So you have just closed on the house of your dreams, moved in, and unpacked. Can it truly be the house of your dreams, if you haven’t put your personal touch on the yard yet? 

Making the yard your own can seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. With a little planning and research, you can have a yard that reflects your personality before the year is out.

Scope Out What the Neighbors Have Going On

While we’d never advise you to try to “keep up with the Joneses,” looking at your neighbors’ landscaping can spark ideas for your own. So, before you do anything else, drive around your area looking for landscaping ideas that appeal to you. 

Ask yourself the following: 

• Do you want something that requires little maintenance or a bit more time? 
• Would you enjoy some landscaping that includes edibles? 
• What about things that have a lot of color from season to season?
• What shrubs, trees, and flowers stick out to you?

If you are bold enough, stop and ask the homeowner questions about the plants they have. You can ask:

• What do they like about them? 
• What don’t they like?
• If they could do it over again, what would they change? 

Learning from your neighbors’ successes and mistakes can save you headaches down the road.

Thoroughly Get to Know Your Yard

Walk around your property. Look carefully at all of the places that are planted or could be a place to add color and excitement. Also, note what you want to take out--are there trees, bushes, beds that you would like to remove?

Consider how you want to use your space. You can add a pergola or create a little nook with a bench so you can sit and enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning or a drink in the evening.

As you walk, write down what you would like to change!

Decide on Budgeting and Timeline

Now comes the painful question: How much do you want to spend? Once you have determined your budget, you can start deciding what you can and cannot do right now. Keep in mind that you can save a lot of money doing it yourself.

Remember that DIY projects will take more time than you initially think, and they won’t get finished overnight--in fact, it could take you a year or two to complete larger projects (and a fully established landscape). Starting with a small project like DIY planter boxes can be a great use of time and save you some cash. 

Start Planning

If you can, use a copy of your land survey--this will be accurate, and you can easily set the location of the things you want to do and accurately estimate the number of plants you will need.

If you don’t have a survey, make a rough drawing of your yard, but try to get the proportions as accurate as possible. 

Narrow Down Your Plant Choices

Before you finalize what you want to plant, talk to someone at your local agricultural extension office. They have been doing this for years and can make some good suggestions for the best plants to pick that are both hardy and require little maintenance.

Take the suggestions, put them on your survey, then go outside and try to visualize what it will look like. Some people do better at this than others, so you might want to ask for help from a friend or family member. 

Start with the Big Ones

As you pick out your plants, start with the trees. They are the hardest to install and take the longest to mature. They will also determine which areas of the yard get sun and which areas remain shady.

In addition, look at the height of the mature trees as well. Tall trees can be planted to give your house shade in the hot afternoon which will save on your air conditioning bill. If you love sunrises or sunsets, don’t plant trees where they will block your view. 

Fruit trees offer beauty, use, and versatility. What could be better than strolling out into your backyard and picking apples or peaches or cherries for a pie? 

You can also look for trees with interesting colors. Some have ravishing spring blossoms, in addition to dark green summer leaves, with bright red or orange colors in the fall. Three seasons of color or interest is a great rule to follow for a tree you will love all year long. Consider a maple tree, crape myrtle, or oak.

When you plant a tree you are planting it for future generations and improving the environment.

Flowers, Berries, and Veggies

When choosing landscaping plants, look for plants with lots of flowers, interesting leaves, plant the smaller in front, larger in the back. You can stagger when they bloom so that you always have plenty of color in your yard. 

And when you are planting them, make sure to give them room because they will grow and spread, and you don’t want to crowd them too much.

If you want to add a few raised beds, decide where and how big you want them. If you have a large bed, you can plant bushes in the middle, then add flowers and ground cover around them, giving the area a variety of heights. 

This is a good place to put fruiting plants like blueberries and raspberries. Strawberries make a great edible ground cover (go native with wild strawberries). 

As for flowering plants that are low maintenance, there are almost too numerous to mention. But check out some of our favorites here.

Give Your Yard Some Privacy

Would you like to add a privacy hedge to give you a little peace and quiet to enjoy your new place? Or a hedge along the front of your place to reduce street noise? Shrubs that grow well and bush out, such as hollies create an evergreen screen for yearlong beauty and privacy. 

Beneficial shrubs also allow your privacy screen to do double-duty. Viburnum, barberry, and lilac can be both beautiful and beneficial for local wildlife.

Keep Maintenance In Mind

You will need to cut your grass regularly, so remember that it is easier to mow if you don’t have to continually dodge plants, bushes, and trees. If you have a hedge, you will need to trim it periodically, to maintain its shape and height. 

Fruit trees can require pruning and spraying. Decide how much time you have to devote to your yard and plan accordingly.

You do not need to create a full landscape all in one weekend, or a week, or even a month! Do it a little at a time and enjoy the process as you begin to see your plants thrive. Remember to be creative, have fun, and stick to plants that make your heart flutter. 

Annuals, perennials, bushes, trees, raised beds, hedges, retaining walls, pergolas--your choices are limitless!