. You may have hidden treasures (an attractive set of stairs, a brick patio, a lovely view) already there, just waiting to be noticed. Concentrate on the details: steps, paving patterns, views toward and away from each area, and locations of doors.

You also need a list of liabilities. Maybe there’s an unattractive yard or garage next door you’d want to screen out. Maybe one of your home’s attractive features (a side entry to the kitchen, for example) lacks landscaping. Then think about how to turn that liability into an asset. That blank side entry area may be the perfect location to install a kitchen garden, a patio for entertaining, or a place for the grill.

Note the topography, showing which locations are sloped, sunny, or shaded (don’t forget to make a note of sun and wind patterns). The southern or southeastern face of your house provides warming rays in winter and sun all day in summer. Year-round outdoor regions are perfect locations for sitting areas because they’re protected from harsh northwestern winds. However, in summer those same spots might be too bright and hot to be comfortable.

You may have hidden treasures (an attractive set of stairs, a brick patio, a lovely view) already there, just waiting to be noticed.

Choosing Landscape Features

Once you have a good sense of what you’d like to change about your landscape, you can think about what to add. Consider these items for your wish list:

STEPS

Timber and brick

Concrete

Stone

PATHS

Brick

Concrete pavers

Crushed stone

Loose-fill

Flagstone

STRUCTURES

Pergola

Arched arbor

Square arbor

Triangular arbor

Lattice arbor and fence

Picket fence and gate

Arched gateway

Screened seating area

WALLS

Stone

Timber

DECKS

Wraparound

Geometric

PATIOS

Brick

Tile

Stone

OTHER ELEMENTS

Window box

Planter

Tree-surround bench

Outdoor lighting

Ponds and waterfalls

Children’s play area

Garden shed

Potting bench

Raised beds

Compost bins

Rain garden

HOW TO CREATE A BASE MAP

It’s time to add sketches to your notes to help you see what’s there and generate new ideas so you can select the best options. It’s a low-cost way to explore choices and prevent costly mistakes. You can create a base map for your landscape layout either on paper or on your computer with an online program or downloadable application. Either way, it’s important to have a visual representation of your thoughts.

Your base map should show the outside dimensions of your house and the perimeter lines of your property. For a head start on these dimensions, use the plot plan (also called

a survey or plat) you received when you bought your home. Many city or county assessors also provide these online.

On the base map, sketch in existing features that aren’t going to change, such as the property line, existing trees and shrubs you plan to keep, walkways, walls, outbuildings, fences, and patios. Note the locations of doors, windows, the air conditioner, utilities, and other services, including septic systems.

When you finish a base plan, make several copies. Or if you’re using paper, place tracing paper on top so you can make additions and subtractions without ruining the original. Then you can start playing with the landscape layout!

FINALIZE THE DESIGN CONCEPT

On your base map, draw circular or blobby areas (bubble diagrams) to represent the ways you want to use different areas of your yard. Your bubbles don’t have to be round; draw them in different configurations and shapes as needed, but remember to label each one with its intended use. Don’t worry about cost at this point; it’s a brainstorming activity. And if some of your ideas seem odd or unattainable at first, keep them for now because they’ll eventually help you hone in on the right decisions for your space.

Your bubbles might include screening the view of the

neighbor’s yard, pathways, new flowerbeds, a patio, and a location for the kids’ swing set. It may show where you want to plant trees and shrubs, or where you want them removed.

When you’ve placed your bubbles in the best spots, make a new, clean, final drawing. This is your design concept. It should include every decision you’ve made. Each of these bubbles represents one project or phase of your landscape plan.

By referring to the design concept every time you begin one of the projects, your landscape layout vision will remain cohesive so that the final results will reflect your well-thought-out plan.

HOW TO USE THE

Hardiness Zone FOR YOUR GARDEN

Let’s say you’ve just heard about a gorgeous perennial or maybe a spectacular shrub that you want to add to your garden. But will it survive in your region? This dilemma is why the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map was created. Most hardy plants have a zone rating to indicate where they will survive the winters from year to year. Here’s how you can use USDA Plant Hardiness Zones to guide your decision.

WHAT IS THE USDA PLANT HARDINESS ZONE MAP?

You may have seen the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map in garden magazines and books, or on seed packets and in plant catalogs. This map divides the United States into 11 separate zones (each of which is then divided into a and b). Each zone is 10°F warmer (or colder) in an average winter than the adjacent zone. The lower the zone number, the colder the region.

Although factors other than temperature affect a plant’s ability to survive in a particular climate, the USDA map is a good starting point when you’re trying to decide what to grow.

WHAT YOU CAN GROW IN YOUR HARDINESS ZONE

For annual flowers (such as petunias) and vegetables (such as zucchini), you don’t need to pay attention to hardiness zones. This is because these plants usually complete their

life cycle (seed sprouting to seed producing) in a single year. You might see these plants given a zone rating of 0 to indicate they aren’t hardy anywhere. But when you’re dealing with perennials, vines, shrubs, and trees that typically live for many years, you’ll want to find out the coldest temperatures a species is expected to survive and compare that to the zone you’re in.

