Landscaping plan?

[Villanelle]

We are buying a house.  Yay!  (If all goes well, escrow closes in 2 weeks.)

It has a large fenced yard.  There's a nice hardscaped patio area, and then rest is... a bit of a mess.  We are surrounded by trees and have a few large trees in the yard so it's very shady. I'm guessing the area inside the fence was once grass, but now it's a mix of cover and weeds and some grass, and then dirt/mud that pokes through in spots.  I don't especially care about a "nice" lawn.  In fact, I'd be thrilled with something that didn't need mowing or watering.  But we do want some landscaping and ground cover to prevent muddy dog paws.  We may also want some additional hardscape.

There are a ton of bushes we'd like to rip out, a few planter beds in the front that will need something once the overgrown bushes are gone, and a side yard that also appears to have once been lawn and is now just kind of a mess. 

We are no gardeners.  This will be our first time owning a yard. (Past homes were townhouses/condos.)  How do we start going about a plan?  Is it worth paying someone?  I saw an add for an online service that for about $250 will give you a plan, which includes recommendations for specific plants as well as hardscape. (company is ShrubHub.)  Is something like that worth it? Better to hire and pay a local person, which seems like it can be $1000+, just for the plans?  I can't stress enough how little we know about gardening and while we are prepared to learn, we don't have a clue where to start.

We'd like a few raised planter beds to start trying out hands at gardening, perhaps a few fruit trees (though the shade is going to limit our choices), some additional hardscape in part to minimize the lawn area, and also because we may want to close an area in to make a screened area.   And then we just kind of want a nice-looking, low-maintenance, ideally mostly native plant area.

[nereo]

Congratulations!

First, I’d advise doing nothing for a while, besides observe.

A few things you want to notice. How does water drain? Does surface water pool anywhere and how long does it take to go from “squishy” to firm after a long rain?  Where is the sun at different times of day and different seasons?  What has survived (and where) despite neglect?  Are there any “hidden gems” you want to keep (for example, I found a whole bunch of day lilies on one side that I only noticed after living there for 7 months).

Figure out what kind of soil you have in different spots. Often you can mail samples to your local university horticulture department and they’ll do a soil analysis for you for nearly free. Dig some shallow holes and fill with water, then measure how many hours it takes to drain. Thise factors (plus hours of sunlight and your climate zone) will determine what will grow well and what will cost you money and misery. Put the right plant in the right spot with the right soil and you will barely have to do anything.

Then, write down what you want. You mentioned less mowing and a veggie garden (at least I think you did). So you want more shade or less shade in area?  Do you want more pollinators, a bunch of fragrant plants, or maybe a clear area to run around barefoot.

Next - simplify. Rank what’s most important and focus on just a few (sometimes just one thing for each year). Gardens that try to do too much rarely work as well as ones that try to have just a couple elements but are executed very nicely.

Only after you e done all this would I bring in the help of a professional. I’ve never used ShrubHub (but I love the name). There are always local people with landscaping backgrounds that can draft you up a plan based on all the information you’ve gathered for a few hundred dollars. Some will even go to nurseries to help you pick out the plants. Resist the temptation to buy very large plants - younger plants transplant better and will catch up to their much larger (and way more expensive) versions within a few seasons.

Resources!  A local, well regarded garden center can be a fantastic starting point. If it’s got a big section of native plants and if the staff can answer some softball questions like “what’s a good native perennial that will attract butterflies” you are in luck.

Also, look for the cooperative extension of your state university for gardening/farming/hortculture. Most states have one (or a neighboring state will) and they can recommend hardy plants plus things to avoid, as well as services like soil testing, pest identification/tracking and (sometimes) cheap/free plants.

[Wintergreen78]

Congratulations! I’m in the same boat as you - closing escrow in 1 week and thinking about plants!

A couple other potential resources: botanic garden’s or native plant societies. If there is a botanic garden with a nursery anywhere near you, I can guarantee the docents will talk plants to you as long as want. The tribe from the area I’m moving to has a cultural center with a small nursery that I’m planning to visit for advice.

I’m planning to take Nero’s advice: not do much of anything for the first 6 months and just see how things do through the winter, what it looks like in the rain, etc. I’ll probably throw out some California Poppy and lupine seeds in the early spring, but don’t plan to do anything that requires digging until I’ve had a full year at the place.

[Dancin'Dog]

Trimming, pruning, and mowing would probably be a good start to get the place cleaned up.  Most bushes can be pruned back much heavier than you might expect, and the new growth will look fresh & healthy.  Also, some types of overgrown bushes & trees can be sculpted by selective pruning and thinning out excess branches.  (On the other hand, some types of bushes, such as arborvitae, can not be heavily trimmed because bare spots won't produce new growth.)   As others have said, don't plan anything major until you've had time to determine what is already there. 


Neighbors with especially nice looking yards can be a good source of info.  Gardeners are always proud of their gardens and usually happy to share tips and offer advice.  Gardeners are often happy to share plants when they're thinning out overcrowded beds.  Bulbs, perennials, and groundcovers normally need to be thinned every few years. 

