A landscape plant guide will help you create a beautiful exterior to your home.

See What's Available

Look around at other houses and see what you like. You'll soon see what works in your region.

Take notes and learn about the plantings you like. Sketch layouts and choose color combinations that are appealing.

Collect as much information as you can and then create a list of what you'd like for your location. Include any structures and furniture, as well as plantings.

Create a Plan

Draw a few outlines of your property, so you can try different layouts. Using your list of desired plants, create a landscape plant guide of the trees, flowers and shrubs you want.

You may want one continuous flow of flowers, or you may decide to divide the area into smaller garden rooms.

If you're adding an arbor, select the perfect location for its use, perhaps in a secluded area for entertaining.

If play areas are important, position them where they provide safety and are visible from the house.

You may also want to create a barrier around a vegetable or flower patch to keep pets out, or provide a place where they can run without destroying grass.

Anticipating the eventual size of your plantings will also help you place them.

Start at the Bottom

The amount of grass you have in your landscape depends on whether you want a beautifully manicured lawn, which requires extensive maintenance, or a small area to break up other plantings.

Your choice will determine the number of other elements that are needed. If you want to avoid grass completely, consider ground covers between plants.

Build your Landscape Up

Using your landscape plant guide and drawings, decide where to create levels. Trees can be a background or a focal point in the landscape.

Select native plants that are adapted to the environment for low maintenance. Climbing plants, shrubs, hedges and trees are all important elements in landscape design and should be incorporated in the plan.

Each planting will add a layer of texture, color and scent to your landscape to create a harmonious flow.

Once you decide on a final plan, and have chosen the plantings to use, you're ready to start the work of preparing and planting a landscape for years of enjoyment.

As you work through this creative process and make any changes needed, your landscape plant guide will be a resource you will turn to often for ideas and tips.

More Landscape Plant Info

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Online Plant Nursery
While many people still go to their local nurseries and garden centers. More people are choosing to shop from an online plant nursery.

Plant Hardiness Zones
The plant hardiness zone map created by the USDA divides the continent of North America into eleven zones. The coldest is zone 1 and the warmest is zone 11.

When to Plant Grass Seed
Knowing when to plant grass seed that's appropriate to your area is a key to achieving the beautiful lawn you want.