When considering the hardiness zones a particular

plant is rated for, think of that information as a guideline, not a guarantee that it will survive in your climate. The following list provides examples of plants that can take the cold in each USDA Hardiness Zone. Only the coldest zone for each listed plant is considered; some of the plants won’t thrive in substantially warmer areas. Always check with the source of your plants for information on whether they are wellsuited to your area.

Most gardeners aren’t dealing with freezing Zone 1 temperatures; only a few parts of Alaska, including cities such as Fairbanks, fall into this zone. Still, Zone 1 plants can withstand some of the most frigid conditions.

WHEN TO PLANT Mid-June

COMMON PLANTS

Netleaf willow (Salix reticulata)

Dwarf birch (Betula glandulosa)

Crowberry (Empetrum nigrum)

Quaking aspen (Populus fremuloides)

Pennsylvania cinquefoil (Potentilla pensylvanica)

Lapland rhododendron (Rhododendron lapponicum)

Zone 2 mostly refers to areas in Alaska, including cities such as Prudhoe Bay and Unalakleet. However, the northernmost tip of Minnesota also falls in Zone 2b.

WHEN TO PLANT Mid-June

COMMON PLANTS

Paper birch (Betula papyrifera)

Bunchberry dogwood (Cornus canadensis)

Silverberry (Elaeagnus commutata)

Eastern larch (Larix laricina)

Bush cinquefoil (Potentilla fruticosa)

American cranberry bush (Viburnum trilobum)

Most plants native to the United States are found within Zones 3 to 10; the toughest of plants can withstand all of these zones. The upper Midwest states hold most of Zone 3, such as the northern parts of Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Maine.

WHEN TO PLANT Mid-May

COMMON PLANTS

Foxglove (Digitalis selections)

Wood fern (Dryopteris selections)

Smooth hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens)

Common juniper (Junipercus communis)

Siberian crabapple (Malus baccata)

Goldenrod (Solidago selections)

You can find this zone in Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Eastern states such as Northern New York, New Hampshire, and Maine.

WHEN TO PLANT Mid-May

COMMON PLANTS

Sugar maple (Acer saccharum)

Panicle hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata)

Chinese juniper (Juniperus chinensis)

Vanhouffe spirea (Spiraea x vanhouttei)

Crabapple tree (Malus selections)

This zone is another common one for the Midwest and Northeastern states, where humidity stays high during the summers. You can find Zone 5 in states such as Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and New York.

WHEN TO PLANT Mid-April

COMMON PLANTS

Flowering dogwood (Cornus florida)

Delphinium (Delphinium selections)

Slender deutzia (Deutzia gracilis)

Boston ivy (Parthenocissus tricuspidata)

Sycamore tree (Platanus occidentalis)

Japanese yew (Taxus cuspidata)

Below -50°F -50° to -40°F -40° to -30°F -30° to -20°F -20° to -10°F

states, such as Washington and Oregon, and stretching over the middle of the U.S. in states such as Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, and all the way through Ohio.

WHEN TO PLANT

Mid-April

COMMON PLANTS

Japanese maple (Acer palmatum)

Common boxwood (Buxus sempervirens)

Coralbells (Heuchera)

American holly (Ilex opaca)

Weeping willow (Salix babylonica)

West (Washington, Oregon) and down through upper Texas, Oklahoma, and all the way through Virginia and North Carolina.

WHEN TO PLANT

Mid-April

COMMON PLANTS

Bigleaf maple (Acer macrophyllum)

Atlas cedar (Cedrus atlantica)

Bleeding heart (Dicentra)

English holly (Ilex aquifolium)

Magnolia tree (Magnolia selections)

Texas rock rose (Pavonia lasiopetala)

English yew (Taxus baccata)

warmth. Not only that, but plants will start to have a longer growing season in Zone 8. You can find this zone covering the West Coast and most of the South, such as Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and the Carolinas.

WHEN TO PLANT

Mid-March

COMMON PLANTS

Strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo)

Mexican orange (Choisya temata)

Hibiscus (Hibiscus selections)

Texas mountain laurel (Sophora secundiflora)

Laurustinus (Viburnum tinus)

Yucca (Yucca selections)

It’s pure California dreaming with hot and heavy temperatures hitting this zone. These plants can withstand temperatures as low as 20 to 30°F but thrive in 70-90° temperatures. You can find Zone 9 consuming California’s landscape, along with Southern Texas, Louisiana, and Florida.

WHEN TO PLANT

Mid-February

COMMON PLANTS

Asparagus fern (Asparagus setaceous)

Dahlia (Dahlia selections)

Tasmanian blue gum (Eucalyptus globulus)

Fuchsia (Fuchsia selections)

Silk-oak (Grevillea robusta)

Sweetshade tree (Hymenosporum flavum)

Zone 10 sees some of the hottest temperatures in the U.S., prevalent in tropical places such as Southern California and Southern Florida.

