My Phase 1 Landscaping Plan For This Year
I showed y’all a few days ago how I had our landscape design plan printed and mounted so that I can frame it and display it on the wall by my desk in the studio. I’m very excited to have this beauty displayed in a prominent place where I can look at it and be inspired by it often.
But I actually ended up redoing the layout, and I plan to have it reprinted. I don’t know why I didn’t think of it the first time around, but I’d really like to have the printed and displayed version to have the plant legend on it. I considered printing it separately and displaying it in a separate frame, but after playing around with some options, I decided that I prefer the legend and the landscape plan to be printed and framed together. And since the plant legend has to be printed on the same 36 x 48 paper, it would cost the same whether I print it separately or have the whole thing printed again.
So the new one will look like this…
Yesterday at lunch, my mom and I were talking about landscaping, and I started thinking and dreaming about the landscaping that I hope to get done this year. I’ve put off landscaping for far too long, and I’d love for this to be the year that I can actually get some plants in the ground.
There’s no way I can tackle the entire plan. Landscaping our entire lot will be a decade-long plan along with lifelong maintenance and care. But the immediate plan that I want to focus on is getting things planted around the front of the house and on the studio side of the house.
There’s a whole lot going on there! So I took some time to look up each one of those plants on the plant legend to see what plants the landscape designer had suggested. One challenge we have is that our huge oak tree in the front yard shades most of the front yard during most of the day. The only part that gets direct sunlight for a large part of the day is the area in front of the studio.
Here are the plants that he suggested for the areas along the front of the house and on the studio side. I’m pretty sure I got all of them, but as I said, there’s a whole lot going on there, so there’s a chance I may have missed one. The red and blue circle in front of the breakfast room windows isn’t on the legend, but that’s a water feature. Here are the plants…
As I’ve been driving around town and taking notice of landscaping, I’ve come to realize that I prefer planting beds that have a little more space between the plants, and that include things like big rocks and some plants planted in huge above-ground planters. So while I do plan to use this plan as a general guide, I probably won’t use the sheer number of plants that he suggested.
So yesterday, I told my mom that as I tackle each section of this landscape design, and before I start buying plants, I’m going to do a little crowd sourcing for information. Since I’m coming at this completely ignorant about plants (I mean, I can’t even identify the most basic plants that most people can name), I’m going to rely on all of you for information. I now some of you live and breathe plants each and every day. I also know that I can contact organizations in my area who will know specifically about this zone. But since y’all are so many, and such an unbelievable resource for information, I want your input first.
In the past when I’ve shown the landscape plan, I know that some of you have warned me about specific plants. Maybe they’re invasive. Maybe they’re harmful to specific wildlife like butterflies or hummingbirds. Or maybe one is susceptible to some kind of plant disease, but there’s a great alternative. I can’t remember, and at the time, I was still in that “dreaming” phase, so that kind of specific information overwhelmed me. I didn’t take any notes.
But I’m ready now to start taking this seriously. I’ve got my notepad ready to write down some notes. I’m ready to move beyond just dreaming about this plan to actually putting some of it into place. As soon as I’m done with my studio, I want to get my hands into some dirt and start getting the bed along the front of the house ready for plants. And I want to be ready to purchase plants and get them into the ground.
So, give me all of your knowledge about the plants he suggested for the front bed that wraps around the front of the house. What do you know about those plants? Any warnings? Suggestions? Let me hear it!
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.
Daylillies will need to be ‘split’ every few years. Once you have a good established plant, you will be able to split that one over and over to populate other areas in your yard. You may find several people willing to donate daylilies to you as well.
When it comes to shade plants, if you have hostas ANYWHERE down the line (I don’t see any here), DO NOT BUY THEM FROM Home Depot or Lowes. They are are known to carry diseased varieties and you will never be able to have hostas in those areas ever again. Go to local landscape nurseries and ask them about HXV in hostas before you buy, if they don’t know what you’re talking about, buy somewhere else.
Not a plant suggestion, but a reminder that if you’re going to reprint the landscaping plan, you wanted to include the new addition plan where part of it is bumped out more.
Make a 3-ring binder with a page for each plant. Divide the pages into sections: annuals, perennials, shrubs, trees. Make notes for each plant, even if you decide you don’t want it for your yard. That way you won’t have to look it all up again if someone suggests it again. When you buy plants, save your receipt and labels. Some places, like Lowes, Home Depot, and WalMart, have a one-year warranty on everything except annuals. Calloways has a good website for plant descriptions. The Dirt Doctor is a good reference for your area.
Contact your local botanical garden, they should have a complete list of what grows best in your area. I’ve included this site to help. I’ve heard people say they treat lantana as a weed in the south. Love to garden, nothing like getting my hands in the dirt.
https://atozgardening.com/plants-of-merit-for-the-gulf-coast-and-central-texas-gardeners/
I notice double-knockout roses are listed as plants under 4 feet. My sister in Richardson has these (and they are beautiful!), but hers have grown past 4 feet, so space accordingly. Same for dwarf yaupon holly and dwarf burford holly. The boxwoods will require pruning to keep them in shape and will also probably get larger over time.
My main suggestion is plant at least 3 of the plants you choose. The plan as it stands will look very spotty, with no place to rest the eye, or for the plants to make an impact.
