My Landscaping Plan Of Action For This Year
Matt and I have lived in this house since 2013, and to date, I have not done a single bit of landscaping. I haven’t put a single plant in the ground the whole time we’ve been here. I really want that to change this year. I want this to be the year that I actually finish those lingering projects on the front porch, and then at the very least, get some planting beds started around the porch and the front of the house.
As a reminder, this is the current view of the front of our house around the front porch.
It’s come a long way since the day we bought the house! On the day we bought the house, the front looked like this…
I love the changes I’ve made so far, but I know that even if I get all of those unfinished projects done this year, the front is still going to look unfinished without some planting beds around the front.
So this weekend, I got out the landscape design plan that Matt bought for my birthday a couple of years ago. I studied it, and put together a little mockup of what that landscape designer suggested for the area just around the front of the house. Here is a close up view of the actual plan I received…
That’s a whole lot of plants!! Here are the main plants featured in those areas:
In order, those are (1) asparagus fern, (2) pink skullcap, (3) gulf stream nandina, (4) giant liriope, (5) oak leaf hydrangea, and (6) Japanese boxwood.
On my mockup, I focused just on the areas around the front porch and the front of the guest bedroom, although I would hope to do all of the areas around the front of the house. But since I know nothing about plants by their names, I just wanted to look up these plants and get a visual of what the landscape designer suggested.
I didn’t add nearly as many plants as are shown on the plan, but here’s what those plants look like together.
And I don’t think the walkway bordering the beds will be a solid concrete walkway, but that was the easiest thing to mock up. Just imagine something with a little more character, although I’m not sure what that will be just yet.
So I need the input of you plant people, and especially those of you who know about our central Texas climate. What say you about this grouping of plants? I’m concerned that a comment I saw on the Home Depot website about the gulf stream nandina said that it’s an invasive plant that kills birds. WHAT? But I have no idea if that’s true or not. I’m not going to make a decision based on one random comment left on a product listing on the Home Depot website. But obviously, I’d want to avoid any invasive plants and plants that are going to harm wildlife.
EDIT: I just did a little reading on nandina, and the University of Florida website was the first result in my “is nandina invasive” search. It says that the Gulf Stream Nandina has “high invasive potential,” but that Firepower and Harbour Dwarf are considered safe. The Firepower is beautiful!
I just feel so completely out of my element when it comes to plants. This is so far from my area of expertise that I feel so ill-equipped to even go to the nursery and purchase a shrub. I know that can help me, and will guide me, but this whole process seems very overwhelming to me.
But I want to be prepared to get some plants in the ground this spring! I’ve heard time and again not to plant before Easter because we often get one last surprise freeze around that time. So I’d love to have a plan, have my shopping list in hand, and be ready to purchase and get some plants in the ground soon after that.
Another EDIT: 🙂
We had quite a bit of rain last night, and every time this happens, I’m reminded of just how much work our front yard needs. Any time we get a heavy rain, our front yard turns into a swimming pool.
The whole front yard is basically a wading pool at this point. So that’s another thing that has overwhelmed me in the past. I’m pretty sure that any landscaping I do in our front yard is going to be way more involved than simply purchasing some plants and sticking them in the ground. I don’t even know where or how to start!
Addicted 2 Decorating is where I share my DIY and decorating journey as I remodel and decorate the 1948 fixer upper that my husband, Matt, and I bought in 2013. Matt has M.S. and is unable to do physical work, so I do the majority of the work on the house by myself. You can learn more about me here.
Asparagus fern puts out shooter roots & will multiply quickly. Four of them almost overtook my beds on the side of my house, so I had our yard crew take them out after a few years. They are hardy & they are easy to grow, just be aware of how they spread quickly.
If you don’t want to spend hours and hours in your garden, avoid plants that spread quickly. I always recommend hostas to people who do not love gardening, they keep a nice shape (although I’m not a Texan so check to see if they work in your zone). Boxwoods are great
Hosta are very easy, but slugs love them! Not sure if there are slugs in Texas. Love boxwood,but they do involve some work
My sister is an avid gardner. She will buy new plants for her garden. But, she generally waits until the end of the season and buys plants at clearance. She plops them in the ground and the next spring the come up beautiful and large. So, I would recommend you buy for your front porch early. But go back toward the end of the season to pick up and plant in other sections of your garden. In a few years you will have a lovely garden for much less.
Sheila F.
Hi Kristi
Nandinas are poisonous to some animals especially the berries they produce. Perhaps someone can suggest an alternative?
There are many varieties of nandina. Not all of them are invasive. Not all of them produce berries. I highly recommend that you begin watching Horttube with Jim Putman on YouTube. He is very knowledgeable and puts out very helpful information for the home gardener.
Jim Putnam, the HorTube guy, doesn’t believe that birds eat the nandina berries. I have some around my house and the berries are undisturbed all year.
They’re not invasive where I live, but they are in the southeast.
Kristi,
I highly recommend you check out this website:
http://martinbyhower.com/
Martin is a plant and animal expert in Central Texas and his site contains a lot of information you’re looking for. Martin lives in Georgetown, a bit south of you. He would probably travel for a consultation and is very easy to work with if you want more personalized help.
I love Nandina! Have had it for years in the ground and in large pots both in sun and shade. I live in SW Washington State zone 8
I’m zone 6A, eastern/central Missouri, outside of St. Louis. I have used Dwarf Nandinas for years at two different houses, and love their ease of use and color. Here, the leaves stay on until spring, and are a rosy red all winter, only dropping when it warms up in spring. Then it quickly fills back in with green leaves as fast as the old leaves fall! They are my favorite! Only grow about two feet tall, and maybe 1-1/2 ft. diameter, so they are petite, and I group them in a triangle at the corner of my walkways. I also have Boxwoods, not sure which variety, but they only grow max. 3 ft. and are naturally globe shaped with no pruning. I have other shrubs/plants that I would NOT recommend, but can’t recall names except one that has “wine and roses” in the name. It grew too big for the space, and I have had to prune it back every year to maintain the area. It needed more than six feet diameter that I had not anticipated based on the tag info. I have found our Botanical garden website to be very helpful with suggestions, and have learned over the years to go slow with self guided landscaping. Plant sparsley if you aren’t sure, and add in over time. And DON’T use landscape fabric or plastic!!! It’s more a nuisance than weeds would be!