WHEN TO PLANT Mid-January

COMMON PLANTS

Lemon eucalyptus (Eucalyptus citriodora)

Royal palm (Roystonea regia)

Palmetto palm tree (Sabal spp.)

Tropical plants flourish in Zone 11, which covers Hawaii. There�s no frost, and native plants thrive throughout the year.

WHEN TO PLANT

Any time

THE UNITED STATES OF Gardening

Southwest

The best part about designing landscapes in the Southwest region is that you have options to play with flowers, texture, and form. But gardening in an arid climate also comes with its challenges. Consider low-maintenance perennials such as prickly pear, primrose, or agave to create a beautiful, easy-tomaintain landscape. For a little bit of fragrance, hummingbird mint or Cleveland sage offer an unmistakable smell while being able to thrive in mid- to highdesert environments.

In a Southwest climate, sometimes it’s best to skip a water-hogging lawn and opt for a bed of chat instead. Consider drought-tolerant plant varieties that can go long stretches without water, such as gray desert spoon or creosote bush.

Northeast

Gardening in the Northeast is dependent on the season; you’ll get bright bursts of color from May through October, then a short hibernation as the temperatures drop.

Certain plants adapt and thrive in this zone such as astilbe, miscanthus, and trillium. Take advantage of August for gardening chores as longer days offer ample time to pick fresh flowers and sun-ripened produce. Psst, if you’d like to add pink peonies to your garden, order roots in August and plant them in September (they should be in the ground a month before the average first frost!).

Seasonal lawn care in the Northeast is all about preparation. Set your lawn up for year-long success by tackling

the basics of fertilizing, mowing, and watering from March to June.

South

The top native plants for Southern gardens are those that can withstand hot and humid conditions, such as bold hibiscus, bright Indian pink, and charming false indigo. Leaning toward low-maintenance? Canna, lilyturf, and ajuga are your best bets. In Southern climates, be weary of insects, rodents, and larger mammals that like to hang

out in flourishing gardens. Consider adding deer-resistant plants, such as bear’s breeches, Russian sage (also drought resistant!), and dianthus to your yard. Butterfly weed will also deter larger animals from your garden while attracting a host of butterflies.

As sweltering summer days threaten to wilt even the brightest leaves, the best time of day to water is early in the morning so it can soak into the soil without quickly evaporating. In the northern reaches of the South, plant vegetable crops during August.

Southern California

Southern California’s dry and often hot and sunny weather calls for low-maintenance outdoor plants that can withstand tough conditions. If you’ve had trouble finding varieties that look great but don’t require a ton of care, try perennials such as Lily of the Nile, sea lavender, or California fuchsia. Plant a few African irises are also easy-to-maintain plants that are perfect for stretching down your walkway.

Mountain West

Stunning, low-maintenance landscaping doesn’t have to be a ton of work in the Mountain West region. With the right outdoor plants, you can enjoy a practically carefree yard that’s filled with color from spring to fall.

For easy maintenance, old-fashioned perennials such as Rocky Mountain columbine,

liatris, and fireweed will thrive in yards of this region. Add a little charm to your landscape with oxeye daisy, a fast-spreading plant that blooms in late spring and early summer (it’s also drought tolerant and attracts birds!).

Midwest

Gardening in the Midwest can be tricky thanks to scorching hot summers and frigid cold winters, but with careful planning, a colorful yard is possible. Lawn care, in particular, starts in spring and continues with consistent maintenance into the summer. Fall is the best time of year to fertilize and overseed the grass before an icy winter. Peonies, daylilies, and hardy hibiscus are low-maintenance perennials that will add a burst of color to your new yard. While vegetables, such as tomatoes and peppers, are best harvested in August.

Pacific Northwest

Verdant greens and lots of moisture create stunning garden possibilities in the Pacific Northwest. Embrace dramatic colors and substantial plants by adding lupines, blanket flowers, and lewisia to your yard.

May is the best time of year to plant dill and fennel in vegetable gardens across this region as the blooms attract beneficial insects, which can keep harmful insects in check. May is also the month to tuck cannas, dahlias, gladiolus, and summer-flowering lilies into the soil as it warms.

With your new home ready for move in, it’s time to think about how to personalize the exterior features of your house. Go all out as you sketch a plan for your dream yard! You can always scale back your design to fit your budget. Remember to consider not-so-obvious details such as paving patterns, slopes, steps, and the location of doors as you develop a plan for landscaping; and keep in mind different regions and zones that may affect the lifespan of certain flowers, trees, and plants. Refer to this brochure as a guide as you sketch a visual representation of your thoughts. When in doubt, you can always work with a professional to turn your ideas into a reality.

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