[nereo]

Neighbors with especially nice looking yards can be a good source of info.  Gardeners are always proud of their gardens and usually happy to share tips and offer advice.  Gardeners are often happy to share plants when they're thinning out overcrowded beds.  Bulbs, perennials, and groundcovers normally need to be thinned every few years.

Good points.  I've probably planted 30 hosta plants and a half-dozen rhubarb in the last few years but I haven't paid for a single one.  My latest is taking lilac shoots and transplanting those into a new hedge. I also spent a few hours digging out bulbs (with permission) from a nearby abandoned lot a few weeks before they leveled it to put in the foundation for a new house. I've also gotten phlox, creeping thyme, mint (must be contained!!), and other ground cover for free each spring as neighbors thin their beds and/or tear them out for renovations.

When we walk around our neighborhood we notice which plants are so hearty that they seem to be thriving even when it's obvious that the owner doesn't spend a lot of time gardening.  In our current location that includes lilac bushes (which quickly become massive hedges), hydrangeas, rhododendrons.  So they are good candidates for "low effort landscaping".  Note that in other areas these same plants may be fussy, so it's important to focus on what grows locally (lilacs, in particular, really thrive in spots where the ground freezes solid for several weeks.  They are harder to keep in more temperate spots where winter is more freeze-thaw cycles).

[Dancin'Dog]

Neighbors with especially nice looking yards can be a good source of info.  Gardeners are always proud of their gardens and usually happy to share tips and offer advice.  Gardeners are often happy to share plants when they're thinning out overcrowded beds.  Bulbs, perennials, and groundcovers normally need to be thinned every few years.

Good points.  I've probably planted 30 hosta plants and a half-dozen rhubarb in the last few years but I haven't paid for a single one.  My latest is taking lilac shoots and transplanting those into a new hedge. I also spent a few hours digging out bulbs (with permission) from a nearby abandoned lot a few weeks before they leveled it to put in the foundation for a new house. I've also gotten phlox, creeping thyme, mint (must be contained!!), and other ground cover for free each spring as neighbors thin their beds and/or tear them out for renovations.

When we walk around our neighborhood we notice which plants are so hearty that they seem to be thriving even when it's obvious that the owner doesn't spend a lot of time gardening.  In our current location that includes lilac bushes (which quickly become massive hedges), hydrangeas, rhododendrons.  So they are good candidates for "low effort landscaping".  Note that in other areas these same plants may be fussy, so it's important to focus on what grows locally (lilacs, in particular, really thrive in spots where the ground freezes solid for several weeks.  They are harder to keep in more temperate spots where winter is more freeze-thaw cycles).

Hostas are great plants for dividing.  We've found oriental lilies and calla lilies reproduce quickly here and are also easy to divide.  There's a park nearby which has an impressive bed of Cast Iron plant.  It looks similar to Hosta but is a hardy evergreen.  I'd like to try it in our yard.  Hopefully, it's deer-resistant.


Villanelle, what climate is your new home in?  You need to know your "planting zone" when choosing new plants.  You also should consider the water requirements when choosing plants.  Your neighbor's beautiful gardens might have the benefit of irrigation, so you should consider whether or not you are willing to irrigate your beds and/or yard.  Some plants are thirstier than others, so it's important to know what they require when choosing plants. 


Botanical gardens and garden tours are a good way to learn about the classic plants that have withstood the test of time in your area.  You will see beds and landscapes that have been professionally designed and maintained for decades.  Established beds and gardens have a distinctive, mature, healthy vibe.  It's what most gardeners strive for, but few accomplish.  It will give you an idea of what is possible at your new home. 
:)

[nereo]

The USDA map - updated in 2023.
It's based on average minimum wintertime temp ("the coldest" sustained temperature you are likely to experience in a given year).

[GuitarStv]

I strongly second the suggestion of doing nothing major with the yard for a while (beyond pulling out the stuff you don't like and weeding of course).  Then slowly add a few things each year.

I've found that slowly adding stuff over time tends to result in the best looking gardens/yards.  The problem with planning in advance is that sometimes the plants you want to grow just don't work as well as you were expecting in the area you want to put them.  Or sometimes plants you weren't expecting to have everywhere are so happy in your yard that it makes sense to put them all over.

[SunnyDays]

Good advice so far.  I'll third not ripping a bunch of things out until you have a solid plan in place.  Shrubs can be cut back 2/3 and come back nicely.  (Learn how to prune properly).  Lots of landscaping can be done around them.

Some nurseries will make a whole yard plan for you for free, with the hope that you will buy from them.  They know the local conditions best.  A 4-5 year plan is doable.  Start with the larger elements, like hardscaping and trees, then shrubs and perennials and lastly use annuals if you want to fill in gaps at any point.  Yards evolve over time - it's not a one and done sort of thing.  Take a bunch of pictures now while things are in their prime and then mull them over in the winter (if you have one) to make your plans.

Gardening can be very enjoyable and fulfilling, but also tiring and frustrating, which is normal.  You'll learn a lot.  Try to find the fun in it!