Also wish to state that the Nandina I have are the “dwarf” variety, and were purchased at both a local nursery that has been in business for two generations, and at the local Lowes garden center, whose supplier is based in Georgia. Both of these research their products with US Agriculture recommendations.
My suggestion is to take your layout to a local nursery and get their opinions. Native plants will do best so if some aren’t native maybe you could switch them out for species that will thrive in your area. I’m in Louisiana so we have “similar” weather to you guys. Our Christmas gift to each other last year was a landscape plan by a native plant guy. We haven’t gotten started but I can’t wait to!
Her plan was done by a local landscape guy.
Correct, but they don’t always incorporate native plants.
I’m not much of a landscaper, but I do know what I like. One thing to think about is what these plants will do during the different seasons and how that will look. I only have evergreen-type plants because they are green all year long. I have variegated Japanese mock orange plants, blue agave tequilana (actually, ours look somewhat like the tequilana but the leaves curve more, so I’m not sure exactly what kind of agave they are), boxwoods, live oak trees, and cypress/junipers. Liriope (monkey grass) also stays green all year, if I recall correctly from my mom’s garden. I don’t have any, but it does make a really nice border. It is also very easy to divide liriope and blue agave, so these plants are really cheap filler for beds. My plants need very little work and very little watering, which is perfect for our drought zone in West Texas. I also like that everything is just green (we add in punches of color with annuals in hanging baskets). Anyway, if you want just a little yearly trimming but green plants all year, then you might look into some of these.
This is such a valid point- here in San Diego everyone loves plumeria but they are hideously ugly for a good portion of the year. They look like standing turds without flowers and leaves. Personally, I wouldn’t plant anything that I couldn’t stand the looks of when it’s dormant.
LOL, love your comment “giant turds”! I’m a native San Diegan, now living in Vista and my neighbors and the rest of the general population seemed to have Plumerias but my neighbor’s are in pots as we’re not allowed to dig/plant which sucks as I love plants. Yeah, I see “giant turds” in pots!
I noticed the designer listed oak leaf hydrangea in the suggested plants. Hydrangeas are gorgeous and require a good amount of water, especially when getting established. They can also become quite large and, in general, do not like full sun all day, so that is something to consider if you were to use those in your beds.
We are in the Northeast and have lariope planted around our front walkways. Where we live it is an evergreen and is super easy to grow. We divide it every few years and get more plants to spread around. Any plants that you are able to divide every few years is a great way to expand your planting beds for less.
Your mock-up looks very nice!
First, find a well established local nursery that knows what works in your area. Big box stores tend to have a one size fits all approach. Next, plan to have a base of perennials which will be green year round then plant colorful annuals in clustered pockets around them. Most perennials will do best planted so they can establish strong roots before summer. Perhaps now is the time to build your planting beds, mark where your shrubs will be, but wait until Fall to plant them. In the meantime, plant colorful annuals while you are waiting. Finally, I learned the hard way that landscapers don’t always take into consideration how big mature shrubs will be. If what’s planted immediately looks full and balanced, three years from now it will look overgrown. I’ve had to remove more than I can count because their mature size caused moisture problems on the wood siding. So, look at how big they will be, pull back that far, then add an extra couple feet for good measure.
Kristi, nandinas are indeed invasive and toxic. Here’s a write-up from the U. of Florida Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants.https://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/plant-directory/nandina-domestica/#:~:text=Another%20cultivar%2C%20Nandina%20domestica%20cv,invasive%20potential%20in%20the%20assessment. I wonder whether the landscape designer who did the original plan would be willing to go back and suggest something else? It’s not like he didn’t include native plants too – oak leaf hydrangeas are a great choice!
Make sure you double check they are all pet friendly. Some plants/flowers are deadly to dogs or cats.
Those are pretty deep beds on either side of your walkway. You will have to leave space in those beds for you to get in and weed, especially before the plants fill in.
It might be a thought just to plant half that depth for this year to get a feel for the plants, the size/spread of them and how long they will take to grow and fill in.
I’ve had to re-educate myself since moving from Ohio to southern Az. Our little township is even different from Tucson weather wise and what will
grow-wise! We have a very good garden club that puts on seminars and I encourage you to attend any in your town. Also your county extension service
can be useful as well. A landscape architect told us once that the stores and nurseries are in the business of selling their plants so they aren’t always right about what will grow. (Though I’ve found a couple nurseries that are really helpful and want you to succeed). But be prepared to tweak your landscaping (perhaps a little less often than you change the decor in your house!😉)
Your plan is beautiful. It also is very full. I would ask how much time or money you want to spend on upkeep. NOTHING can be put in the ground without needing work later. Is it possible to downscale the plan?
Love this post!
Starting a garden and planting can be so intimidating so I think you may benefit from a little confidence booster. I suggest you get a little house plant and just get to know it. I always like to get my plant newbies a pothos plant because it teaches us how they like to be treated and you can use that “language” on all other plants.
A pothos plant is so easy. Water it about once a week and watch how it’s leaves look. If the leaves are perky and seem bright, then you’re doing great. Are the leaves droopy and sad? If so, put your finger in the soil. If the soil is wet, then you are over-watering. If the soil is dry, give a little water and its leaves should perk up in a few hours. Just one little house plant and you will quickly learn enough plant “language” to feel confident anywhere.