I usually start with a color palette to help me choose plants. That also helps with cohesion.
ok before you buy 1 plant you need to get your planting beds established and bring in good black soil and amend it with whatever your local nursery recommends (I use peat moss and compost) but… You will find that dirt isn’t cheap either. Prepping the beds is like prepping any other project-not fun but necessary. Also keep in mind weed control and edging of some sort to keep your grass out of the bed. Good luck, you will have found a hobby to keep you busy and happy for the rest of your life.
Excellent advice. Prep is everything.
This x 1000% Prep is everything. You can plant all you want but if you don’t have a good soil foundation then you will end up with spindly growth & plants that get diseases easily.
Someone also mentioned getting smaller sizes (instead of 3 gallon get 1 gallon etc). I agree. It saves you money and you don’t have to dig huge holes. However, you could select a few shrubs in the larger 3 gallon size to make an immediate impact.
Make sure when you plant to account for the mature size of the shrub or perennial when figuring spacing.
Please don’t use peat moss. It’s a non-renewable resource, and destruction of peat bogs has climate ramifications. There are alternatives available.
https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/what-is-peat-moss
Very good advice.
Lilies of any kind are poisonous to cats and dogs so I would rethink those plants.
Agree 100%!!! This is no joke. I found this, “The entire lily plant is toxic: the stem, leaves, flowers, pollen, and even the water in a vase. Eating just a small amount of a leaf or flower petal, licking a few pollen grains off its fur while grooming, or drinking the water from the vase can cause your cat to develop fatal kidney failure in less than 3 days.”
My first comment is you can get smaller versions of these and they will be a lot cheaper. Like a 1 gallon rather than a 3. I’m thrilled with the dwarf versions of things we changed out because they don’t require nearly as much maintenance (pruning). A few daylilies will make many through a few years. If you lived nearby, I’d share plenty with you. You probably know people who have some and would share which would save you money. Lantana will spread, but I love how easy it is. Plant it with room to spread. Butterfly bushes are wonderful. They attract butterflies and hummingbirds. They will also grow up and out so give them space. I say this especially since you prefer a garden with space between the plants. You are going to love this!
You might ask around your area to see if there are any plant auctions. There’s a large nursery not far from me (in Ohio) that has an auction every Fall to sell off stock that’s bigger than what people typically buy or they have too much of. This will be our first time going, but I have friends who have gone in the past and were able to get trees and bushes much more mature/larger than what they could have afforded to purchase otherwise. If you can find one, that might help you get some larger trees and things to help move along your yard’s progress faster.
You Ohioans have some wonderful nurseries. One of our favorite things to do visiting outside of Cleveland!
Big fan of pettiti’s as well..
Be advised that loriope will spread – it sends out shoots underground. Keep an eye out for this or they will easily become a hedge. Also, do not cut back oakleaf hydrangea in the winter – new spring growth grows on the old wood.
Liriope spicata spreads. Liriope muscari mounds. Easy way to remember s=spreads, m=mounds in the case of this plant.
Only spicata liriope spreads. It is invasive. The other kind (and I can’t think of the name) is not.
Kristi – I sent you an email about printing this for you….check it out!
Before you put anything in the ground – get your sprinkler/watering system figured out and installed!
I second that!
Hoselink the retractable hose system is a wonderful option for watering. We bought one last year for the backyard garden and loved it so much we added a 2nd to the front this year.
Start by preparing the ground. Don’t buy anything until this is done.
It has been my experience that landscape designers select too much material. People can get antsy that beds look empty when the plantings are not mature. IMHO plants thrive, evolve with better shape and health when they have proper space, not vying for sun, water, etc. with other encroaching plants.
Moving mature plants is hard work, an adjustment for the plant. Some handle it well, others not so much.
Butterfly bush – recommend!
A couple of ideas… like paint prep, planting prep is so worth it and necessary for a healthy garden. I hate that we have to pay for DIRT but good, quality planting soil is so worth it! Check FB for plant swaps in your area. Gardeners are the most generous people I know. We love to share our babies! Look up native plant societies in your area. The more native you can go with, the easier your life will be, lol. Natives bring in wildlife like butterflies, birds, lizards, etc. Check out the Laura Bush garden for plant ideas (https://www.bushcenter.org/plan-your-visit/native-texas-park) for Texas. Try to plan your garden so you will always have something in bloom- for color year round. They will grow better and require less maintenance and water. Put in drip irrigation, especially in Texas so you don’t lose so much in transpo-evaporation and spray heads misting all over the place. Get yourself some decent tools for digging- include some hand tools in the bunch cause you’re gonna have to get down and dirty! Aand asparagus ferns… ugh! They’re delicate and pretty but good luck trying to remove them. They do spread and tend to take over so you have to thin them and they get a little rangy looking at the bottoms. I’d put them in a contained area only. Good luck and have fun!
Oh, so much to say!
As someone who has a sidewalk and landscaping around the perimeter of a very large yard, I think your plan is beautiful and has a lot of lovely and interesting spots. (ours has been over 12 years in the making, and we clearly have a little more time to spend on it).
I was just wondering if you’ve joined any of your local gardening groups on Facebook? There are many for our area in Western New York and the guidance and suggestions offered are wonderful. They’re also specific to the weather conditions and growing habits in our area.. also… there are no shortage of opinions among gardeners.
Anyhow, I would suggest joining one or two of those groups and linking your post. Or perhaps, just providing your list of plants. Many people are willing to share from their own gardens, or will give you great local sources for what you’re seeking.
Sorry… One last thought. Trees and large bushes take the longest to establish. Anytime we could afford a tree we planted those first.
