Landscaping Order of Installation
In this blog we’ll talk about the planning and details of landscaping work to ensure an efficient installation plan that can save you time, money and hassle!
It is important, when planning and organizing your landscaping work to arrange the different tasks should have a properly sequenced installation plan. A thoroughly planned design is key to efficient completion of works and can save you thousands of dollars. This guide will explain the ideal order for landscaping works, however please remember that every case is different so this guide is not an absolute.
Access & Movement of Materials
Consideration must be given to access. If you are accessing the backyard through the front, it is ideal to work from the rear forwards so as not to damage completed works delivering materials or completing messy tasks.
You will save thousands of dollars if the installers can access the backyard with equipment. If they have to wheelbarrow materials from the front to the back your labor costs will skyrocket. Many homeowners can temporarily remove a fence panel to help with access.
It all starts with limiting how many times materials are handled. By limiting movement, we mean the planning of deliveries like gravel, hardscaping materials, loam, etc. Have a plan where these materials can be placed or stored where you can work with them, or around them.
If you are having things delivered when you are not home, clearly mark out an “X” where you want them dropped. You can also lay out a tarp for the products. You will have to make sure the person organizing the delivery trucks is clear on your instructions.
Make sure your address is clear, or you gave a house description that can't be confused with any other nearby property. This is especially true in new construction areas where multiple landscape projects are on the go with houses that aren't clearly marked with a number yet.
Installers have to go too:
Do you have a place for the contractors to “relieve” themselves (i.e., a Porta Potty if you don’t want them in your house)?
Planning and Budgeting
There is no point going ahead with a job you cannot afford – nor is it a good idea to let your budget force you to compromise your plans to the point of dissatisfaction. Prioritize your wants/needs list. GardenGirl can help you figure out ways to have it all just not all at once. Sure, an outdoor kitchen would be great but do you first need privacy to ensure the entire neighborhood is not watching your family cookout? Are there some items that you would be willing to install over a five-year period such as a jacuzzi, pavilion, outdoor lighting, etc.?
Earthworks
Before you do ANYTHING please call 811 dig. Take pictures and mark the areas with flags/sticks where the utilities are marked.
Major earthworks are generally the starting point for most landscaping jobs such as excavating, installing underlay piping, grading, electrical lines
Walls and Bordering
Walls and borders outline the shape of the garden and define the different areas. Please note any retaining wall 4’ or higher requires permitting.
Paving or Other Hard Surfaces
Please do your hardscaping projects before you set out any plants. These projects usually involve construction, which can compact your soil or damage turf and plantings, so it’s important to complete any heavy work before plantings begin.
Hardscaping may include a porch, sidewalk, driveway, parking areas, decks, fencing, patios, covered areas, fire pits, etc. The level of these is usually determined by the house if they are adjacent to it, or previously constructed walls or steps.
Garden Beds and Planting
At this stage it is ideal to do the soil prep and the planting, this may require numerous journeys over the future lawn area which best done before the lawn is installed. Please do NOT use cheap “fill dirt” which is full of random waste and no nutrients. You are about to INVEST in your nursery stock. You wouldn’t bring home your new baby and have it sleep in a cardboard box.
For all you plant parents please calculate your length x width on all your new planting beds and divide by 162 (or use online calculator). Please add 2” deep COMPOST to your new beds and work them in. GardenGirl buys her compost from Bailey’s located in the fertile fields in the Snohomish valley. Topsoils NW also sells a 3-way topsoil, Bailey’s and delivers. Loose, fertile soil will encourage root growth on new plantings and allow them to become established quickly. Clearly define your turf and bed lines. First use a garden hose to lay out your bed lines then use a spray paint such as Krylon Marking Chalk to temporarily mark the garden bed lines. Or if you have a large bag of flour that can also work to mark beds.
There are 100’s of guides on planting. The most basic rules to follow for nursery stock (there are exceptions) are as follows:
Mix up entire planting bed first to ensure your compost is mixed in well. Work backwards so you are not continually stomping over the areas you just mixed in as we don’t want to compact the soil.