So excited to see how you take to plants. I honestly think you’re going to be a natural.
I love the Foxtail Asparagus that is heavily planted at Houston Hobby airport. Looks like a big bushy fox tail, but green. Not invasive like the regular Asparagus fern. The particular cultivar is MEYERI. Absolutely can’t forget that! LOL My maiden name was Meyer.I think they came back up after the FREEZER WINTER we had a few years back.
They also look stunning in a tall urn as does the regular asparagus fern. I had lots of them in hanging pots when I lived in S. Florida.
I am determined to landscape in the future strictly with native plants if I can. I am tired of fighting the “seasons” and crazy rain patterns to keep things alive here in Florida. Last summer we did not get the usual rain, and now we are getting more than usual for winter. If they are native they can usually take any variations without dying off. There is plenty to pick from always, so do some research for sure. Our local gardeners and the County have free classes just for native landscapes. It is better for the environment as you eliminate planting more invasive plants and/or planting things that need much more chemicals/fertilizers and water during the dry season. Makes a lot of sense! AND requires less work and expense for us! Kind of a win-win! It’s going to look SO nice!
I am in Houston. I have a lot of Japanese boxwoods, yaupon holly, nandinas, ( not sure of type) ,Indian Hawthorne, azalea. Knockout roses., burford holly.
It looks like you need a grading done on your yard or a French drain installed
I agree with you Mary. The first step should be grading/drainage to eliminate/correct that standing water. Otherwise the plants and bushes may have too much water at the root level. Also, the rains may cause wash out of soil and mulch from the beds.
Yes! The drainage issue needs to be addressed.
That’s where I was going. No plant wants to sit in water and no matter how nice a flower bed looks, the unkempt lawn area detracts from it. When you go to figure out your drainage issue you will cry if you have to pull up your plantings to fix it. I would also start small with one or two of different plants to see how they do and add more each year. All those before and after pictures are as deceiving as the home projects. They don’t show how they look the next year and how much has died.
Regarding the drainage, is the soil compacted? If there has been little or nothing growing, and the soil is compacted, it will not absorb any water. This requires some work on your soil and also planting something that will put down roots and keep the soil loose. Some grading or drainage will help, especially to move water away from the area close to the house, but it’s better practice to find ways to allow the water to reabsorb into the ground rather than sending it all down the street as run-off.
Mary, I was wondering when someone was going to address the need for grading. That would be my first concern before planting. Last thing you want is to have your garden beds planted and then to have a grader come in and tear them up. ☹️ I’m an amateur gardener so every spring I stress out my yard. Good luck, Kristie!
Gulf Stream Nandina is not invasive. I’ve had it in my yard since it was introduced little over 10 years ago, and it has not put up a single shoot. Native or giant nandina does put out many shoots. I recently removed the 6 plants I had because of this. Liriope and the fern will spread.
I live in central Mississippi. The main concern from now on of what I plant and where will be the temperature and watering. Nandina is hardy and does not suffer in drought conditions.
I love your landscaping plan, but I find it overwhelming, too. I have a very small garden in comparison and tend to buy flowers I like, far too many of them. What I didn’t understand in the beginning of my gardening was the advice of “plant them at a distance”. I now know what gardeners mean when they say to e.g. keep plants 40 cm or 60 cm or even more (depending on the variety) apart. Plants both need space and fill it up. So what looks a little frugal in the beginning turns into a beautiful bed, whereas a bed which is full with plants right after you planted them will turn into an overcrowded (and often ugly) space. Spacing out plants also will save you money. And don’t forget that a lot of plants grow so much that you can divide them after a couple of years and need space to replant those babies! So my advice is to not overdo it to have perfection from the start (and I totally understand that this kind of restraint is difficult).
What I didn’t consider were native plants when I started my garden. Which means I have to water my plants far too often during the summer. The advice of others to look for a nursery which can help you with advice for YOUR area is very important if you want to keep maintenance low. I am looking forward to seeing this part of your journey!!
Did someone say plants? 😉
Glad to help!
First, search plants with their scientific names as many plants can have similar common names.
Sorry, looks like Nandina is invasive. Plus its berries are toxic to cats.
https://www.texasinvasives.org/plant_database/detail.php?symbol=NADO
Native alternatives are listed, like white crepe Myrtle and Autumn sage. The others you have shown don’t seem to be. Pink Skullcap is a native.
Re the layout, for sure pay attention to the soil, light conditions and the plant size. Better to have less and let them reseed. Mulch also prevents weeds. Also try to have a mix of grasses, shrubs, and flowers that bloom at different times. Yeah, it takes research! Taller in back, shorter in from, laying plants out in odd # groups or “drifts”.
Contact a master gardener or a local native plant society for someone who can help.
A reputable nursery in your area will have tips on good plants. Many carry natives, but they tend to be “nativars” which are cultivars of natives…my opinion is they have a place, but having straight species is best for the ecosystem and wildlife in the long run, as our native fauna relies on the flora for food, shelter, and life. Plus you will attract more creatures, like butterflies and birds. You can find the straight species at local native plant sales in the spring. Check native plant societies and Facebook. Starting with plugs can be easier than seed, and less expensive than full grown plants.
Prairie Moon sells plugs of native plants, including ones native to TX
If you want to help wildlife, have a lower maintenance garden, and have beauty, go native! I’m not a purist but my landscaping skews toward natives. And a garden of natives can look more formal depending on the layout.
Here’s some resources:
Native Plant Society of TX
https://www.npsot.org/
Plant finder:
https://www.npsot.org/resources/native-plants/native-plants-database/
Maybe you are the Cross Timbers or Blackland Prairie region.
