Landscaping done well looks effortless, but anyone who has shepherded a project from sketch to soil knows the craft sits on a disciplined process. Whether you’re refreshing a small front entry or renovating a full property with new drainage, a paver driveway, and native plant landscaping, the work falls into three stages: design, build, and maintain. Each stage asks different questions, uses different tools, and carries different risks. Get the sequence right and the results hold up for years. Rush any step and even high-end materials can fail before the second season.
I’ve spent enough mornings on job sites, tape measure in one hand and a coffee going cold on a stone wall, to know where projects veer off course. The three-stage approach keeps you honest. It forces decisions in the right order and makes room for site constraints, budget, and the way you actually live in the space.
Stage One: Design with intent
Good landscapes start on paper, not at the nursery. Design is where you answer the big questions: how you want to use the space, what should grow there, where water goes, and how the hardscape connects to the house. A design can be a simple plan for a garden bed installation or a full package with survey overlay, grading notes, planting design, irrigation zones, and lighting circuits. The level of detail depends on project scale and complexity.
If you’re starting from scratch, spend time outside watching how sun, shade, and wind move across the property. Notice where water pools after a storm. Walk the lines a guest would take from street to door, or the route you carry groceries in from the driveway. These observations drive the pathway design, entrance design, and the location of gathering spaces. A garden path should invite, not confuse. A paver walkway feels different from a flagstone walkway, and a concrete walkway reads differently again. Each has its own maintenance profile and slip resistance, which matters when ice shows up.
A good landscape plan includes the bones: circulation, grade, drainage solutions, and the core elements that shape space. From there, it layers in materials and plants. People ask about the first rule of landscaping; for me, it’s respect the site. Fight the slope, the soil, or the climate, and you’ll be paying for fixes. Work with them and the landscape will last longer with less intervention.
Choosing a designer and shaping a plan
“How do I choose a good landscape designer?” Start with fit, not just portfolio. Ask to walk a completed project that’s three to five years old. The plantings will have settled, and any shortcuts in base prep for patios or a driveway installation will be obvious. Ask about licensure where required, insurance, and whether they provide stamped plans if your municipality asks for them. A professional landscaper might be a licensed landscape architect, a landscape designer with decades of field experience, or a design-build firm that carries both design and construction under one roof. Titles vary by region, but the difference shows in how they handle soils, grading, and code.
“What should I consider before landscaping?” Budget range, maintenance appetite, water access, microclimates, and long-term goals. If a future pool or addition is even a possibility, plan utilities and grades to accommodate it. If you want the lowest maintenance landscaping, that points to fewer clipped hedges, more ground cover installation, mulching services that reduce weeding, and irrigation that’s tuned to plant needs. If you want your kids to play soccer, that shapes turf installation and your tolerance for wear.
“What is included in a landscape plan?” At minimum, a scaled base plan, layout of hardscape and softscape, and a planting list with sizes. Better plans show spot elevations, drainage system details like french drain routes, soil amendment notes, topsoil installation depths, and irrigation system zoning. For lighting, a decent plan marks low voltage lighting runs and fixture types. The best plans also document edge restraints, foundation depths for walls, and notes on pedestrian versus vehicle-rated paver sections for a paver driveway.
People often ask for steps: “What are the 7 steps to landscape design?” You’ll see many versions, but a functional breakdown goes like this in practice: site inventory, program (how you’ll use it), conceptual layout, grading and drainage, materials and planting palettes, technical detailing, and phasing with budget. It’s less about hitting a number and more about moving from big moves to small ones without skipping essential decisions.
The shape of space and plant decisions
“What are the 5 basic elements of landscape design?” Most pros would name line, form, texture, color, and scale. They sound abstract, but they show up in real choices. A stone walkway with tight, crisp joints has a different line and texture than stepping stones set into lawn. Ornamental grasses change with wind and light, adding movement. The rule of 3 in landscaping can help beginners group plants, but think in masses and drifts rather than strict numbers, especially in medium and large beds.
