Backyard Landscaping Plant Selection Question/Help w/ pics

If the drawings are somewhat to scale, you have WAY too many trees planned. You could probably cut it back to two trees....one in the back corner and the other near the house as you already have drawn. Just be mindful of the mature size of the trees you select. You don't want to plant something that will grow too big (especially by your house).

There are numerous shrubs to choose from. Just make good selections based off of light conditions in your back yard.

Good luck!

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you have WAY too many trees planned

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This.

ETA: It would be worth it to hire a landscape designer/architect if you don't have any experience. What you have in your model looks to be super simple though....although the layout of pavers and the pie shaped landscape area w/ a single tree looks awkward.

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Is it worth hiring a landscape designer or horticulturalist to assist with this? Does anyone have any recommendations for one or recommendations on anything else?

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I hired a licensed landscape architect to draw a landscaping plan for when re-doing my landscape and it was worth every penny I paid, so you should at least consider this. This was about 7 years or so ago, and I paid $400, it was a family friend, but I told him to charge me his going rate and I was in no hurry - he could do it anytime business was slow for him. Now whether he did charge his going rate or not at the time I can’t say but he told me what it would cost upfront. I did all the work, building beds, purchasing plants, planting, etc.

All I can say is you are making a significant long-term investment in this in $, time and effort, even as a DYI project. Landscaping done right is an appreciating asset, get it it right the first time - it will save $, aggravation in the long run.

do you have a plot plan that is accurate and in accordance to all your structures you are showing?

I do residential drawings on the side if you're interested.

Basic backyard perimeter planting like you have on your plan are typically something like an Eagleston Holly with Cast Iron lining the fence underneath. If you want something flowering go with some azaleas (George Tabor) or Shi Shi Camellia. I think you might want something flowering up by the patio that could get a higher canopy. Maybe go with a Natchez Crape Myrtle, Vitex, Forest Pansy Redbud, Jap Magnolia or something. They do drop some debris but its a nice accent.

Your layout is ok, but as Zappas said, there are some funky things going on that don't mesh.

We started from scratch and it was definitely difficult for my wife and I to settle on a layout with a blank slate. We’ve done everything ourselves and with a lot of help from my dad and brother in law.





This is basically where we are now.


The plan is to have a little seating area where the kids house is (the part of the patio that gets afternoon shade), the walkway going through the middle, and and a table and umbrella for the rear area. We also just planted some star jasmine to run along the bottom boards of the house so we don’t see under the house.


We were sick of grass not growing on the sides and it was getting beat up in front of the shed so we went with gravel. Plus, less for me to mow and edge. Hopefully a medium to large shade tree will go in that pie part to eventually provide afternoon shade to the back half of the patio.


We reused some pavers down that whole walkway. Need to order a bit more gravel to this area and a couple other low spots. Also ran conduit ahead of time from both here and the shed to the house for electric. Still need to get down to the that part of the todo list