Can search by plant type, height, region, etc.
Helping Monarchs (Plant Milkweed!)
Green or Antelope Horn.
https://npsotcentx.org/help-monarchs
As for plants, seems like Wild Sienna, different sages, little Bluestem and Grama grasses grow in your region, as well as Possumhaw Holly, Yaupon Holly, and Coral berry and Texas Lantanaa, Scarlet Pea and lots more.
Finally I found this:
Central Texas Gardener.
https://www.centraltexasgardener.org/about/
Good luck. Find a gardener whose garden you like. That’s always a good place to start!
Everything Sabrina said.
Contact your local county extension office. Master gardeners (I am one in NC) are better trained than most staff at nurseries. They will give you free advice on drainage (should be corrected as your first step or your plants will die), soil testing, native plant selection, weed control, pest control…everything you’ll need to know for maintenance unless you plan to have a groundskeeper!
I am surprised at the number of plants your landscape designer specified. I am guessing half of those will need to be removed because of overcrowding in a year or two, You may think you like the lush, full look, but plants need air circulation to thrive. Eleven boxwoods? Five hydrangeas? Wow.
I also want to echo the advice from readers who said to pay attention to what plants look like in their off-season. Focus on plants that look good all year. Those liatris and skullcaps won’t have those colorful flowers most of the year.
I would hate to see you waste money or be discouraged. Start small. You can add color with annuals in planters.
Have your soil tested to determine what needs to be added to make it healthy. Then, your are going to need to amend your soil before planting, that will require a lot of digging and mixing in compost, lime, sand, bloodmeal, etc.; whatever your soil report tells you to add. Also, take into consideration the mature size of the plant. Otherwise you will be pruning or moving plants. It will look sparse when you first plant but will fill in quickly. And don’t plant too close to the house, if a plant matures to 3 feet around, plant it 2 feet from your home. Gardening is fun but do your research, which I know you are good at. You may want to hire a landscaping company to amend the soil before you plant. Unless your soil is soft, that is back breaking work. Once the soil is amended it should be easy to plant. And don’t forget you will need about 4 inches of mulch. Good Luck.
Rather than amending the soil which can take a great amount of time, energy and money, choose plants that will thrive in the soil you have. Then you won’t to spend $$$$ on chemicals (supplements, insecticides etc) and water. Also consider light/shade conditions. Choose native plants for your environment and you’ll require much less water and much less work. However growing a native garden rather than an exotic requires a mind shift. Definitely worth it. In 2-3 years you will have changed your ecosystem to one that is alive with bees and insects which of course attracts the birds. My backyard is a cacophony of buzzing and chirping and it’s wonderful.
I would go to a flower nursery and ask for help in identifying the plants you may use. I would definitely find out if they like moist soil. Also, take into account if you get six hours or more for sunny plants and less for shade plants. You may want a raised bed near the house because of the flooding problem. Plants grow bigger than you think so look for spacing on the tag. I would also drive around and find a yard I like, and take note of the mature plants and how they look together. You have your pots for a color so I would go with a more formal look along the foundation of the house and color on the edges.
I think the lan and drainage should be addressed before planting anything. Seems like opinions are so varied as to what palntswork and what won’t. Surely a local garden store (not necessarily the big box stores) could advise you as to best plants for your area.
address the lawn and drainage issues first
Oh your drainage woes got me excited! My new career is related to drainage design and my employer is in TX. So some impulsive thoughts I’d love to share is better in an email (also juggling sick kid, submittal, and community things so not sure if I can back em up properly).
Generally planting plants that have deeper roots (clover vs grass) and drink water tend to be more low maintenance and and will likely fix a portion of it. The other is look up the ROW you got and where the water is flowing from. Solve that mystery first then plan. Find If it’s from the road or neighbors… You could note it nicely to the city to help elevate maintenance priorities on your local road. If you are close to an updated system, they can tie into drainage easily. Them doing big changes would typically require an update to drainage to get a permit. Storytime: My inlaws had a neighbor that watered their grass so much- it flooded their yard regularly like your front in the low half of the yard. They planted a bunch of iris’s along the property line in the lowest parts (4′ wide area by however long). It minimized it enough the higher half of the back turned to lawn vs swamp, and the low half less from wetland to swamp.
Yes, good advice. Considering grading and drainage is important. When we made a rain garden on my property we moved the extra dirt to a low spot in the backyard, and now it’s less of a lake. Since we added the rain garden I notice less rain is puddling on the sidewalk. Rain garden can be an option for where water drains, but doesn’t pond. The point is the long rooted plants filter the rainwater so it goes back in the ground. Usually these are native. Yes, I need to weed it, but otherwise maintenance is low!
Before you you do anything you need to address the grading in the front. You probably need so top soil brought in to fill in the dip in the lawn and have it graded away from the house. Plants do not do well if you have standing water.
Yes! I was coming to say the same. The is your #1 first step. It’s less fun, but so necessary. Take lots of pictures this week when we get rain so that you can have a good visual of your low spots that require more dirt, if you choose to do it yourself.
Kristi, I follow NeilSperry’sGardens.com and have all of his books. It’s a good way to learn and remember about gardening here in Texas, whether flowers or veggies. I’ve followed him for over 40 years.
I would recommend you start with putting in perennials planted close to your house, but not too close. Choose your perennials with care because they are the hard workers in your landscape. Some perennials will stay green all year and some will lose their foliage in Winter, but will always come back next season. Annuals planted in front of your perennials are the garden dazzlers. They put on a show of color during their growing cycle and you can arrange them to complement each other, and complement your perennials too. I think Waco is in zone 8 of our Texas weather, but it’s best to check on Neil Sperry’s site to know for sure. If you have a good Plant Nursery near you, usually they can help you on what to plant, where to plant, and when to plant. You can take your landscape plans with you and they can help get you started. One good thing about annuals is each growing season you can choose and plant different ones and if you don’t like them, then don’t plant the the next season.