Arrange your plants first! Space them out beginning at the back of the border. If you are planting 5 foot on center (5’ o.c) that means you place your plant and then walk 5 feet and place the next. Rinse and repeat. Remember wherever the trunk/stem is the plant will grow out on either side. If a plant spreads 10’ – it will spread 5’ on either side of the trunk.
Once you have them arranged sleep on it – make final adjustments the next day. If you have placed a tree within 10’ ft of your house that has a spread of 30’ please move it - that is unless you enjoy cleaning out gutters, constant pruning and enjoy repairing costly foundation issues.
Dig your hole to the depth of the existing container the nursery stock came in or the size of the root ball + 6”. Then dig the hole 2x as wide as the root ball. Most plant roots grow OUT vs. DOWN.
Place your beloved new plant in the hole and make sure the top of the root ball is just under the surface ensuring no roots are showing. Do NOT place soil around the trunk like it’s a turtleneck- think V-necks here. We do not want root rot!
Give each plant a thorough soaking from the base of the plant at soil level. Please do not water plants from overhead as this can invite various fungal diseases.
The forgotten side yards
Side yards are often long narrow strips that can be a great location to house your utilitarian needs. From garbage cans, firewood, storage sheds often work well tucked into your side yard. Also, this can be a great place for a dog run + kennel. You’ll probably need a walkway on at least one side of your house so you can easily navigate from the front of the house to the backyard. Please do not block off access to your backyard as you never know when you might need a to fit a piece of equipment or store your father in laws boat.
Irrigation
Before lawns and gardens are installed it is always wise to install the irrigation system, both for efficiency of the job and to give your plants and lawn the best chance of survival. Garden beds ALWAYS receive drip irrigation (not spray) to reduce root rot, evaporation, conservation and your water bill. Spray sprinkler heads are fine for your lawn. Read our in-depth blog series about garden irrigation including terminology, system recommendations, self installation instruction, and all of Garden Girl’s pro irrigation tips and tricks here.
Mulch
Mulch is best laid after planting to avoid mixing it in with the soil. Mixing mulch with the soil is detrimental to the health of the plants especially if you are applying cedar chips which can rob the soil of Nitrogen. For the first couple years please consider using a black fine bark. Garden Girl would rather spend an extra $250.00 on mulch that is 2-3” thick each growing season then continually trying to keep on top of all the weeding. This also offsets costs to both nature and your wallet on using chemical controls.
Lawn
Your lawn is best seen as the finishing touch and the final task in any given area. Since it is important to prepare the soil so it is level it is best to do the whole job in one go. Once installed it is best not walked on by anyone, (especially dogs or kids who are inclined to run) for at least a month to give its roots a chance to sink into the soil.
The best time to seed a lawn is in the fall and this is the most inexpensive method.
You could either lay your own turf or have it installed
Decide if you would like to get out of being the designated “lawn mower person” in the family and opt for the much-improved artificial turf that is safe for children and pets.
Finishing Touches
Now is the time to let your personality shine. You’ve just spent your budget on the above items and yet it’s missing that one item that represents your personality. Maybe you love kayaking so you incorporate an old-school canoe or paddles mounted onto your fence. Love to bicycle? GardenGirl has mounted various bicycle wheels into an art installation in a client’s backyard.
If you are thinking “I don’t know what it takes to make my personality shine” then study up on installing low voltage landscape lighting. In the pacific NW solar lights will only last a few years and then start to diminish. At least then you can have your favorite beverage while walking through your up lit garden at night.
A final note:
Garden Girl has been gardening for over 30 years. While she does have a degree in both psychology and garden design and has worked in a nursery most of her horticulture knowledge has come experimentation with all its glorious triumphs and devastating losses. Making mistakes is part of gardening and not every plant will make it as we are contending with mother nature and a warming planet. The steps above will save you time, money and resources. They are designed with YOU in mind; the young family in first home, the middle-aged couple looking to downsize and/or simplify, the single person who wants to do more than pull a weed on weekends, the introverts that prefer the company of a book and a bird or the extroverts who like a large gathering with outdoor speakers, food, lights and dancing action! Design is specific to the people who occupy the space and what works for one does not work for all.