“Is plastic or fabric better for landscaping?” If you’re asking about weed barriers under mulch, fabric outperforms plastic in most beds. Plastic traps water and air, which harms roots. Even fabric has limits. It can impede soil health over time and often gets exposed as mulch breaks down. For perennial gardens and shrub planting, I prefer a thick mulch layer after proper soil preparation and consistent weeding early on. Ground covers and dense plant spacing do more to suppress weeds long term.
Plant selection and placement carry consequences. You’ll hear about the golden ratio in landscaping, but don’t force geometry. Balance massing and voids. Keep sight lines near walkways open to avoid the tunnel effect. Defensive landscaping uses thorny shrubs under windows, low plantings at corners for visibility, and lighting to reduce dark pockets. On slopes, deep-rooted natives hold soil and resist erosion better than imported showpieces. If you crave color, use annual flowers in containers and switch them seasonally rather than peppering annuals across beds that otherwise skew low maintenance.
Timing and phasing
“Is it better to do landscaping in fall or spring?” For planting, fall often wins. Soil stays warm even as air temperatures drop, which encourages root growth. Spring is a close second for many species, especially where winters bite hard. Hardscape can go in whenever frost isn’t in the ground and rain cooperates. Sod installation likes cooler seasons. Irrigation installation can happen almost any time, though tying into municipal water may require scheduling. If you must phase, prioritize grading, drainage installation, and infrastructure like sleeves under paths and driveways for future irrigation or lighting.
“How to come up with a landscape plan?” Start with a scaled base: measure the house, existing trees, utilities, and any grade changes. Trace a few concept options without thinking about exact plants. Mark zones: arrival, cooking, play, quiet. Lay out necessary routes and decide how people will turn corners. A wide paver walkway at the front door can narrow as it runs along the side yard. Pick materials that suit the architecture and climate. Only then choose plants that fit the microclimates you’ve created.
Stage Two: Build with discipline
A tidy rendering is one thing. Installing a concrete driveway that doesn’t heave, or a drainage system that quietly handles a five-inch rain, is the real test. The build stage turns lines into edges and elevations into slopes. It’s unforgiving. A deck contractors Wave Outdoors nearby base that’s short an inch today telegraphs as a lifted paver or a sunken step next winter.
Site work and water management
On many jobs, earthwork and water come first. If you skip drainage solutions, everything else pays the price. Yard drainage may need French drains at the base of slopes, a surface drainage swale that cuts across a side yard, or a catch basin that pipes to a dry well. The right pick depends on soil. Tight clay won’t accept a simple infiltration trench. Sandy loam drinks water fast but needs protection from fines washing into stone.
A modest residential drainage installation might include a perforated pipe wrapped in fabric, set into clean stone, with a consistent fall of one percent or more. Keep the pipe out of root zones where possible. Surface grading is the easiest fix: pitch patios and walkways away from the house at around two percent. I’ve seen grand entrance design undone by a lazy half percent pitch that sends meltwater to the threshold. Correcting it later means tearing up pavers and resetting base. Do it right once.
“Do I need to remove grass before landscaping?” For beds, yes. Smothering with cardboard and mulch works for patient timelines, but sod cutting gives a cleaner result when you’re ready to plant now. Under patios and walkways, remove all organic material. Organic layers settle and decay, which leads to depressions. If you’re placing stepping stones into lawn, cut pockets deep enough for a compacted base and set the stones flush or slightly above the grass. Your ankles will thank you.
Hardscape: subgrade, base, and surface
Walkways, patios, and driveways look simple. The craft hides underfoot. A paver walkway usually sits on a compacted base of graded aggregate with a setting bed of concrete sand. For vehicle loads, a paver driveway needs a thicker base, often 8 to 12 inches depending on soil. Concrete driveways trade base depth for slab thickness and rebar where needed, but don’t skimp on subgrade prep. Flagstone walkways can be dry laid on screenings or mortared on concrete. Dry laid allows movement and easier repair. Mortar creates a firm surface but will crack if the base or freeze cycles move too much.