The Firepower Nandinas (perennials) are beautiful and will not be evasive. They are easy to maintain and mine have made it through many Texas very hot summers and through the single digit temps we have been having the past few years.
The Japanese Boxwood is an excellent perennial that can stand full sun or almost full shade. Stays green all year and is easy to maintain.
The giant Liriope is used mostly for a ground cover. It looks nice mixed in with colorful annuals, it is a perennial and can be a great asset to spice up areas of your landscape in masse, potted, or single plants. They do multiply but are easy to control.
The Hydrangea is beautiful, but I don’t know it’s sun/shade details. Again, checking with Neil Sperry is a good way to learn. Have a lot of fun learning and maintaining your landscape.
I’d contact the landscape planner and show them the pics of flooded front yard. You should address that first. They maybe could grade the areas and acreage the garden beds this year. If that’s done early enough maybe you could plant. But I think that’s your first step.
That looks great. Your front yard wading pool needs to be filled and graded to drain away from your foundation. You can do this by filling in the low spots with new soil. Mound up the soil where you want to plant and be sure its not up against your foundation. In san diego we dont get alot of rain, but i agree with others, drive around the city and see what native plants in the same colors work. Do you need irrigation? Are you realistically going to want to be out there daily,weekly, bi weekly, maintaining your entire yard? This determines the type of plants you will need. The designer gave you many drought resistant plants. Dont worry about berries, birds are smarter than us when it comes to food. If you are having hardscape done ask them to include all grading.
I would contact a master gardener in your area.
https://txmg.org/centraltexas/
I agree with Teresa. Your county master gardeners with have a web with a newsletter to let you know what is going on in their organization.
Lots of times they will have a weekend when their gardens are open to those interested so you can see what is being grown in your local area.
These people are a wealth of free information and sometimes even free plants. Take advantage of their vast knowledge of what works in your area of Waco.
You are going to need an irrigation system and you may want to look at swales and some other options for dealing with the water when you get a heavy rain. You need it away from the house and the walks/driveways or you will wear away your concrete. I’m surprised the landscape designer didn’t take these things into consideration. Nandina is invasive in extremely wet climates like Florida or WA State. It’s in the Bamboo family and grows via runners. We have it in northern AZ and it’s not invasive at all.
Landscaping is so much fun! As a long time gardener, I highly recommend looking into using native plants as much as possible. There are beautiful options and you will be rewarded with visits by butterflies, bees and birds! Check out the Native Plant Society of Texas, http://www.npsot.org or The National Wildflower Center, http://www.wildflower.org for resources. Your area has some nurseries that specialize native plants, they can help you pick out some that will have a similar look to those you have in your plan. I live northwest of Austin – my native plants survived the winter storm of ’21, while most of the non-natives did not. Good luck and have fun!
With plants what is invasive in one area/zone may not be invasive in another area which is less hospitable. So when doing research, make sure the source is talking about the plant in YOUR area/USDA zone. Or, you could go to your local garden center/nursery and start chatting them up. They’ll be the best resource for what certain plants will do in your area. I would certainly hope that a local landscape designer is not recommending plants which are invasive or a hassle in your area. Especially after you emphasized to them that you needed low maintenance. Maybe take a spin around your local garden center (not Home Depot or Lowes, but a real garden center where that’s all they do), it’s the slow season maybe you’ll find a plant lover to tell you how the Nandina behaves in Waco. Are there any YouTube gardeners in your general area? I’ve learned so much from following certain channels, but a Michigan gardener isn’t going to be much help for you!
My father-in-law gave me a cutting from his plant that he got from his mother. I have battled to keep that plant controlled for forty years. Nandina roots travel underground like bamboo. I would probably rethink that one.
Brenda from southeast Texas
I don’t know much but I can tell you is that it is safe to plant with little chance of freezing when the mesquite trees begin to bud. That, and even if you didn’t ask, if Texas or purple sage blooms, rain is coming.
I love your mockup. All that color is fantastic.
The landscape plan Matt had drawn up for you a couple years ago is GORGEOUS!!! I would start by asking the landscape designer who drew up the plan about the plants. By the look of the plans, I’m assuming they were done by someone with a bachelors degree in landscape architecture. They should know about the plants – where they grow best, which may be poisonous, how large they will grow, the amount of pruning they will need, etc. Of course doing your own research online will also be helpful. Perhaps that designer would be able to cut down on the number of plants to cut the expense or if the plan seems as if it would require too much upkeep.
There have been a lot of good comments but also some that may not apply to you because they are not in your area. You will notice I live in California but I am a long time gardener from many different states including Texas. Local nurseries are a good source of info but not all can be trusted. A great source anywhere you live is The Master Gardener Associations. Their job is to answer questions and hold seminars and plant sales. They are a great source of native plants. Native plants will be your reliable hard workers in the garden. Most are slow growers so be patient.
Don’t let anyone discourage you from using those Nandinas. They are carefree if you don’t shear them. And they are a great accent for your porch. Tall enough but not too tall. Give them space to fulfill their future beauty.
The asparagus ferns and liriope seem a bit crowded. They will both grow quite large. I love plants growing over the edge of walkways but you don’t want to create work with more pruning. You can save a lot of money and time by not crowding your plants. Leaving space between these year round plants will give you space to tuck in bits of color from annuals or small perennials
We all love perennials because of the color they give. But shrubs and large perennials will be your workhorses and give year round beauty. They need to be considered first. Your plan looks close to that.