Never regretted it. There are always great bargains at the end of the season from the big box stores.
And, holy cow, there are a LOT of plants in your plan. You are right that you will likely need less.
Don’t forget deer and rabbit repellent. Those animals enjoy landscaping!
This plant list is very generalized, meaning without the horticultural name there is no way to know exactly which plant your landscape designer suggests. For example, there are about 5 different species of plants called “Blue Mist”. One type of Blue Mist gets 3 -5 feet tall, another is only 2-3 feet tall. The perennial flower can be a pest and spreads quickly. That makes a huge difference.
If you give me a few days, I can suggest specific varieties of the plants on your list with the horticultural name (where there’s little confusion of species) and species/varieties with the horticultural name (along with alternatives for those that are pesty) to ensure you will get the right plant for the right place. You will be able to take my list to your nursery and they will be able to identify the exact species and variety. You say the front of your house gets shade. From the design plan, it looks like your house faces Northeast. Mine does too. I’m thinking you get morning sun and then it moves to the rear of your home. How many hours of sunlight is there?
Walterreeves.com will tell you everything.
I’m by no means an experienced gardener, but have been at it for over 10 years now and learned a bit. I made the rookie mistake of buying too many plants and planting them to close to each other. So now the strong persistent ones have established a firm hold in my (small) garden, whereas the delicate ones have vanished. These days, I replant from my own stock as they multiply beautifully and vigorously. And when introducing some new enticing plant, I try to give it room enough to be able to grow roots.
Wherever there are open spaces I don’t like, I spend a little money on annual flowering plants in order to fill up the holes and for variation. What I didn’t consider much in the beginning is thinking of height as a vital dimension with plants. It is nice to introduce shrubs, small trees or a climbing plant in places in order to fill that dimension.
I cannot wait to see your garden and hope you grow to love doing work in it the way it happened to me. It is such a calming, grounding experience – and humbling in that you don’t get to have the last say but can only make offers, the plants then take over 🙂
I would start with containers and any other hardscaping you want to add. Then you can have pretty container gardens while working on planting beds. I would also buy small plants. They are much easier to plant and they grow quickly. They’re plants, it’s what they do 😁 If you buy bigger pots, I would check to see if they contain multiple plants, and if so, I would separate them. Multiple plants for the price of one! Also…smaller = easier. And as others have said, good soil, native varieties, and learn as you grow 🪴
Nandina is a beautiful plant but very invasive. I’ve been fighting it for over 40 years! Also you don’t need to buy 3 gal pots of Liriope. The other name for this is Monkey Grass. It spreads like crazy! Makes a great border. Get some smaller pots (>$$$) and space them out. You can get a solid green or a green/white stripe. Up to you.
Now, get on the computer and do a search for “invasive plants” in TX.
Houston Hobby airport has landscaping with the Asparagus fern “Foxtail Meyeri” and it is beautiful.
Then, if you don’t know much about certain plants/trees, research for the cultivars that will thrive in TX with the heat. People who draw up plans & suggest plants are usually looking more at esthetics and less concern about amount of care they take and how stable they are in hot weather. Use us as a starting point since our suggestions are pretty much based on personal experience. You can also contact the local AG Center or ck with Baylor about recommendations and things to avoid. You have X amount of $$$ to spend. Without good research, you’ll be throwing money away.
Monkey grass is technically Mondo grass and indeed does spread like mad and almost impossible to remove. Liriope spicata also spreads but the blades (leaves) are larger and wider. Liriope muscari grows in mounds. I agree, don’t buy a 3 gallon Liriope. In fact, I would suggest buying a flat of it. I was able to find 18 count flats (18 plants in 3 inch pots) for ~$45, which is a much better value. Plus, 3 inch plants are much easier to plant than 3 gallon plants. 🙂
I also agree with you on Nandina, to a point. There are varieties now that have curbed the invasive qualities as they are sterile plants. That being said, Nandina continues to be considered a pest shrub because it sends up suckers so the one plant just gets wider and wider and can take over an entire area. Then when you are tired of that, it is virtually impossible to remove all of it, as you know well with your 40 year war on it. 🙂
Asparagus fern and foxtail fern are two different looks. Foxtail is compact and the one I prefer but have both. Asparagus is wispy and great to add to fresh flowers but has a mind of its own. Fox tail does great even in full shade under an oak tree.
If you have any garden tours in your area – take them. You will get all kinds of ideas, a good sense of what grows in your area, what the plants you are thinking of look like as mature plantings, and best of all – the homeowners are usually there and as avid gardeners are invaluable resources.
Your local horticultural society can also be a great resource and they often have sales of plant materials from their members.
A helpful thing I learned is: The first year the garden sleeps, the second it creeps, the third it leaps.
Meaning, essentially, be patient! The first year you get it in the ground it’s going to look like a scrawny baby. The next year you’ll see some growth but it’ll be slower than you hoped for. Third year, you’ll see what the plans always were! It just helps me keep perspective to repeat that rhyme when I’m impatient.
Prepare the beds first as someone else said. I highly recommend reading Randy Lemmon’s “New Decade Gardening, A Gulf Coast Guide”. It is all about the soil you plant in. I hired a local garden center to build and plant 2 large beds. They didn’t improve the existing clay soil. 99 percent of the plants died in the first year.
Colorful shrubs and perennials are the way to plant. The binder suggestion on various plants is great. Not only can you refer to it for toxic and invasive plants, you can add your personal notes on successes and failures. Good luck, I’m looking forward to updates.