[nereo]

Two other random tips:

Address drainage issues first. It helps to go out immediately after (or even during!) a big rainstorm to see what spots become a swamp and which areas drain well. 

The local free cycle/buy-nothing online groups are another good source for scoring free plants and starts.  Often it's "anyone who can come by my house THIS WEEKEND and dig out these bushes out THEMSELVES before the excavator shows up Monday morning can have them!".  And often "We've filled our garden with all the stuff we grew in seed trays and now we've got dozens left over.  FCFS"

[Villanelle]

The many bushes are coming out.  They are ugly and I hate them, and even if they were trimmed back, I'd dislike them.  I prefer a much more minimal look, and there are a LOT of bushes.  We won't get rid of all of them, but probably half. 

As for the other advice, a lot of it was over my head.  I can't stress how very, very little I/we know about gardening, planting, plants, or anything else. That's why I'm thinking I'd like someone to help me come up with a plan, especially if it integrates additional hardscape. Based on that map, it looks like we are light green. 

[iris lily]

In my project to die broke and spend money to make my old age easier, we, inveterate gardeners, hired on a landscaper to make a plan and install plants. This is for the front of our house where I have had messy, random plantings for 5 years.

Can’t say it went well. She made a plan, I approved it. Cost was about $7,000.

Then Plans changed because half of our ground was not ready. then she quit that company, then the installers came out with an outdated plan and also substitutes for plants I had specifically said “no substitutions.”

All in all I rate the experience a 5-6 on a 10 point scale. Oh, and several,of the plants have already turned brown and look dead tho I have been watering religiously and we have been getting great rains from Mother Nature.

[Sugaree]

I'm going to second, or third, the advice to take care of any drainage issues first.  I'm redoing part of my side yard and in doing so have uncovered a drainage issue.  I will probably be installing a French drain in the coming weeks to keep runoff from coming in my back porch.  It's a pretty easy install, but a lot of manual labor and I'm really glad that I haven't already reseeded that area.

[roomtempmayo]

The many bushes are coming out.  They are ugly and I hate them, and even if they were trimmed back, I'd dislike them.  I prefer a much more minimal look, and there are a LOT of bushes.  We won't get rid of all of them, but probably half. 

I've been doing battle with a severely overgrown yard for the past five years.

Getting rid of the old stuff is no fun.  It's like any sort of prep work, except you're hacking out stumps and roots with a pickaxe.

You probably can't do the yard all at once, so my strategy would be to proceed in sections so you can balance the sucky stuff with the rewarding stuff.

My basic tips:

- You need somewhere to dispose of the old stuff.  Hopefully your city has a yard waste site where you can haul trailers or pickup loads, because lawn and leaf bags aren't going to do it.  You're going to have a mountain of brush to get rid of.  You can rent a utility trailer for $15/day at Uhaul, which is 100% worth it.  What you have isn't really a gardening project yet.  It's a demo project.

- Don't bother trying to save or overseed bad grass.  Go to Home Depot and rent a big rototiller.  Till it up, pull out as many roots as you can, and then roll out sod.  Sod is amazingly gratifying, and it helps to balance the work with a very nice reward.

- Weed guard is the devil.  Don't lay it down, and tear it up if it's in your flowerbeds.  Same for landscaping rock.  Who does that?

- Speaking of flowerbeds, unless you have hours and hours to kill, just put down some native plants and call it good.  Don't commit yourself to any weeding.

- You're basically in lawn debt at this point, so the first task is to just get back to zero.  Don't try to get too creative.  There are very good reasons that lots of people just have a basic grass lawn.

[Villanelle]

The many bushes are coming out.  They are ugly and I hate them, and even if they were trimmed back, I'd dislike them.  I prefer a much more minimal look, and there are a LOT of bushes.  We won't get rid of all of them, but probably half. 

I've been doing battle with a severely overgrown yard for the past five years.

Getting rid of the old stuff is no fun.  It's like any sort of prep work, except you're hacking out stumps and roots with a pickaxe.

You probably can't do the yard all at once, so my strategy would be to proceed in sections so you can balance the sucky stuff with the rewarding stuff.

My basic tips:

- You need somewhere to dispose of the old stuff.  Hopefully your city has a yard waste site where you can haul trailers or pickup loads, because lawn and leaf bags aren't going to do it.  You're going to have a mountain of brush to get rid of.  You can rent a utility trailer for $15/day at Uhaul, which is 100% worth it.  What you have isn't really a gardening project yet.  It's a demo project.

- Don't bother trying to save or overseed bad grass.  Go to Home Depot and rent a big rototiller.  Till it up, pull out as many roots as you can, and then roll out sod.  Sod is amazingly gratifying, and it helps to balance the work with a very nice reward.

- Weed guard is the devil.  Don't lay it down, and tear it up if it's in your flowerbeds.  Same for landscaping rock.  Who does that?

- Speaking of flowerbeds, unless you have hours and hours to kill, just put down some native plants and call it good.  Don't commit yourself to any weeding.