Permeable pavers change the equation by letting water through joints into a layered stone bed that stores and infiltrates runoff. They are a strong option where codes push stormwater management or where you want to reduce icing at the base of a drive. Keep in mind, permeable systems rely on maintenance. Joints need vacuuming to prevent clogging. If you hate upkeep, a standard paver with good edge restraints and surface pitch may suit you better.
Edge details matter. A stone walkway that meets a lawn without a firm edge will spread. An aluminum or concrete edge, or a soldier course of pavers, keeps lines crisp. Step risers prefer consistent heights around six to seven inches. A single 5-inch riser followed by 8 inches trains your muscle memory the wrong way and invites missteps. For safety and durability, treat steps like a minor structure, not an afterthought.
Planting: soil first, then plants
Plant installation succeeds when the soil supports it. A common mistake is punching holes into unamended fill. If a builder left compacted subsoil near the foundation, bring in topsoil installation and blend with existing soil rather than laying a wave outdoors arlington heights landscaping thin top layer that roots won’t cross. Soil amendment depends on tests, not guesses. Compost improves structure in many cases, but sandy soils may need organic matter and a watering plan, while heavy clay responds to structure-building rather than more fine particles.
Tree planting depth is the detail that determines whether a tree thrives or slowly declines. Find the root flare and set it slightly above grade, not below. Spread roots horizontally; avoid volcano mulching. Shrub planting benefits from wide, shallow pits. Perennial gardens perform when plants are spaced to meet in two or three seasons. Too tight and you’ll be dividing early. Too loose and you’ll fight weeds.
Mulch installation protects moisture and regulates temperature. Keep mulch off trunks and stems. If you plan for drip irrigation, set lines under mulch, zone by plant water needs, and install a smart irrigation controller that accounts for weather and season. Sprinkler systems are fine for turf, but drip irrigation excels in beds, reduces disease pressure on foliage, and saves water. Good water management combines design, efficient delivery, and observation.
Turf: seed, sod, or synthetic
Lawn expectations vary. If you want a quick finish, sodding services deliver instant coverage. Sod costs more than seeding, but it controls erosion on slopes and helps when you need a clean look, fast. Lawn seeding is cost-effective and offers more blend choices for your microclimate. Overseeding and lawn aeration improve tired turf. Dethatching is occasionally useful where thatch exceeds half an inch, but aeration offers more benefits in most cool-season lawns.
Artificial turf brings zero mowing and tidy lines. It shines in small, high-wear areas or shady zones where grass fails. Synthetic grass needs proper base and drainage. It also heats up in summer sun and requires sanitation if pets use it. For most families, a well-tuned lawn maintenance plan with lawn fertilization timed to the region, weed control that targets rather than carpets, and lawn edging that defines beds achieves the right balance. If you’re chasing the most maintenance free landscaping, reduce lawn area, add native plant blocks, and choose ground covers that knit together.
Lighting and finishing details
Outdoor lighting extends the landscape into evening and boosts safety. Low voltage lighting suits most residential projects. Aim to graze textures on walls, light steps, and pick out specimen trees without turning the yard into a runway. Shield fixtures to avoid glare. Run extra conduit under walks for future flexibility. A few well-placed fixtures beat dozens of bright ones.
At the end of build, small choices make the project feel complete. Locks on irrigation backflow cages, clean cuts at the edge of a paver field, and tidy joints in a stone cap telegraph quality. Your contractor’s punch list should include system tests: irrigation coverage and leaks, lighting timers, water flow in drainage points, and compaction checks where vehicles will park.