After you address the source of water in front yard, I would bring in loads of dirt, which you will have to do anyway, to create large mounded islands to give height and interest. There’s always the aspect of mulch/ dirt washing out but not if it is done right. Keep us posted.
you need to tackle the drainage issue first, maybe a rain garden? but it most of the time it’s a lot dryer, then some sort of drain system to take care of the flooding when it does rain.
i would imaging you can find a landscape company that can help you with that
What helped me, was a walk around the neighborhood and photographing yards and plants that I liked!
First, I would speak to someone about the grading in your yard to reduce the standing water. Very few plants will survive in a swamp. I had to have some grading done on my own yard and even put in a french drain to deal with standing water.
Second, determine the area that will become walkway in your mock-up. Be sure to mark those areas out so beds will not be created within that area. I would go so far as to have those walkways created before you plant anything. You wouldn’t want to install beds and plants that are later destroyed by installation of walkways. You don’t need to do the entire walkway in your plan, just the areas that go across where you want to put beds now.
Third, create the planting beds. Grading contractors can often perform all three of these steps and has for me. Consider a low stacked stone border to match the faux stone facade on the foundation to carry that theme forward, though you don’t need to. Consider also if you want to put in drip irrigation to keep your plants watered during the Texas summers. Garden Answer on YouTube has really great information and tutorials on installing drip.
Now that all that infrastructure is in place, the fun part begins – PLANTS!
Start with the bigger plants first – shrubs and/or trees. Think about what they will look like in all seasons. Are they evergreen or deciduous (lose leaves in winter)? Do you want to have bare sticks along the front of the house in Winter? What type of maintenance is required? Do you need to prune? How often? How long does the plant live? How much sun will it get in front of the house? Remember that winter sun and summer sun may be different. Summer sun is what I usually plan on in my location as my plants are dormant in Winter. Yours probably will be too.
For plants I highly recommend going to your local nurseries, not the big box stores. Nurseries will have people who really know plants and really know what will work in your area, including the invasiveness and other important characteristics of the plants. Be careful of the varieties you choose. Nandina, for one example, and liriope for another. Some Nandina is invasive and the berries are poisonous for pets, but there are varieties that have been bred with sterile berries, however Nandina will still put out shoots from the roots and can be very hard to remove once planted. The sterile berries are also poisonous for pets. I suggest Lorapetalum chinense Purple Diamond if you get good sun in the front of your house. It is a hardy evergreen shrub that also gets pretty magenta fringey flowers in spring and it loves heat, 2 -3 Ft tall and wide.
Liriope has 2 different types: muscari and spicata. Spicata spreads! Muscari mounds – go with muscari in the front area. Royal Purple is a beautiful, evergreen mounding Liriope that would be perfect for you.
Oakleaf hydrangea – some like full sun to part shade, others prefer part shade to full shade. You’re in Texas so for full sun to part shade, go with part shade, and for part shade to full shade, you want full shade. If the front of your house gets a lot of summer sun, I would probably go with a panicle hydrangea like Pinky Winky or Limelight Prime.
I’ll stop writing this “book” of a comment, but please reach out to me if I can be of assistance to you. Gardening and landscaping is my jam!
Fix your standing water issue in the yard before buying and planting plants.
You really need to take the Master Gardener class offered to you by the McLennan County extension office. You will gain loads of knowledge about plants that work well in your area, how to plant and maintain, resource plants for cheap or even free, as well as have a network of other gardeners that will be able to answer any and all these questions you have. It is the best training you could ever ask for on how to create the yard of your dreams.
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086150798095
https://mastergardener.tamu.edu/become/
I would work on the getting the yard graded first. It needs to be at a slight downward slope toward the street so that water isn’t standing or backing up to the front of your house. Then in the late winter or early spring, you can plant grass seed or have sod installed. I saw that someone recommended the McClennan County Extension Office. They are a wealth of information for landscaping. Also, find a good local nursery, not the big box stores, that will have more native plants and information on what would be good to grow there. I have found that the big box stores sell plants that are not for our area, that are different sizes than they have listed on the plant information stakes, don’t tell you if this is invasive in the area, etc…. I no longer trust buying plants from them. You can also find a yard you think has beautiful plantings and ask the owners where they get their plants. I don’t know if any of the high schools there have a horticulture department but if they do, you might be able to get some high school kids to help you for a very reasonable price when it comes time to plant. We had one here at our local high school and the kids really do learn a lot and can be helpful. For me, it has been trial and error over the last 30 years and, TBH, I still don’t have our yard like I’d like it and have to change out plants every once in a while.
I’m in Texas — zone 8b. I suggest planting in fall. Everything I’ve had the most success with I’ve planted in October. Be prepared to lose some plants. It hurts to see a $30 shrub bite the dust, but it happens. The things I have now live by the grace of God. I do a once-a-year clean up, but very little else. I have learned not every plant will survive in my yard and it’s better to go with winners and forget about the divas. Ask around – friends may share plants with you. Everyone needs to divide and thin things occasionally – could save you some $$.
(A) I wouldn’t purchase a single plant (not one) until you have an in-ground automatic sprinkling system. In your Texas heat and dry spells you will become a slave to watering your plants every single day. (B) And especially for TX, perennial plants should be planted in the fall. This gives them a chance to grow roots during the winter before the summer heat sets in. Deeply rooted plants are better able to withstand heat. (C) Consider selecting all or some Xeriscape plants, that are resistant to drought. Yes, you will still need a sprinkling system. They are resistant, but absolutely can be brought down by a long stretch of heat without adequate rainfall. (D) I suggest starting by (1) grading the front yard (2) installing an underground drainage system to divert excess rainfall (you may need an underground cistern) (3) installing an in-ground automatic sprinkling system (4) ameliorating the soil, as necessary (5) laying sod grass (not seed) (6) defining your planting beds, laying landscape fabric (to prevent weeds), topping with wood chips (or other ground cover) and finally (7) slowly acquiring bedding plants each fall (with consideration of the amount of sun versus shade for each site). Buying a plant and plopping it in the ground is the easy part. Keeping it alive, year after year, is the hard part.
