In the first article of this series, I showed you how to map the existing landscape features and lay of the land onto a series of plans. The second article shows how to develop a plant matrix or a chart of characteristics. Basically, the next step is to analyze the plans that you have and the list of plants.

Draw the house and other physical items into a new final plan(s) from your base map. The emphasis on final plan or plans means that this is the puzzle part of your landscape design. This is the part that you take the information you have collected and match the plants with the site. Take a small section of your landscape such as a backyard corner. Add in the tree locations. Then add the shrub locations. Finally, add the flower locations. Its easy to think of the landscape out doors as extended rooms of your home. When building your landscape, the trees become the walls and ceiling. The various sizes of furniture and flowers and lawn as the colorful carpet.

After making these determinations, pull out your Climatic Map. Examine the backyard corner for sun exposure, wind exposure and available watering. Is it a low area that water sets for a long time? Then examine each separate tree, shrub and flower location based on sun exposure, soil type or water requirements. For example for your first tree location ask these questions. Will the species of tree survive at this location based on full sun or shade conditions? Will the tree receive enough water from natural runoff or will periodic watering be required. Then ask the same questions based on mature growth size. Are there overhead wires? These types of questions will cause you to look back and forth from you plant matrix and the notes you made on the climatic map.

When marking plant locations on your final plan, try to make sure you are keeping in mind the mature growth of plants. Such as, you can plant under the canopy of trees. Shrub and flower locations will determined by the width of the plant. Keep in mind the new plant you place out may take several years before it achieves mature size. Flowering perennials may grow faster than expected and thinning will be required.

The conservative use of water in the landscape or Xeriscape principles should be kept in mind to not only save water but money and work. When planning flower beds make sure to group plants of similar water use together. Such as, the flowers near a water spigot could be moderate water use flowers where you water once a week or less. Maybe at the far edges of the landscape the flower beds would have low water use plants so that they are watered once a month by natural rain. This will save on labor of dragging a water hose out to water these areas. The lawn is considered the high water use zone and requires at least watering once a week. The water use on this area can be lowered by limiting or reducing the size of the lawn or using varieties of grass that use less water. Trees can reduce water use by shade and wind protection.

Going through this process you will find that the plant of your first choice may not be the last. This is why it is important to have plenty of alternative plants. After your final plan(s) is completed, stake out the plant locations in the spring and check measurements, and no doubt you make still make changes. Using a water hose to mark the edges of the planting bed is helpful to visualize the plan. Then before planting, call the one locate number, call 1-800-795-0555 or your local specific utility and they can help locate below ground utilities.

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