Several people have mentioned day lilies and separating them for additional plantings. Same goes for iris. You probably have local clubs for both plants. They typically have plant sales and are a great resource because they are grown in your area.
Ruella, or Mexican petunias, are a good colorful perennial. They also have a dwarf variety for front borders.
I get being excited about getting some dirt under your nails and putting plants in the ground, but that is the easy and fun part. Before doing any planting in the ground there needs to be an 1) irrigation system in place 2) the soil needs to be heavily ameliorated with compost 3) areas with drainage problems need to be corrected. Bedding plants are the very last step and should be placed in the fall so that the root system can begin to establish itself over the winter and spring before the crushing heat of summer.
I highly recommend putting off your landscape plans and instead buy some attractive large planters and plant in them. These should be fitted with a self-watering system (gardeners.com sells an insert to put in a pot). Your region is too hot to not have a self-watering system, even if you dedicate yourself to watering everyday. During a heatwave, you may need to water everyday even with an insert, depending on multiple factors.
Ceramic pots are very attractive, but many will crack in the winter when the water in the soil freezes and expands. There are ceramic pots that are thicker and designed to overwinter, but be prepared for a sticker shock especially for the larger pots and they will be heavy.
Google each plant from your legend and print off a few screenshots of the whole plants and a closeup of the leaves (showing shape and venation) and flowers. Then of the back of the page label with the common and scientific name, sunlight, water, and soil requirements, and other details such as cost, invasiveness, fertilization, spraying for disease, or pruning.
Take some time with your notebook of legend plants and wander the garden centers at big box stores and your local nursery. When you see a plant you like in a neighbor’s yard take a photo with a closeup of the leaves, showing the shape and venation and any flowers or berries. Then do an image search to identify the name (there are also apps for this or Apple has a built-in plant ID).
Consider making an appointment at your local nursery garden center. They will have suggestions and may offer a planting service (you buy the plant from them and they will plant it in your pot with the appropriate soil mixture).
Finally, consider xeriscaping. It can be very attractive will a great deal of variety and will greatly reduce your watering needs.
Everything Diane said!
I’m presuming the Butterfly Bush is a Buddleja, there are many plants that go by the common name of butterfly bush. If it is you need to know that when pruning the Buddleja the leaves can cause respiratory problems. My Mum spent an afternoon in the ER after pruning hers, apparently it irritates the lungs and it lowered her blood oxygen levels. She still has a bit of a cough because of it. It’s considered an invasive species here in Australia.
Butterfly Bush is also an invasive plant in parts of the southern United States. While the plant is pretty, where I live we are discouraged from planting it because it only nourishes a few species of the butterflies it attracts and, worse, it provides no nourishment for the caterpillars that hatch from the eggs laid on it no matter where in the US. With so many of our butterfly species in decline, it is better to find native plant substitutes that attract and nourish the adults and larva.
I would definitely avoid Nandina. The berries are toxic to birds and it is invasive. The other one I would not use is Liriope, it is invasive over time so I’d avoid it. I have spend hours digging out large patches of it from where the previous homeowner just let it spread. Substitute the Liriope with Hosta. Be sure to order it from a reputable grower and pay attention to how big it grows. There are tons of different beautiful Hosta available and it comes in many sizes. Last thing, buy small, the plants will grow and it will save you some money. So those 3 gallon plants, I’d downsize to 1 gallon. If there are smaller versions of the 1 gallon available, I’d go smaller on those two.
People tend to plant so that a bed is visually appealing and full. By the next growing season the bed is overgrown and crowded because the plants have matured. Pay attention to the full grown size and space accordingly when you plant.
Last thing, be sure to amend your soil.
Sorry, going to be long-winded but you asked for information and I’d rather spend all day in the garden than cook or clean. My comments are based on keeping a garden alive long term not just a year.
First, know that since it’s already April this is going to be a 12 month plan to landscape your front yard or you’re going to need to stop working inside for the next couple of months. Start by mapping out the sunlight in your yard, morning, afternoon, all day, full vs dappled. While you’re doing this you can also follow the excellent advice some have already made. The first, since you are unfamiliar with the plants, is make yourself a binder of them as a jumping off point knowing the soil type, sunlight, water and fertilizer requirements, and their need for trimming, pruning or deadheading. You should then be able to group plants accordingly especially if you aren’t sticking to the landscape architect’s plans. Second, since your yard doesn’t appear to ever have been landscaped previously, be prepared to spend a lot of time and some money amending the soil in the beds or the plants won’t do well or last long; for a small fee, your local TX A&M Ag Extension agent can have your soil analyzed and make recommendations. Third, and most importantly since you aren’t an avid gardener willing to spend time outside watering and weeding, you need a good irrigation system and good eco-friendly mulch. Plan your beds out and the irrigation system to make it easier to know what you need. Some plants are good with just drip irrigation and some require a bit of rain. If there’s a drought, you’ll want a means of irrigating from the top. Next spring when your beds are ready and you know what plants you need/want and have a budget for everything, you can plant, install the irrigation, and then top the soil with that eco friendly mulch to help keep the weeds down and the water in.
