Planting Plans

The Low Water Front Yard

These homeowners wanted to turn their blank slate into a low-water, low-maintenance front yard. They also wanted to support the bees and use some natives. They are super star DIYers and installed it themselves, including water-friendly drip irrigation system and seeded the lawn with a species that is more drought-tolerant. After discussing a few options, the focal point tree they went with is the Fringe Tree (Chionanthus virginicus), a fantastic native. See before and after photos.

The Overlook

For this project, two adirondack chairs look out over an acre of steeply sloped natural area. The retaining wall and sit spot were already done and the client wanted a planting plan for year-round interest. Daphne starts the show in late winter with fragrance and bloom, followed by the native Ribes and on to Rhododendron. Summer is ushered in with two types of Hydrangeas, which also provide brilliant fall color. Winter is lit up by the Red Twig Dogwoods and the structure of some dwarf conifers. This garden is very low maintenance once established.

Restoring the Privacy

These homeowners had to take down a massive Sequoia, which left a huge hole and a lot of eye contact with neighbors! Part of the decision making and discussion was based around what plants they could get large (and affordable) so it wouldn't take 10 years to fill in. We went with a beautiful evergreen Magnolia - the early Spring blooms just an added bonus. The shed location was not negotiable so we went with arborvitae and a fantastic Camellia to hide the shed (and neighbors yards) year-round. The client is fantastic with pots, so I was sure to add them in areas that can be enjoyed from the patio.

The All-in-one Front Yard

This client requested edible beds, lawn for kids to play, and super fun plants. Plus cost-friendly to boot. It was a treat to put all of these requests together like a jigsaw puzzle. I reused many materials and plants that were already existing and took advantage of the mature evergreens so they felt like an asset instead of a burden.

Planting Plans: Projects