- You're basically in lawn debt at this point, so the first task is to just get back to zero.  Don't try to get too creative.  There are very good reasons that lots of people just have a basic grass lawn.

Thanks.

Why is weed barrier so awful?

My loose plan for the beds is a combination of native grasses and maybe other plants, a few large pots that I can toss some annuals into on occasion, and then mulch.

I'm not sure about sod, because I really want as little grass as possible.  Part of why I want professional help with an overall plan is that I really want a lot of hardscape, in part to decrease lawn space. 

Good idea about renting the trailer.  We are still figuring out the waste disposal for the new home (we aren't moved in yet, or even closed on the purchase).  But getting rid of all of it (or doing it in large batches), via a cheap rented trailer, makes sense. 

[roomtempmayo]

@Villanelle Weedguard is bad because it's basically a plastic membrane that fails to stop weeds but shreds and fills your flowerbed with garbage.

If you're looking to minimize maintenance, grass is about as low maintenance as you can get.  A mulched flowerbed will take a lot more time to maintain than grass.

[Paper Chaser]

High quality weed barrier is nice under rock. Any weed barrier under mulch is only delaying the inevitable. The mulch breaks down and turns to dirt, so the weeds just grow on top of the barrier.

I prefer rock in my beds because it's easier for me to see and pull small weeds. It's also easier to keep the beds clean. I just use a leaf blower since the rock is typically heavy enough that it won't move whereas mulch blows everywhere. It prevents leaves and grass clippings from piling up and breaking down. And it never really has to be replaced like mulch will.

If you're going to do beds abutting grass, I'd have some sort of physical barrier between them. Stone or metal edging are preferred as they'll hold up to trimming and mower strikes more easily. The plastic stuff never holds up long term. If you have no barrier between the grass and your landscaping, then your full time job will be pulling grass from growing up in the beds. Edging costs a bit up front, and can be labor intensive, but will keep things looking clean while also making it easier to maintain.


There's probably a nearby university that has an agricultural extension. They'll have info specific to plants and care tips for your location.

If there's grass, cut it with the blades high. This keeps it healthier and makes it harder for invasive weeds to take root.

I generally don't bother with watering mature grass. It goes dormant when things get hot/dry and comes back just fine when it cools back down.

Many places with winter will have distinct growing/planting seasons. Fall can be the best time of year to plant, but you won't see results until spring of the following year. In these locations, planting outside of the proper time of year will yield poor results and may be a waste of time/money. So it could make sense to spend a few months planning and observing before putting shovels in the dirt.

[Villanelle]

High quality weed barrier is nice under rock. Any weed barrier under mulch is only delaying the inevitable. The mulch breaks down and turns to dirt, so the weeds just grow on top of the barrier.

I prefer rock in my beds because it's easier for me to see and pull small weeds. It's also easier to keep the beds clean. I just use a leaf blower since the rock is typically heavy enough that it won't move whereas mulch blows everywhere. It prevents leaves and grass clippings from piling up and breaking down. And it never really has to be replaced like mulch will.

If you're going to do beds abutting grass, I'd have some sort of physical barrier between them. Stone or metal edging are preferred as they'll hold up to trimming and mower strikes more easily. The plastic stuff never holds up long term. If you have no barrier between the grass and your landscaping, then your full time job will be pulling grass from growing up in the beds. Edging costs a bit up front, and can be labor intensive, but will keep things looking clean while also making it easier to maintain.


There's probably a nearby university that has an agricultural extension. They'll have info specific to plants and care tips for your location.

If there's grass, cut it with the blades high. This keeps it healthier and makes it harder for invasive weeds to take root.

I generally don't bother with watering mature grass. It goes dormant when things get hot/dry and comes back just fine when it cools back down.

Many places with winter will have distinct growing/planting seasons. Fall can be the best time of year to plant, but you won't see results until spring of the following year. In these locations, planting outside of the proper time of year will yield poor results and may be a waste of time/money. So it could make sense to spend a few months planning and observing before putting shovels in the dirt.

One thing I'm thankful about is that we aren't part of an HOA, and the other is that the house is set back from the street.  So no one will know I have dead grass.  Watering at our rental (in roughly the same climate) was such a PITA.  That's probably the main reason I'm wanting to minimize grass.  Setting up a sprinkler, setting a timer, moving it--repeat 7-8 times.  What a pain.  Made worse by the fact that the location of the hose bibs was terrible and w had to link together multiple hoses to get some areas. 

We don't have kids who plan on a lawn, so I just don't need/want it.  But maybe if I accept that I can just choose not to water it in summer, it becomes far less annoying.  I assume that means I wouldn't have to mow it, either (until the shoulder seasons when it's actually awake and growing).  Thanks.

[nereo]

One thing I'm thankful about is that we aren't part of an HOA, and the other is that the house is set back from the street.  So no one will know I have dead grass.  Watering at our rental (in roughly the same climate) was such a PITA.  That's probably the main reason I'm wanting to minimize grass.  Setting up a sprinkler, setting a timer, moving it--repeat 7-8 times.  What a pain.  Made worse by the fact that the location of the hose bibs was terrible and w had to link together multiple hoses to get some areas. 