As to the plants listed, I only know some of them well enough to comment. Asparagus fern, like most ferns, will take over if you’re not careful. I’d be inclined to plant it in a 16” plastic pot in the ground to keep it contained. If there is inchplant (formerly wandering Jew) Tradescantia zebrina or ginger anywhere in the plan, these too will take over and should be planted in large pots or surrounded by deep barriers. Most nandina is also invasive in the south but I think Gulf Stream puts out few berries and is less so. Boxwood and hydrangea are both great but the first must be trimmed regularly and both pruned annually. Also keep overhead watering off hydrangeas as they easily get rust. Liriope is easy but if it’s a hot, dry summer, it will take regular water to keep it alive. Be sure to buy the Texas native skullcap and sage at a local nursery, not a big box store. Small nurseries are also run by people who know plants in your area and can make recommendations for something easier to care for. Ditto for other things on your list like the Gulf Stream. You want your local variety or breed to be non-invasive not something brought in from elsewhere. Many though not all species of lantana will require deadheading to get lots of blooms. All of them require annual pruning. Daylilies are lovely in a big bed but need to be dug up and split about every 3-4 years to keep them looking good. I love double knock out roses but they need sun, good air circulation and fertilizing to keep them blooming and looking good.
As someone mentioned, buying 1-3 gallon plants is expensive and you can save a lot of money by planting smaller plants in the correct season and letting them fill in.
Several of the plants on your list are toxic to animals. I don’t know your pets and if this is a problem for you. Some of my pets have been stupid and others less so. You can check plants out at
https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants
Good luck and I hope to see your yard be as lovely and colorful as your interiors one day.
I was horrified at people criticising the good old asparagus fern, so I consulted Google and realised that Americans and Aussies are referring to two different plants. I have Asparagus densiflorus ‘Myersii’ (Foxtail Fern). I have had my plant (and its babies) in pots since 1982. They are all still flourishing! So please get yourself some of these, they’ll never die and are perfect for beginners. They look wonderful in pots. Also make sure you leave enough space for your latana to flourish, they will bless you with blossoms over a metre distance from the main plant. They will also create multiple little versions of themselves by putting down roots from their fronds and starting a whole new plant needing another metre radius to flower. The yellow one is spectacular. It now lives in four parts of my garden. I bought it before it was outlawed here as a noxious weed, but I have kept it confined to raised (and very high) rock garden beds and large pots elevated away from ground level. It is dangerous to cattle and is a nuisance if it escapes. It plagued our lives when we had a cattle station in Tully. I live in a similar climate to you. I agree with other posters, do nothing without organising a proper automatic in-ground sprinkler system. This can ultimately be staged around your garden. Water is the number one requirement of a garden in our climates, and it must be used sparingly, so use it wisely. Good luck!
I know you’re itching to get some plants in but first things first. Get the front walkways done before anything else otherwise anything that’s planted near them will get trashed by the prep/installation. Next amend the soil so it’s ready for planting. Once that’s done you can think about planting.
Nandina
Beware this is crazy difficult to remove and spreads like bamboo. Make sure it is not classified as invasive here in Texas or your county.
Liriope
Also known as monkey grass or lilyturf and impossible to easily remove it.
It took over our front bed(we didn’t plant it) and we pulled every last clump out in 2014. It makes new clumps via runners and as of this year the baby clumps are back again. Impossible to kill. Yes, low maintenance and pretty purple or whatever flowers. Green year-round.
Boxwood
needs at least yearly trimming, possibly more and looks odd after freezes. It holds dust like no other plant I’ve seen, so trimming stirs up the settled dust.
Lantana
I love the color options. Dad always waited until December when stems lost sap and mowed it back down to the ground.
Watch your local garden clubs/plant societies for sales and take your lists. Might save you money.
Kristi, you are biting off a lot! I know you sometimes like those quick-gratification projects, and I think you know this will not be one of those. You’re getting lots of sound advice, and to me, much of it sounds better than what your landscape designer offered you.
I’ve been a gardener for 50 years, and a Master Gardener in NC. Please show your rendering to an extension agent for your county, someone there who specializes in landscape plants (as opposed to agricultural, for example). Your taxes pay for this. That person will tell you that you need to do a soil test. Then, you’ll know how to amend the soil so your plants will thrive and not struggle and look ugly. Extension service people don’t have an agenda. A nursery might want to sell you what they have in stock that season, or their personal favorites.
You might get your local government to visit your site gratis and tell you about drainage and elevation so you’ll know what has to be done for water to flow away from your house. Plants die with wet feet, and your home’s foundation can be damaged if you have incorrect drainage. You need to get that right before you amend soil and build beds and hardscape.
I hate to bash your designer, but he seems to have overlooked how much shade your oak is giving you. Roses, daylilies, whirling butterflies, sage, lantana, and even boxwoods like sun, as much as 6 hours daily. Also, I don’t know why he didn’t use horticultural (Latin) names, as Yvonne pointed out. Different varieties of the same plant will have different requirements and look different. He’s crowded an awful lot of plants in your space. In a few years, you’ll be relocating overgrown plants and dividing and pruning others regularly.
I’ll repeat what other gardeners are recommending: Plant natives. You’ll have way less problems with pests and diseases. And they attract birds and butterflies and other valuable pollinators.
Plan to have an area to store your gardening supplies and tools. Wheelbarrow, tools, blower, and things like that can take quite a bit of room and you can’t leave them out in the elements.
Also plan to have a maintenance company regularly service your yard. It will need mowing, edging, mulching, pruning, and perhaps fertilizing and weed control.
I know you’ll end up with a gorgeous landscape that you can enjoy with Matt. It will just take patience.