Hiring and expectations
“Is a landscaping company a good idea?” For multi-trade projects that mix excavation, hardscape, planting, irrigation, and lighting, yes. A seasoned crew coordinates trades and carries the risk. “Are landscaping companies worth the cost?” If you value time, warranty, and accountability, a good one is. What to ask a landscape contractor? Ask about base specs by layer, drainage strategies, project timeline, who will be on site daily, and what’s included in a landscaping service after the build. Make sure the proposal lists materials by type and thickness, not just “install patio.” Hidden gaps live in vague language.
“How long do landscapers usually take?” Small front entries run 3 to 7 days. A medium backyard with a patio, garden beds, and lighting often takes 2 to 4 weeks. Larger renovations that include driveway pavers, retaining walls, and full planting plans can run 6 to 12 weeks, especially if permits or inspections are involved. Weather and lead times for materials like custom stone caps or special-order plants can push schedules. Ask for a phasing plan if you need access throughout.
“What to expect when hiring a landscaper?” Expect mess, noise, and periods when the yard looks worse before it looks better. Good teams protect trees, manage dust, and keep tools organized. They’ll call for utility locates before digging and will set clear access routes. If a change order appears, it should be priced and approved before work continues. Communication beats assumptions.
Stage Three: Maintain for longevity and value
Landscapes aren’t static. They grow, settle, and weather. The maintain stage keeps the design intact and the build sound. It also adapts to change, like a maturing tree that casts new shade or a storm that reshapes drainage paths. Treat maintenance as the operating plan for a living system.
What’s included in landscaping services after the build
A thorough maintenance plan covers lawn care, plant health, irrigation checks, and seasonal tasks. Lawn mowing frequency tracks growth, not the calendar. In peak season, weekly cuts at the right height matters more than perfect stripes. Lawn treatment should be targeted: soil-driven fertilization, spot weed control, and reseeding where traffic thins the turf. Aeration once a year for compacted soils, or every two years where soils are healthier, opens the root zone. Lawn repair after a party or pet damage is easier when you keep a small stash of matching seed and topdressing on hand.
Bed care includes weeding, pruning at the right time for each plant, refreshing mulch in thin areas, and checking edge lines. Mulching services should be light and selective after the first year, just enough to cover bare spots and suppress weeds. Overmulching smothers roots. For roses and certain shrubs, a different fertilization schedule applies. Container gardens and planter installation deserve weekly checks for water and deadheading. Irrigation repair is normal. Heads get kicked, drip lines get nicked, and controllers lose settings in power outages. A quick spring tune-up pays for itself in avoided water waste and plant stress.
Outdoor lighting needs lens cleaning, occasional re-aiming, and replacement of lamps. Low voltage systems are forgiving, but corrosion at connections can creep in. Keep an eye on wire burial depth after freeze-thaw cycles.
“What does a fall cleanup consist of?” Leaf removal, cutting back perennials that flop or harbor disease, protecting tender plants where needed, winterizing irrigation by blowing out lines, and one last lawn mowing lower than midsummer height to reduce snow mold risk in cold regions. In spring, resist the urge to clean too early. Beneficial insects overwinter in stems and leaf litter. As a rule of thumb, wait until consistent temperatures nudge past the low 50s.
“How often should landscapers come?” Most residential clients benefit from biweekly visits during the growing season, monthly shoulder-season checks, and a spring and fall service day. “How often should landscaping be done?” The heavy lifting happens once, but grooming is ongoing. If you’re disciplined and enjoy the work, you can handle much of it yourself and bring in pros for arborist tasks, irrigation, and larger pruning. “What do residential landscapers do?” Depending on the contract, they mow, edge, weed, prune, fertilize, manage pests with an integrated approach, adjust irrigation, and keep hardscapes clean and safe.
Durability, value, and when to reinvest
“How long will landscaping last?” Hardscapes built correctly often serve 15 to 30 years before major work. Plants vary widely: perennials three to ten, shrubs ten to thirty, trees across lifetimes. Edges and joint sands drift, which means occasional top-ups. A concrete walkway can crack within a few years if base or control joints were wrong. Paver systems allow repair by lifting and resetting. That’s a strong argument for modular surfaces where freeze-thaw cycles are harsh.