We don't have kids who plan on a lawn, so I just don't need/want it.  But maybe if I accept that I can just choose not to water it in summer, it becomes far less annoying.  I assume that means I wouldn't have to mow it, either (until the shoulder seasons when it's actually awake and growing).  Thanks.

I'm of the (sometimes unpopular) opinion that if you need to water your lawn or garden multiple times per season then there is something wrong with the lawn/garden you have chosen for your location.

I, too, want far less grass in my yard.  It's really the least interesting plant you can grow, and while a strategic patch can be nice for a picnic table or for walking around barefoot, it seems an enormous waste to make ≥≥ 50% of your yard a grass monoculture.

Also: grass that is brown and doesn't grow isn't 'dead'.  It's dormant.  It's very much alive under the soil and will start growing again once conditions change.  IT's also a natural part of the growing cycle, and forcing it to be green year-round is fighting its own life-cycle, which ultimately means you will spend a lot more time & money.  Avoid!

[Villanelle]

One thing I'm thankful about is that we aren't part of an HOA, and the other is that the house is set back from the street.  So no one will know I have dead grass.  Watering at our rental (in roughly the same climate) was such a PITA.  That's probably the main reason I'm wanting to minimize grass.  Setting up a sprinkler, setting a timer, moving it--repeat 7-8 times.  What a pain.  Made worse by the fact that the location of the hose bibs was terrible and w had to link together multiple hoses to get some areas. 

We don't have kids who plan on a lawn, so I just don't need/want it.  But maybe if I accept that I can just choose not to water it in summer, it becomes far less annoying.  I assume that means I wouldn't have to mow it, either (until the shoulder seasons when it's actually awake and growing).  Thanks.

I'm of the (sometimes unpopular) opinion that if you need to water your lawn or garden multiple times per season then there is something wrong with the lawn/garden you have chosen for your location.

I, too, want far less grass in my yard.  It's really the least interesting plant you can grow, and while a strategic patch can be nice for a picnic table or for walking around barefoot, it seems an enormous waste to make ≥≥ 50% of your yard a grass monoculture.

Also: grass that is brown and doesn't grow isn't 'dead'.  It's dormant.  It's very much alive under the soil and will start growing again once conditions change.  It's also a natural part of the growing cycle, and forcing it to be green year-round is fighting its own life-cycle, which ultimately means you will spend a lot more time & money.  Avoid!

This is part of why I'm wondering if clover or some other ground cover than can still be walked one (or romped on and pooped on by dogs) but is much more self-sufficient would work.  But all of this leads me back to the fact that I really don't think I can DIT this.  I'm fine putting in the work (for the plants, maybe not for the hardscape) but I really want to chat with someone about options and maybe even have them come out and look at my space to see what makes sense.

We may start ripping out the offensive bushes (can you tell how much I hate them?) immediately, but we aren't in a massive hurry to start adding anything. 

[nereo]

Clover, definitely!  A healthy yard should have lots of clover.

Ironically, the easiest way of having a more healthy yard is simply to do less.  Let your grass grow tall in the spring-time (maybe even participate in "no-mow May").  Mow on a higher setting, and less frequently. Let clover come in and consider tossing clover seed into your lawn.  The most resilient lawn is sometimes called a "victory lawn" - basically you stop trying to control 'weeds' and let whatever species thrive take over. In my lawn it's a mixture of a few different kinds of grass, dandelions, a couple species of clover and lots of thyme and other creepers in the dryer, sandy portions.

It's great to bring in experts, but I'd just advise to know where they are coming from.  Most "landscapers" are pre-conditioned to suggest things that Americans say they want...namely a monoculture of very green grass surrounded by a rather limited catalog of cultivated shrubs.  From your posts I think you will hate that. 
For example, if you want native plants with a focus on supporting pollinators, find someone who's made that their focus. For hardscaping take a look at their previous projects and decide if that's the kind you like (and can afford).

[Villanelle]

Clover, definitely!  A healthy yard should have lots of clover.

Ironically, the easiest way of having a more healthy yard is simply to do less.  Let your grass grow tall in the spring-time (maybe even participate in "no-mow May").  Mow on a higher setting, and less frequently. Let clover come in and consider tossing clover seed into your lawn.  The most resilient lawn is sometimes called a "victory lawn" - basically you stop trying to control 'weeds' and let whatever species thrive take over. In my lawn it's a mixture of a few different kinds of grass, dandelions, a couple species of clover and lots of thyme and other creepers in the dryer, sandy portions.

It's great to bring in experts, but I'd just advise to know where they are coming from.  Most "landscapers" are pre-conditioned to suggest things that Americans say they want...namely a monoculture of very green grass surrounded by a rather limited catalog of cultivated shrubs.  From your posts I think you will hate that. 
For example, if you want native plants with a focus on supporting pollinators, find someone who's made that their focus. For hardscaping take a look at their previous projects and decide if that's the kind you like (and can afford).