What she said!!! 🙂
Do get a soil test and look into help from the University Extension, and observe your area over the day…full sun plants don’t like part shade. I also agree you can start with less plants. Mulching will help prevent weeds. I agree it’s a good idea to categorize plants by season/bloom time so you have a variety blooming over the seasons.
I confess I’ve never amended the soil (unless shredded autumn leaves and broken down wood mulch counts) as I try to fit the plant to the location.
Here’s some more stuff I found. Sorry, it’s long!
Start here:
Central TX Gardener Plant Lists:
https://www.centraltexasgardener.org/category/plant-list/
Texas Super Star Plants, by TX A&M:
https://texassuperstar.com/texas-superstar-plants/
Liropipe and Nandina—
Avoid these, Nandina is invasive and both are hard to uproot.
Instead, try:
Muhly grass…Muhlenbergia lindheimeri
or Gulf Muhly Grass. Carex genus (sedges) like meadow sedge, (Carex perdentata)or Inland Sea Oats (Chasmanthium latifolium)
Wood Fern (Thelypteris kunthii) is native and will grow in shade.
Cyrtomium falcatum, known as Holly fern, Japanese holly fern…an evergreen fern that can be used as an alternative to the Buford Holly, will tolerate shade
Boxwood: Formal, requires pruning. You might want to try Rock Rose or a Hibiscus.
Hydrangea: Do these even grow well in TX?
Native Holly: yaupon (Ilex vomitoria), a small tree
or possumhaw (Ilex decidua) a large shrub
Day Lily: Avoid the species orange “ditch lilies”…the hybrid ones don’t seem to need as much dividing
Knockout Rose: On the Super Star list, but I’d look at the others too.
Native plants included:
Butterfly Gaura: Oenothera lindheimeri
Skullcap, Heart Leaf or Hoary: Scutellaria genus, integrifolia or ovata
Sage, Salvia Genus: Salvia greggii (Autumn Sage is native to TX, not Waco.) you can try Texas Sage, mealy blue Sage, Scarlet Sage, or Azure Sage— S. azurea, S. coccinea, S. farinacea or texana
Green Milkweed!: ASCLEPIAS VIRIDIS
Use native instead, if possible:
Texas Lantana – Lantana Horrida
Other good natives:
Black-Eyed Susan, Rudbeckia Hirta*
Wild Petunia, Ruellia Humils*
Blue or Side Oats Grama*
Narrow Leaf Coneflower, Echinacea Angustifolia*
Mexican Hat, Rudbeckia
Old Field Goldenrod, Solidago nemoralis
Spiderwort (Tradescantia)*
Little Bluestem*
* = I’ve grown these (or one like it) and had a good experience…these are all pretty easy to grow, and native to TX as well.
I’m no expert at all! But, since I moved to Florida from NY about 22 years ago, I was pretty lost with plants, and even the seasons down here. I am now determined to grow the RIGHT plants for my soil, seasons, and rainfall, and only non invasive as well as non-toxic to animals. I am watching programs from my local Garden club, Florida State, and any others I can find to learn more and get tips about plants. I’m sure you will find those there as well. I think the best advice I see you have here is to work with the soil first, and start slow and small. Everything we have ever planted in Florida grew twice the size we expected. Like a jungle…! DO pay attention to invasives. In Florida, Mexican Petunias are highly invasive, and after spending years trying to get rid of them…never again. Someone here recommended them…you have to research in your area for sure. I also saw Oleander…I think that one is very toxic…but I am not sure. Just really take your time, and you will soon advise all of us!
I have iris for two reasons. My grandmother had iris. My mother had iris. So I have iris. They are happy here is Texas, don’t require much water, don’t require much maintenance. However, the blooms don’t last nearly long enough. I like Nandina as it is easy to grow and had red berries on it which I guess the birds eat. I don’t have any Nandina so I don’t know. Boxwood is nice but it has to be trimmed back ever so often. I don’t have any Boxwood either, but I have had before. It is a shrub. No blooms, just little green leaves. Lantana is nice and usually grows along the ground. Several different colors of blooms. Day Lillies are nice and have lots of blooms. They come back every year. Holly had spiky leaves, has to be trimmed, doesn’t bloom so why plant it?? Butterfly bush attracts bees and butterflies. We plant Texas wildflowers in the flowerbeds and at the end of the garden. They last forever and are rather pretty. They go to seed, then are pulled up. That’s about it on my knowledge.
I think it is too hot for hostas here in Central Texas. They are lovely plants. Lillies do have to be split, but so do iris. I’d say, every 5 years. We have been here 8 and I have yet to split mine. Later
For now, I’ll just repost what I commented in January so you have the links and info here as well.
My top tips:
Go native where possible
Match the plant to the site conditions
If plants are happy, they will likely reseed.
Garden groups and native plants groups might be having sales now/soon, look into this.
——————————————————-
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!
I don’t have a green thumb but I’m here in Lake Travis and we are down to once a week watering. You might want to think about using some landscaping that doesn’t take a lot of water if Waco is having the same water issues as we are. One thing I did last year, was have river rock placed in all of my beds and I love it. I don’t have to have mulch spread every year ($$) and I have had no problem with the rocks retaining too much heat and hurting my plants. Happy planting!
There will be a lot of work to do. The most important are planning for drainage, testing and amending soil, and a watering system. After researching and deciding on plants follow my Grandmother’s advice, plant only in months ending in “R”. That allows for a strong root system to develop before the stress of your hot summers. Buy small plants then have patience. Remember year one to sow, two to grow, and three to show.
