Landscape Design

How to Design Your Landscape

Designing your landscape doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. In fact, it should be one of the most enjoyable parts of creating your outdoor space. Whether you’re starting from scratch or refreshing an existing bed, the process is more flexible—and more forgiving—than you might think.

It’s Personal Preference

Let’s start here: there is no single “right” way to design a landscape. Your yard is personal. It reflects your taste, your lifestyle, and how you want to use your space. Some people love clean, structured lines. Others prefer a more natural, cottage-style look. Both are great.

The key isn’t perfection—it’s choosing plants that will thrive where you put them.

Start with Your Space

Sunlight: Is the area full sun (6+ hours), part sun (4-6 hours), or shade? Keep in mind the sun’s position in the middle of summer.
Soil: Is it well-drained or does water tend to sit?
Space: How much room do you have for plants to grow over time?
Purpose: Do you want color, privacy, low maintenance, or something to attract pollinators?

Getting these basics right will set you up for success.

Choose the Right Plants for the Right Place

This is the most important rule in landscaping: match the plant to the conditions.

Sunny areas: Look for sun-loving perennials, shrubs, and grasses that thrive in heat and light.
Shady areas: Choose plants that prefer protection from the sun and cooler conditions.
Wet areas: Select plants that tolerate or even prefer moisture.
Dry areas: Go with drought-tolerant varieties that won’t struggle.

When plants are in the right environment, they perform better, require less maintenance, and look their best all season long.

Simple Guidelines

Keep in mind the mature size of plants. They start small but grow quickly after 2-3 years.
Plant taller shrubs and ornamental grasses in the back and shorter shrubs and perennials in the front.
Planting multiple of the same plant creates a sense of rhythm and feeling of cohesiveness. An odd number of plants (3, 5, 7, etc.) is more eye appealing than even numbers.
Tackle small sections at a time. It is overwhelming and difficult to care for an entire yard of new plants.

Think About All-Season Interest

The best landscapes have something to offer throughout the year:

- Spring blooms
- Summer color
- Fall foliage or flowers
- Winter structure (evergreens, grasses, or interesting bark)

Mixing different types of plants ensures your landscape never feels empty

Proven Plant Combinations

Not sure where to start? Here are a few reliable combinations that perform well and look great together:

Full Sun with Long Season Bloom

Coreopsis – Multi Season Bloom (with trimming, they rebloom); 12-18 inches tall
Hibiscus – Mid to Late Summer Bloom; 3-4 feet tall
Kniphofia – Early Summer Bloom; 3 feet tall
Nepeta – Multi Season Bloom (trim & rebloom); 12-18 inches tall

Bright, long-lasting color with excellent pollinator appeal.

Full Sun with Great Foliage Color

Hemerocallis (daylily) – Early to late summer (use continual bloomer); 1-3 feet tall
Penstemon Blackbeard – Early to Mid-summer Bloom (Fabulous Foliage); 2-3 feet tall
Sedum – Mid to Late Summer Bloom; 12-24 inches tall
Panicum Switch Grass – Late Summer Bloom; 3-6 feet tall

Pollinator friendly, heat tolerant, fantastic foliage, low water needs once established.

Part Shade/Part Sun with Great Foliage Color

(4-6 hours of sunlight)

Aralia – great color foliage, can be used as a shrub; 3-4 feet tall
Heuchera – summer blooms, great foliage all season; 12-18 inches tall
Veronica – Early to late summer blooms; 14-30 inches tall
Penstemon Rock Candy Series – Early to mid-summer blooms; 10-12 inches tall

Great foliage interest throughout the season, pollinator friendly

Part Shade/Part Sun with Low Maintenance

(4-6 hours of sunlight)

Aruncus – Good texture foliage, late spring to mid-summer blooms; 1.5-2.5 feet tall
Allium – Mid to late summer bloom; 18 inches tall
Dicentra – Pink or White Diamonds – All season bloom; 12-16 inches tall

Good bloom season, deer resistant, low maintenance

Part Shade/Part Sun with Long Blooming Season

(4-6 hours of sunlight)

Allium – Mid to late summer blooms; 18 inches tall
Aquilegia – Late spring to early summer blooms; 12 inches tall
Anemone – Late summer thru fall blooms; 20-26 inches tall
Stachys Betony – Early summer thru fall blooms; 18-24 inches tall

Constant landscape blooms spring through fall, pollinator friendly

Full Shade with Low Maintenance

(less than 4 hours direct sun)

Brunnera-Early Spring Bloom; 12-18 inches tall
Heuchera – Multi Season Bloom (Fabulous Foliage); 12-18 inches tall
Polemonium – Late Spring Bloom; 10-18 inches tall

Fantastic foliage, deer resistant

Full Shade Pollinator Friendly

(less than 4 hours of sunlight)

Pulmonaria – Early Spring Bloom, (Fabulous Foliage); 10-14 inches tall
Dicentra (Fringe Leaf Shade Varieties) – Spring thru fall bloom; 12-16 inches tall
Astilbe – Early to mid-summer bloom, long lasting flower; 2-3 feet tall

Interesting foliage, bloom all season, deer resistant

Full Shade for Consistently Wet Areas

Hosta – Summer Bloom, great foliage; wide range of heights and widths
Chelone – Late summer bloom; 12-24 inches tall
Fern- Great texture foliage; 1.5 – 4 feet tall
Rodgersia -Mid to late summer bloom; 1-2 feet tall

Moisture loving plants, fantastic foliage

Foundation Plantings

Boxwood
Hydrangea Incrediball (part shade)
Hydrangea Bobo or Fire Light Tidbit (full sun)
Spirea Candy Corn or Double Play Red
Perennial accents (like Daylilies or Geranium)

Great for framing your home with structure and seasonal interest.

Keep It Simple

You don’t need dozens of different plants to create a beautiful landscape. Start with a few varieties you like, plant them well, and build from there over time.

Designing your landscape should be fun, not stressful. Start simple, choose the right plants, and enjoy the process. Your landscape will grow—and improve—over time.