Thank you.  This makes a lot of sense.  I want something fairly specific and outside the norm, so I should find someone who specializes in that, or at least has done it before and can show me those projects.  That will be my approach.  Thanks! 

I'm torn on pollinators.  I'd love to support all those critters, but I have a bee sting allergy so I don't necessarily want to draw in bees.  Are there pollinator-friendly plants that attract butterflies (and others) but not bees?

[rosarugosa]

Is the state of your new residence something you are willing to share?  On the zone map, I see pale green on Cape Cod and also in New Mexico and many places in between, so growing conditions will vary widely even if the hardiness zone is the same.
I'm not allergic to bee stings, but we have loads of pollinators plants and loads of bees, and we've never been stung.  They are not interested in us; they are too busy working on our flowers!
I agree with just adding clover seeds to your lawn here and there, and reducing lawn area to get the most enjoyment from your landscape.

[Villanelle]

Is the state of your new residence something you are willing to share?  On the zone map, I see pale green on Cape Cod and also in New Mexico and many places in between, so growing conditions will vary widely even if the hardiness zone is the same.
I'm not allergic to bee stings, but we have loads of pollinators plants and loads of bees, and we've never been stung.  They are not interested in us; they are too busy working on our flowers!
I agree with just adding clover seeds to your lawn here and there, and reducing lawn area to get the most enjoyment from your landscape.

Maryland, somewhat close to Baltimore.  Our lot is very shaded. 

[SunnyDays]

I have a wide variety of bees visiting my flowers and have never been stung.  I walk and work among them and have never had a problem.  Wasps on the other hand……

[Villanelle]

I have a wide variety of bees visiting my flowers and have never been stung.  I walk and work among them and have never had a problem.  Wasps on the other hand……

Given that either--wasps or bees--could kill me, I don't want to tempt fate any more than necessary.  I know I can't prevent them from flying into my air space, but I don't need to roll out the red carpet and leave snacks, either. 

[Dicey]

Hi V, I'm not sure where you landed, but there's a Nursery in Chico that's closing down. West Auctions is handling the sell-off, and the closed auction prices are insanely low. If this 411 doesn't help you, maybe someone else closer to Chico will see it and benefit. It's a four-hour drive for us, and we're not quite nowhere near done with our hardscaping project, but the prices are so bonkers, we're trying to figure something out.

[Villanelle]

Hi V, I'm not sure where you landed, but there's a Nursery in Chico that's closing down. West Auctions is handling the sell-off, and the closed auction prices are insanely low. If this 411 doesn't help you, maybe someone else closer to Chico will see it and benefit. It's a four-hour drive for us, and we're not quite nowhere near done with our hardscaping project, but the prices are so bonkers, we're trying to figure something out.

We ended in Maryland.  Not my first choice, but it all seems to be working out. 

[AMandM]

Is this near you? https://www.pgaudubon.org/habitats
We had our yard evaluated like this, and it was hugely helpful. The advisor looked at the shade in our yard, asked about our goals and needs, and gave us a plan with detailed but flexible guidance on what to plant. He also warned us to take it one step at a time rather than biting off more than we can chew. Plus, it was free.

[Frugal Lizard]

A lot of the native pollinators are solitary so don't have a nest to defend and are way safer than a honeybee. Some varieties of honeybees can be very aggressive. Having a garden full of native chill pollinators might actually be safer for you. If there are a ton of resources, then everybody has enough and can get along.

I find Doug Tallamy enlightening. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_Tallamy I love the style espoused by NDAL - new directions in American Landscaping. https://www.ndal.org/

[Villanelle]

Is this near you? https://www.pgaudubon.org/habitats
We had our yard evaluated like this, and it was hugely helpful. The advisor looked at the shade in our yard, asked about our goals and needs, and gave us a plan with detailed but flexible guidance on what to plant. He also warned us to take it one step at a time rather than biting off more than we can chew. Plus, it was free.

It's doesn't service our area, unfortunately. 

The other sticking point is that we know we want more hardscape and I feel like it makes sense to have one plan/planner for both the plants and the hardscape. 

[Villanelle]

A lot of the native pollinators are solitary so don't have a nest to defend and are way safer than a honeybee. Some varieties of honeybees can be very aggressive. Having a garden full of native chill pollinators might actually be safer for you. If there are a ton of resources, then everybody has enough and can get along.

I find Doug Tallamy enlightening. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_Tallamy I love the style espoused by NDAL - new directions in American Landscaping. https://www.ndal.org/

Interesting.  I'm going to do a little research on this.  Thanks. 

[lhamo]

One of the principals at this landscape design company did keynote talks at our local flower/garden show last spring and I was really impressed by their approach, which they use on both large- and smaller-scale projects.

https://www.phytostudio.com/portfolio

I am very much a "chaos gardener" and have emphasized doing things DIY/cheap with as many salvaged materials and plants as possible.  One huge advantage is that if/when something doesn't thrive where I have plopped it (and I literally often just plop things in the ground and let them do their thing), I figure I am helping evolution by weeding something out that wasn't meant to be in that spot.  I usually have a few of each plant that I will put in different locations, and then gradually grow out/divide/share the things that thrive in whatever location.  And I don't have buyer remorse over spending $$$ on plants that didn't work for my location or lifestyle.