Landscape fabric is a horrible idea. It is bad for the environment and the soil and ends up being trash in your garden. Weeds will grow through it and you have to cut holes in it to plant.
If you need to lay down something to initially suppress weeds, go with plain cardboard or newspaper topped with soil, compost and a thick layer of mulch. The cardboard will break down fairly quickly and adds nutrients to the soil.
Well because of the flooding I would try to raise the beds up about a foot at least so when it floods the water will be below the flower beds which will help to not flood out your plants but will let them absorb the water as needed also hydrangia is one of my favorite flowers so i know how to grow them well. So they must be planted on the north facing side of the house otherwise they will burn up also the acidity in the soil will determine the color of the blooms so keep that in mind even if you choose the colors you like the PH in the soil will change their colors lol. You can google the types of PH levels which will produce the colors you like and how to maintain them Good Luck with your garden im sure will look awesome.
I well know the urge to get out there and do something! But as multiple people have noted, you need to start with the drainage problem in your yard. It’s not sexy and it’s not beautiful, but omitting this crucial step would be like building a house on a cracked foundation. Once that’s done, please do not plant the typical suburban grass lawn. Clover is a better choice–deep roots make it more robust, adds nitrogen to the soil, and you won’t destroy the habitat by adding chemical fertilizers to your property. Second, as other people have noted, in your area you would be wise to hold off planting anything until the fall. Your scorching summers would really challenge new plants trying to establish their roots–and watering all summer is both time-consuming and resource-wasteful. Another thing I would like to encourage is that when it comes time to install the walkways in front of the beds, please do not add more concrete. Concrete is impermeable, and heavy rains will simply wash off the surface and create flooding elsewhere (undoing the work and money you’ve spent improving grading and drainage). Please look into permeable options for this area. Basically, what I’m arguing for is an approach that takes into account climate change (excessive heat, flooding rains) and dwindling natural resources (increasing drought, threatened species of birds and insects). You have an opportunity here to make your property a sanctuary not only for you and Matt but for all the other creatures (animal and vegetal) sharing your space!
You’re Zone 6, I believe. And Salvia (any color) placed with Daylilies are SIMPLE to plant and grow. Set it and forget it. Most of the time, you won’t have to worry about those two particulars, even in the summer heat; just… make sure you do give them shower them for some relief during summer.
As for your lawn, it seems the soil is compacted, and if Matt thinks it’s affordable, having a lawn service come out and do their aeration with seeding (warm season turf) might be the ticket. With seeding, it’s imperative that you remember to water the seed until it begins sprouting.
Only one catch with daylilies, not so much the hybrids, but the orange “ditch lilies” Like. To. Multiply. Not wildly but left unchecked, they grow and grow. I had to dig out a whole bunch because they were taking over a raspberry patch.
Great vision and I applaud your decision to go with a noninvasive nandina.
One thing I learned, over the course of landscaping several homes, is that many landscapers tend to provide instant curb appeal. Then several years later,
four, five, etc you find yourself removing a few to create an uncrowded garden. Give your shrubs plenty of room to grow, spacing them away from your home. Paint, siding, home foundations could mold when there isn’t enough airflow. Also, a ‘walking path’ between the home and shrubs allows for proper pruning, weeding, managing fireants, and mulching. About 1 foot is usually enough.
Fill the ‘holes’ in your landscaping with tall and short annuals. That way, in about 4 years, your shrubs will fill in without being crowded and you will have a home with curb appeal.
I have one idea with respect to the intermittent flooding of your lawn. After having Miss Electric detail your underground utilities, dig a streambed, leading away from the home and street, lay 4 ” of locking gravel and sand, then cover with river rock and boulders. Use landscape fabric or newspapers if you want as your base. Each year, you can sprinkle a natural herbicide to reduce the weeds that try to grow in this stream bed. This dry streambed will allow the rainwater to perk through that area. You can find many good ideas from Fine Gardening, Pinterest, and Instagram for dry streambeds. Although it’s a lot of work, it does keep the water from pooling.
I wish you the best with this endeavor, and given the Texas heat you are beginning this project at the right time. The cooler weather will allow your plants to begin rooting before the heat sets in come April.
Hi Kristi,
I rarely post on your site but plants is something I do know about. I am a Master Gardener (MG) in California but most states have MG programs and they are a wonderful source of information, and are free! First, most landscapers over plant. I think you could probably get away with about half of the plants they recommended. Plants will grow quickly and fill in. In my own experience there are two plants that I have put in that I regretted later and one of them is the asparagus fern. I know it is pretty but it spreads like crazy and I was digging it up for years afterwards. I also saw some standing water in your front yard. This might need to be addressed, I don’t know what time of year your landscaper came but this could be an issue. I live in a hot and dry area, much like Texas. They are coming up with new varieties/cultivars every year that are heat tolerant and drought tolerant —look for those. Many of Home Depot plants will have a warnings marked on them. Read the label and stay away from those because yes, they will kill the good bees and insects that we need in our gardens. If you have native nurseries then they are usually cognizant of this and don’t use harmful pesticides and chemicals. This is an exciting adventure you are going on but you do have to do your homework and it will be a huge learning curve, but being a subscriber of yours for years, I have all the faith in the world that you can do it and it will turn out beautiful!
Yes!
You are talking about neonicotinoids, right? They are deadly for many helpful bugs.
Prairie Moon Nursery does not use these.
https://www.prairiemoon.com/blog/the-impact-of-neonicotinoids
I just moved into a new house in McKinney with zero landscaping. I had a plan done for my home too, concentrating on natives, cottage style and perennials. My landscape designer recommended “Living Earth” company for soil and mulch. Their website is a wonderful place to learn all about gardening and landscaping. Looks like the have a Waco location. I would research on their website….that’s what I’m doing too!