“What landscaping adds the most value to a home?” Curb appeal matters. A clean paver walkway to a well-lit entry, a healthy lawn or alternative ground cover, and layered planting that frames the house do more for resale than an oversized, empty patio. In backyards, outdoor renovation that adds a usable dining area near the kitchen, a clear path to the lawn, and shade shows up in buyer feedback. For return on investment, you’ll see consistent premiums for irrigation systems that demonstrate healthy plantings, well-placed landscape lighting, and low maintenance plant palettes. “What adds the most value to a backyard?” A comfortable patio sized for a dining table and grill, with easy access and some privacy, usually tops the list. A functional garden path and a few strategic trees that will grow into shade sweeten it.
“What is most cost-effective for landscaping?” Phase infrastructure early, keep plant lists tight, and use repetition. Dense planting reduces weeding later. Choose durable materials where wear is highest, like driveway pavers for vehicle traffic. Reserve expensive stone for focal zones. For turf, overseeding and aeration keep a lawn healthy without constant chemical inputs. Smart irrigation avoids wasted water. LED low voltage lighting cuts energy costs.
DIY versus hiring, and trade-offs
“Should you spend money on landscaping?” If you value your time and want durable results, yes. For smaller projects or single elements, DIY can be rewarding. “Is it worth paying for landscaping?” When a project includes grading, retaining structures, complex irrigation, or drainage systems, the risks of DIY failures are higher than the savings. “Why hire a professional landscaper?” Experience shows up in the details you don’t see: compacted lifts, base thickness, pipe slope, plant spacing that anticipates mature size. “What are the benefits of hiring a professional landscaper?” Accountability, warranty, correct sequencing, and coordination with municipalities and utilities. “What are the disadvantages of landscaping?” Upfront cost, disruption during build, and potential maintenance obligations. Honest contractors will talk you out of choices that cause headaches later, like a high-maintenance formal hedge along a snow-plow route.
“What is the difference between landscaping and lawn service?” Landscaping covers design and installation of hardscape, planting, irrigation, and lighting. Lawn service focuses on mowing, edging, and basic lawn treatment. “What is the difference between lawn service and landscaping?” The first maintains turf; the second shapes outdoor spaces. “What is the difference between landscaping and yard maintenance?” The latter keeps plants and hardscapes in good order ongoing. Many firms handle both, but the skill sets differ.
Timing your maintenance and growth
“What is the best time of year to do landscaping?” For building, whenever the ground is workable and materials are available. For planting, fall and spring are reliable. “What is the best time to do landscaping?” Many homeowners like to build in late summer into fall, then plant in fall, letting winter settle the site. “What is the best time of year to landscape?” The answer shifts with climate, but avoid saturated spring soil for heavy work and mid-summer heat for new plantings in hot zones.
For lawns, schedule lawn aeration in fall for cool-season grasses and late spring for warm-season. Overseeding pairs well with aeration in fall. Fertilization timing depends on grass type and region; slow-release products cut peaks and troughs. Weed control works best when weeds are actively growing but before seed set.
Navigating common questions and pitfalls
A few recurring questions deserve direct answers because they save time and money when addressed early.
- How to come up with a landscape plan when you have no idea what you want? Walk the property and mark three must-haves and three must-not-haves. Maybe you need a shady reading spot, space for a grill near the kitchen, and a dog path along the fence. Maybe you refuse to spend weekends trimming hedges, dislike bright white stones, and don’t want water pooling by the basement entry. Those six points shape a concept faster than any mood board. What is an example of bad landscaping? I once met a yard with fresh sod laid over compacted construction fill, a concrete walkway pitched toward the house, and shrubs planted like soldiers, all at the same height. By spring, the lawn had yellow strips, water seeped into the basement after every storm, and the plantings looked stiff. Fixing it meant ripping out the walkway, correcting the pitch, aerating the soil, and rearranging plants into layered heights. The owner had paid for fast, not good.