[Villanelle]

One of the principals at this landscape design company did keynote talks at our local flower/garden show last spring and I was really impressed by their approach, which they use on both large- and smaller-scale projects.

https://www.phytostudio.com/portfolio

I am very much a "chaos gardener" and have emphasized doing things DIY/cheap with as many salvaged materials and plants as possible.  One huge advantage is that if/when something doesn't thrive where I have plopped it (and I literally often just plop things in the ground and let them do their thing), I figure I am helping evolution by weeding something out that wasn't meant to be in that spot.  I usually have a few of each plant that I will put in different locations, and then gradually grow out/divide/share the things that thrive in whatever location.  And I don't have buyer remorse over spending $$$ on plants that didn't work for my location or lifestyle.

I love this approach.  The more I think through this, with help from this thread--the more I think I want someone to come up with a basic plan, including hardscape and some plant recommendations (ideal with more than one plant type for various areas), that I can then spent the next few years making a reality.  Some stuff--like removal of the many bushes I loath--will happen right away.  Hardscape may happen next spring, after we've lived in the place for a couple seasons at least.  I'd like planter beds to be in place and ready by spring as well.   And if there are empty beds or bare spots for a while, I'm okay with that.  I can fill them over time. 

I think I still need help with the vision and a barebones plan, but then I can DIY (with some expected failures) over time. 

[lhamo]

Another tip:  join gardening groups, both in person and on line.

I have gotten TONS of free plants from Buy Nothing and various local garden groups (mostly on FB). 

[mspym]

As someone who is coming up to a year of owning a home/starting to garden please learn from my mistakes
- the lawn can fret about itself for a while. Also you can outsource mowing it if you need to, to conserve your gardening energy for other jobs
- the advice to look around at what is thriving with neglect is top-notch. It’s disheartening to start off by planting things that die. Better to get something in that will survive and build up. In my area it turns out there’s a reason there’s so many pittosporum and coprosma and lemon trees and very few manukas.
- I got a lot of plants from our local crop swap group for free, this is especially good because they were descendants of plants that have thrived in our local conditions, ie peach tree that is fourth gen, Vietnamese basil that isn’t frost sensitive any more
- maybe start by container planting for now while you work out the larger landscaping work. I totally did not do this, and I  have made life a lot harder for myself. I ended up with weird harvest gluts and lots of remedial work because of it which diverted me from a lot of the longer-term structural work, which still needs to be done but which will be a lot harder now.
- work out what you can live with and what needs to be done immediately. You hate the shrubs but can live with the brown lawn etc. in my case, the boxthorn must go but I can delay dealing with the invasive periwinkle. I had got myself into a bit of a tizzy just counting up the sheer number of invasive species that it prevented me from taking decisive action.

When you talk to your landscape planner, be really realistic about how much time and energy you are prepared to expend regularly. If you don’t know you are happy to garden for so many hours a week, it’s irritating to end up with a garden that needs that much maintenance. I have a friend who thought she wanted a productive garden but now it’s in place, she would rather read in her free time and the garden is another source of undone tasks. A garden can be another form of fantasy life 

[jeninco]

When we moved, we followed several bits of advice here:

1. Watch and wait. See what you have growing there already! See what looks good, and what looks wretched.
2. Go for walks, and see what is growing happily in your neighborhood. (If you have an iPhone and take a photo of a plant, you can sort of slowly scroll up and it'll bring up the name of the plant!) Make a list of these, with notes about height, spread, and colors (of leaves and flowers, if you care)
3. Make a list. What do you want? Then rank your list in order of priority (<-- both of these are tasks to do along with all residents of the property: this way you're both in agreement about what's higher-priority!) Do you want more hardscaping because you want a bigger patio, or because you don't want to mow a lawn? Note that you'll get more of a heat-island effect the more you pave over: plants shade the ground and move water around in ways that make the space cooler. Can you plant an orchard, and mulch (or have some appropriate ground cover) below?

4. Find out what grass/groundcovers do well in your location. When I found out about a xeric dwarf fescue (a kind of fine turf grass) that I could plant, water a lot while it was getting established, and then basically ignore (not really: we water it once a week or so during extended droughts, and mow every other week while it's growing) it was a huge improvement in our lives. (Note, I live in high desert, so my amazing backyard may be your nightmare!)

Then, armed with your list and your observations, you can talk with a landscaping person and get some suggestions. If you can find someone who specializes in native plants,  that might be helpful.  I like these guys -- they might be a useful starting point: https://abernethyspencer.com

We're actually remodeling the house (and will re-do a bit of the yards), but these helped us a lot for the last 20 years.

[BlueHouse]

I'm a terrible gardener.  I have an east-facing yard with a lot of shade.  I walk my neighborhood and pay attention to the other east-facing, shaded yards to see what grows and what I like.  I've got a shrub picked out and plan to start digging this week.