Kristi,
I can’t wait to add my post here. My husband very ill, but tomorrow I will post.
I only have one suggestion: get any trees planted as soon as possible. They take years to grow and fill out so the longer you wait to plant them, the longer it’ll take to see any results. (Although when I say as soon as possible, I don’t mean plant them in the Texan summer! Usually fall is recommended for tree planting)
I always find it helpful to start with the hardscape..if you want to include bolders and planters -get those in place in a way that is pleasing to your eye. then move on to the plantings.
I’d suggest getting in touch with your local master gardener organization, and taking a course first. A little knowledge in how to plant and grow successfully in your local environment will pay for itself.
I can’t forget that picture of your front yard under water. Don’t get too far in before you figure out drainage!
So many great informative comments here! I agree prep is super important. Please keep in mind as you get older it will be harder to keep up with the maintenance of such a large garden. I personally think you should eliminate any bushes that require a lot of trimming (boxwood)unless you have a landscaping crew to keep up with it. I also agree that your designer gave you too much variety and not enough of the ” three” rule. I would keep the front as low maintenance as possible so it will always look good. If daffodils are something you like, they will look great staggered in between the daylilies, as the foliage needs to die off in order to reproduce next year. The sprouting lilies will hide that. I personally like arborvitae as a great looking year round low maintenance option.
Here’s my advice:
Be careful with the word “invasive” as lots of people throw it around thinking it just means “vigorous/agressive” without knowing what it really means. Look stuff up to truly see if it’s invasive in your area.
Also, people telling you ‘native’ plants will be easier to care for. Well, maybe, but maybe not. Some native plants are quite hardy and take care of themselves, others are so specifically adapted that if they don’t get EXACTLY what they want, they’ll shrivel up and die (looking at you, native Spicebush!). There are many non-native plants that will outperform natives without being invasive. I say do your research and decide what your garden goals are.
Furthermore, I don’t live in Texas but we’re in similar zones, so I can tell you some stuff that’s doing well for me! If Nandina are invasive where you live, try out Abelia shrubs. They come in different cultivars and different sizes from dwarfs to huge, and bumblebees like the flowers! Also, in terms of bushes, Loropetalum does well for me.
I have a Bloodgood Japanese Maple and it’s doing great! If you want some quick shade, I strongly recommend the Paulownia elongata ‘Arctic’ as it’s sterile (unlike the invasive wild type counterpart). Same with Buddleia- be careful to get a sterile cultivar. If you get a Lantana, get one of the ‘Miss Huff’ varieties, as it’ll withstand winter better. Mine is doing great, and the butterflies love it!
As for the deep shade – don’t be discouraged! I recommend Autumn Ferns, Japanese Painted Ferns, Solomon’s Seal, Lungwort, Epimediums, Dragontail Fern, Clethra alnifolia, Hellebores, Chrysogonum, Bugloss, many dwarf Japanese Maples enjoy shade, too, and don’t forget Heuchera (look for heat tolerant varieties such as ‘Southern Comfort’). Anyway, you’ll want a good drip irrigation system, especially for the shade plants that like moisture.
Anyway, that’s all I can think of off the top of my head! Good luck!
This post was so interesting and the comments had great advice!
I am excited to chime in too because we bought our house in 2016 and have been planting more and more each year since then and loving it! I think you will too once you get bit by the gardening bug! I am in MN so I can’t contribute to what plants work best in TX but here is what I learned through 8 years of gardening mishaps 😉
1) Don’t plant too close together. We had a retaining wall with a long planting bed replaced after we bought the house. I filled it right up with shrubs (mostly spirea) which I planted too close together and it took 6 years for them to grow to be WAY too crowded. Last year I dug most of them up and moved them. I should have planted half as many initially!
2) Use mulch or ground cover between plants. Now that I have learned to space my plants out better, I need to cover the bare ground between them until they grow in, or weeds jump right in. I have some areas where I have planted ground covers, but I like using wood chips as mulch. Last year I got a free truckload of wood chips dropped off in my driveway from chipdrop.com. I had a great experience with that and the wood chips were excellent.. and most importantly free. I used them as mulch all throughout my garden and also started using them for a pathway. They also hold moisture in the soil which is another excellent benefit apart from weed control.
3) Plant plants you like. After I planted my retaining wall bed of 10-12 shrubs, I quickly realized I don’t even like these shrubs! While some shrub structure is nice, what I love are flowers and color. Last year when I dug out most of the shrubs I instead planted dahlias, zinnias, peonies, iris and many other flowers with the big beautiful blooms I love. It was gorgeous. I think when I first started out in the yard I didn’t know what plants I would be drawn to, but it only took a couple years before I definitely have my strong preferences. I think you will too in a very short time!
4) Soil and water. Others have talked about the importance of these already! I will just add that my watering system in the warm months is a complex 6 hose setup with multiple splitters, sprayers and 3 sprinklers to water various parts of my garden … It is not the best to say the least. My suggestion is that especially in Texas you may want to get a drip irrigation setup right away to avoid dragging 6 hoses around.
5) Plant the big structure plants and lay hardscape first. I couldn’t agree more with the person who said they got their trees in first as they could afford them. Us too! Having the tree or shrub in place in the bed gives you something to work off of for the smaller plants. In front of your house your ‘hardscape’ might be border edging, or some stepping stones through the garden bed, or a little path. It is so much easier to visualize what plants you want where with all that in place.