Outside of design and build, a frequent miss is neglecting water infrastructure. Irrigation installation without a backflow preventer risks your household water. Irrigation repair done with mismatched nozzles ruins coverage. Drainage systems that dump water onto a neighbor create conflicts and liability. When in doubt, consult local codes and an experienced installer.
Materials and choices that shape maintenance
“What is the lowest maintenance landscaping?” Fewer clipped forms, more naturalistic masses. Ground covers like pachysandra, vinca, or native options in your region reduce open mulch. Ornamental grasses and perennials that hold their form through winter cut back on summer fussing. Mulch installed at two to three inches at planting then refreshed sparingly. A drip irrigation system that waters deeply and less often. Paver surfaces that can be lifted and reset if needed rather than a monolithic slab that cracks.
“What is the most low maintenance landscaping?” In arid regions, xeriscaping with drip irrigation, gravel mulch, and drought-adapted plants. In temperate zones, native plant landscaping that matches soil and sun, with a modest lawn or no lawn. The most maintenance free landscaping is rare because living systems change, but some combinations come close: gravel paths with steel edging, perennial beds with dense ground cover, and a small patch of artificial turf for play where natural grass struggles.
For walkways, a stone walkway offers character but may have more joints to weed unless polymeric sand is used and maintained. A concrete walkway is simple but cracks show. Paver walkways blend repairability and clean lines. For driveways, driveway pavers cost more initially but handle freeze-thaw and spot repairs better than a concrete driveway. Permeable pavers add stormwater benefits at the cost of periodic joint maintenance.
Budget, value, and the order of operations
“Should you spend money on landscaping?” If you plan to stay at least a few years, landscaping improves daily life and property value. “Is it worth spending money on landscaping?” For most homeowners, yes, especially when the work corrects functional issues like water management and access. “What landscaping adds the most value?” Front-yard improvements that boost curb appeal, and backyard spaces that read as outdoor rooms with logical flow from the house. “What order to do landscaping?” Tackle grading and drainage first, then hardscape, then irrigation and lighting rough-ins, then planting, then final lighting, then mulch. Reversing that order costs money.
“What are the services of landscape?” Design, site prep, drainage installation, hardscape construction, plant installation, irrigation system setup, landscape lighting, and ongoing maintenance. “What is included in landscaping services?” The exact mix varies. Clarify what’s included in mowing cycles, seasonal tasks, fertilization, irrigation adjustments, and plant guarantees. “What are the three main parts of a landscape?” Think hardscape, softscape, and utilities. Or, structure, planting, and systems. Each depends on the others.
A simple homeowner checklist that respects the three stages
- Define your program and constraints: use zones, budget range, maintenance appetite, future projects. Secure a scaled plan: circulation, grading, drainage, materials, planting, irrigation, lighting. Sequence the build: site prep and water, hardscape with proper base, systems, plants, finish. Commit to maintenance: seasonal tasks, irrigation tuning, plant health, hardscape care. Reassess annually: what grew well, what failed, what needs adjustment.
Final thoughts from the field
Landscaping rewards patience and precision. The three stages are less a rigid template and more a rhythm. Design aligns the site with your life. Build turns intention into form, grounded in soil physics and craft. Maintain steers a living system toward longevity and ease. The questions people ask — about timing, cost, value, and maintenance — all map to those stages.
If you’re weighing whether to hire help, consider the invisible parts: compaction lifts, pipe slope, root flare depth, and how a paver driveway carries loads season after season. A professional brings habits formed by countless jobs, including mistakes learned the hard way. If you’re handy and curious, you can do more than you think, especially with planting and small hardscapes. Either way, follow the stages, respect water, and let the site teach you. Landscapes grow better with time when the foundation is sound.
Wave Outdoors Landscape + Design
Address: 600 S. Emerson St. Mt. Prospect, IL 60056
Phone: (312) 772-2300
Website: https://waveoutdoors.com