I immediately had one thought when I saw the mockup: it doesn’t really feel like Kristi. And to me it also feels a bit off in relation to the outside of the house. I get that this was a highly simplified mockup, but the same thing hit me when I looked again at the original post about the landscape plan: I feel there is too little contrast. Lots of color but not enough contrast.
Indoors we always focus on your use of color but I’d say the whites/creams/light greiges play an important role in your decorating. The beautiful trim and wainscoting, the ceilings and in some cases the light floors make the colors stand out (the dark floors actually have the same effect). You have an amazing intuitive sense about how to work with contrast and balance.
So … how to make your flower beds look more like your decorating?
– First of all, add more white/cream/greiges. Not only in the flowering plants but in different types of feathery grasses and plants/shrubs with grey or variegated leaves. This also ties in with the outside trim.
– Continue creating contrast with more plants with really dark leaves.
– For color: build the base with the purples, lilacs, blues (teals) – like you almost always do inside. They will play beautifully off your siding and shutters. (And the Purple Heart is amazing!)
– I love that hostas were suggested (if they work in Texas; they thrive in my part of Sweden), since they tick all of the boxes above. There is an enormous variety of leaf colors (leaves are the main focus and not the flowers, but they tend to range from white to lilac) plus they are sculptural and super simple to divide and multiply.
– Add in the punches of color: the pinks, peaches, corals and goldens. Not in the same amount as the blues-purples but strong accents (in the studio they get to play the first violin but that’s really an exception to the rule. :-)). These plants will connect to the color on the doors! Of course you could do different areas of the garden where the pinks and/or yellows are allowed to be more dominant but then I think the blues and purples need to be quieter.
One of the “Similar Posts” suggested for me is the “My Vision For My House Exterior” from six years ago (Jan 2018)! Your mockup for the flower bed outside the studio actually illustrates these suggestions: more white and light green-gray, higher contrast with dark evergreens, some blue in the base and then some yellow punches. So I’d say that’s your design intuition speaking. Use it to tweak the landscaping plan and try it out in this limited area around the front of the house!
Sorry for the length of this!
Look up native plants for your area. They’re a great choice, as they’ll be lower maintenance and non-invasive. It’s a fun rabbit hole to get down once you start! I know your creative mind will love it once you get into it. 🙂
I came here to say the same thing Mariele! If you can, why not visit Laura Bush’s Native Texas Park (in Dallas, I think)? If you can’t get there I’m sure you can find a lot of info online. But, there you will see what grows easily in Texas, and your area. Natives sprinkled in with some of your fave flowers/plants will look awesome and require the least amount of work and water. Native plants attract birds, butterflies, and bees like no others. https://www.bushcenter.org/plan-your-visit/native-texas-park
Your mock up is really good and what you need (sort of) in your front yard. Seems like you need a load of good soil on both sides of the front yard with it graded away from the house and seeded with good grass. Surely someone in your Church group knows about plants and would be glad to help you. I say I want plants every year, but I just don’t get around to doing anything. My husband plants wildflower seeds year after year. They serve as color and the bees and butterflys love them. I’d just rather quilt.
If I were you I’d go to a plant store and get someone to help me there. You have your plan in hand. Well, good luck.
Regarding your yard flooding, you would be well served to take pictures now and start to interview some landscape contractors. I would guess that your yard may need to be regraded in order to have the water flow to the street (and not underneath your house!).
Also know that in many parts of the country, we install some sort of irrigation system in any planting bed. We just finished a complete re-landscaping of our front garden a year ago, and there are incredibly great new products. We got a rebate from our water district for doing all drought-resistant plants and water-saving irrigation. For planting beds, we used this Hunter dripline with built-in, clog-proof emitters: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEKAp1Mv05E
You lay the drip lines out a foot apart in the beds, plant, and cover the lines with mulch. These are the best ones for getting water to the roots of the plant without the waste of overhead sprinklers. Also note that the drip lines with little emitters are not good, as they only water a small area, clog easily, and do not encourage the roots to expand out.
There are a lot of new products and a lot to learn. I studied up on all this stuff and designed our system, but this may not be the best use of your time or your exceptional talents!
I would suggest checking with your local water district about any programs, with the county extension office, and at Baylor for the ag or horticultural departments. Often universities have demonstration gardens for plants that are natives and drought tolerant. You will want to plant varieties that feel at home in your climate in order to get them to successfully grow.
A trip to a really good plant nursery, with your plan and list in hand, is also something you will want to do. They will know a lot about the plants your designer chose and can make informed suggestions about those particular selections as well as some that might be better choices.
Your front yard is probably very compacted and needs to be loosened up and graded so that water drains away from your house. Plant in groupings and over all have three layers of height. Drive your area and see what plants seem to grow well. Find some planting guides for your zone. You have the research skills to do it.
I’d recommend going with native plants (or adapted as second choice) if you want a trouble free landscape that can handle both typical weather as well as the odd crazy winter/summer, can be low water/drought tolerant, and will come back more often than not. There are a few great books for Texans on natives, some which include information on how to lay out/plan plantings. How to Grow Native Plants of Texas and the Southwest by Jill Nokes, Native Texas Plants: Landscaping Region by Region by Sally Wasowski (Author), Andy Wasowski and Neil Sperry’s Complete Guide to Texas Gardening 2nd/revised edition. Also, the Native plant Society of Texas (https://www.npsot.org/resources/native-plants/native-plants-database/) has an excellent website with listings of good information of all plants that can be searched by geographic region. The Pink skullcap above is a native, the rest are not though the lirope is considered adapted I believe.