6) You will have pest pressure and plants will die and that is expected. I have deer and rabbits that love to eat my plants, so I can only plant certain plants like roses and lilies in fenced in protected areas… And even then they sometimes get eaten. You might not have those particular garden invaders but you will have some kind I expect! It is just a matter of trying plants out and seeing what survives and what gets eaten. Some plants might not like a spot because it is too sunny or too shady, but might thrive elsewhere in the yard. It is OK if not every plant makes it but after a few years you start to see what works and what doesn’t.
7) Window shop your neighborhood. I have gotten many ideas for what I want to grow based on looking at what my neighbors are growing as I walked my dog in the neighborhood. You can see what plants or design looks really appeal to you (or not!) and see what plants seem to thrive in your neighborhood. It really helps you determine what you like and don’t like!
8) Compost. I think setting up a compost bin early would come in handy – I love mine so much and getting the nice compost for my garden is so fun and also saves money.
And this is long enough now! Happy gardening! I really think you will enjoy it and I predict that your artistic nature and love of color will shine through in the plants you end up loving!
Hello! I found a few more resources for you.
Garden Design Coaching (Native)
—This is from Native Backyards.com. in the San Antonio area and she is a Texas Master Naturalist and she could provide you with some guidance, even if your plan is partially native. (You have some)
https://nativebackyards.com/garden-design-services/
Good shade plants for TX:
https://www.centraltexasgardener.org/resource/micks-shade-list/
https://www.centraltexasgardener.org/resource/made-for-the-shade-well-adapted-plants-for-shady-areas/
https://nativebackyards.com/texas-shade-plants/#best-central-texas-shade-plants
TX Native Plants (that are easy to find)
https://nativebackyards.com/native-texas-plants/
5 Reasons Nandina is a problem
(Confirmed—it is bad for pets!)
https://nativebackyards.com/5-reasons-you-dont-want-nandina-in-your-yard/
American Beautyberry
(Callicarpa Americana)
This is a sprawling shrub with cool magenta-purple berries, low-maintenance and it grows in shade.
https://nativebackyards.com/american-beautyberry/
Finally I’ve grown Inland Sea Oats and they are a grass that grows in the shade with decorative oat like seed heads and the birds like it.
Dwarf Yaupon Holly might be a good sub for the boxwood if you don’t want to prune it regularly.
As you are researching plants work on getting your beds prepared and edged before you start planting. And investigate the soil PH etc. in each bed. Certain plants like different pH levels. Put all this information in your binder.
I know you wish to start at the front of your house and studio, however fruit trees take years to start producing. Think about planting at least a few of those now.
TL;DR version of what I originally composed:
Winters. Are you willing to go outside and cover up sensitive plants during a frost or freeze?
Tree ties. Don’t anchor a tree to go straight; allowing the tree to move helps the roots dig deep for stability.
Bees. They’re your friends, including the aggressive ones. Embrace plants and flower options for our propagating friends. Highly popular in our Zone 7 garden: salvia, crepe myrtle, gardenia, clematis, silver pieris.
Leave the planting until the Fall when everything will be on sale. These clearance plants will then have all winter to get established and be beautiful next spring. Planting in the middle of summer is possible, but stresses the plant and the gardener.
When you get to the point of purchasing plants always start with the ones that grow near your foundation first. Start this row at least 2 feet from your house. If the plant says plant every 2 feet apart for example you will want your first plant to go 2 feet out from the house and 2 feet away left or right, hope this makes sense. Measure 2 feet from the center of your first plant in the ground and this will be where the next plant will go. I rarely mix in other types of soil just use plant tone in dug hole. I live in Georgia and all I have is clay. Gardening is fun and you will hopefully love it! Sometimes plants thrive and then die for no reason! Not like painting for sure!
I’ve had dwarf Burford hollies before and they weren’t dwarf at all! They required several trimmings during the growing season and easily get out of hand.
I don’t know if it’s the same thing in Texas but here in southern California since it’s so hot and dry in the summer the best planting season is in the fall around October. This gives the plants enough time to really get established before the heat of summer.
IMO, The best plants are the plants that thrive under little to no care. There is a saying that is true: “right plant right place”
I personally love to garden but also have a creek that runs through my property so I buy nothing that is fussy and need things like FERTILIZER. I like to do a big prune and cleanup in the spring and not have to be in the yard in Summer. I’m in Florida and besides mowing, I don’t like to be in the heat, I would imagine Texas to be similar.
Also, buy things small, let them grow. In 10 years you will have saved some money.
Make sure to take before and after pictures.
So happy to see so many comments about using native plants, and to avoid nandita, buddelia (butterfly bush) and “ditch lilies” because of invasiveness. I regularly consult https://www.invasiveplantatlas.org/ to determine what is an issue where I live. Some plants are fine where you are, while others are considered a weed in a different locale. Just depends on the location and plant.
Right plant, right place is the best strategy. You will use less water and other resources to keep your garden alive, as well as attract local-to-you pollinators and beneficial insects.
Do consider, if you are not fenced, that deer and rabbits will decimate hostas and many other plants on your current list.
One comment I haven’t seen yet about boxwoods…In PA, where I am there is a boxwood blight and every.single.one has gotten it. Once gotten, the plant is doomed.
Best wishes on your design. Can’t wait to see your final choices!