[Frugal Lizard]

Before planting anything, I would plan how you are going to live in the garden and space you need for your outdoor rooms - by season. For example, we have a shoulder season sunny sheltered spot for mid day dining and lounging from Feb to May and Sept to November. It also works for evenings- particularly during rain storms. But mid-summer it is unbearably hot. We have a sunset seating area and the morning coffee place. The clothesline zone. The seedling starting area. The basketball net. The compost. The snow storage. The privacy screen from the street. The plants just enhance the comfort and visual enjoyment or produce food for humans or birds.

[E.T.]

I saw this blog post on a quick google search and it seemed useful for you. I'm putting it in a spoiler because I don't know how to make urls look nice:

Spoiler: show

https://www.grimmsgardens.com/plants-that-do-not-attract-bees/#:~:text=Perennial%20Flowers%20that%20do%20not%20attract%20bees&text=Cardinal%20Flower%20%E2%80%93%20a%20native%20perennial,gardens%20with%20pure%20scarlet%20flowers.&text=Chrysanthemums%20%E2%80%93%20most%20mums%20are%20double,thus%20no%20attraction%20to%20bees.

[big_owl]

I'm also in Maryland so  my experience is relevant to you.  Can I recommend two books by Richard Darke? These two books changed my entire outlook on landscaping and it's been well worth it.  They're specific to the mid Atlantic region and perfect for Maryland.  The photography alone is beautiful and sure to provide inspiration along with all the technical details they provide. 

https://www.amazon.com/American-Woodland-Garden-Capturing-Deciduous/dp/0881925454

https://www.amazon.com/Living-Landscape-Designing-Beauty-Biodiversity/dp/1604694084

Most of the plants in the book can be found local or ordered online.  I highly suggest making heavy use of native viburnums and azaleas for bushes for our area. 

[Villanelle]

I'm also in Maryland so  my experience is relevant to you.  Can I recommend two books by Richard Darke? These two books changed my entire outlook on landscaping and it's been well worth it.  They're specific to the mid Atlantic region and perfect for Maryland.  The photography alone is beautiful and sure to provide inspiration along with all the technical details they provide. 

https://www.amazon.com/American-Woodland-Garden-Capturing-Deciduous/dp/0881925454

https://www.amazon.com/Living-Landscape-Designing-Beauty-Biodiversity/dp/1604694084

Most of the plants in the book can be found local or ordered online.  I highly suggest making heavy use of native viburnums and azaleas for bushes for our area.

I'll check them out.  Thanks!

[jeninco]

I'm also in Maryland so  my experience is relevant to you.  Can I recommend two books by Richard Darke? These two books changed my entire outlook on landscaping and it's been well worth it.  They're specific to the mid Atlantic region and perfect for Maryland.  The photography alone is beautiful and sure to provide inspiration along with all the technical details they provide. 

https://www.amazon.com/American-Woodland-Garden-Capturing-Deciduous/dp/0881925454

https://www.amazon.com/Living-Landscape-Designing-Beauty-Biodiversity/dp/1604694084

Most of the plants in the book can be found local or ordered online.  I highly suggest making heavy use of native viburnums and azaleas for bushes for our area.

I am so jealous that you can grow azaleas (and rhododendrons) in your area! I love our western wildflowers, but I also adore eastern woodlands, especially the understory plants!

[big_owl]

I'm also in Maryland so  my experience is relevant to you.  Can I recommend two books by Richard Darke? These two books changed my entire outlook on landscaping and it's been well worth it.  They're specific to the mid Atlantic region and perfect for Maryland.  The photography alone is beautiful and sure to provide inspiration along with all the technical details they provide. 

https://www.amazon.com/American-Woodland-Garden-Capturing-Deciduous/dp/0881925454

https://www.amazon.com/Living-Landscape-Designing-Beauty-Biodiversity/dp/1604694084

Most of the plants in the book can be found local or ordered online.  I highly suggest making heavy use of native viburnums and azaleas for bushes for our area.

I am so jealous that you can grow azaleas (and rhododendrons) in your area! I love our western wildflowers, but I also adore eastern woodlands, especially the understory plants!

I have no idea why native deciduous azaleas aren't more heavily marketed in the eastern US.  They do well with few pests, have gorgeous flowers and provide much more seasonal interest than the evergreen Asian imports that are typically sold.  Plus they provide sustinence for native insects. 

[sonofsven]

I got lucky when I lived in the city, my neighbor was a skilled landscape designer.
We traded work, I did a bunch of carpentry work for him.
He worked for a big company. The first thing he had us do was fill out a very involved questionnaire to establish what we wanted, which was really helpful.
Then he came up with a plan, including hard scaping and plantings, and we implemented the plan on our own. I hired a crew to do the pavers and we did all the plantings.
It never would have turned out so well without the designer.
We sold the house a few years later.
Now I'm on a country acreage and so we slowly make changes, based mainly on our own observations on what doesn't work.