Tips for Landscaping
These seven basic steps will help your landscape fit your lifestyle and maintain healthy plants.

Create a master landscape plan. Include existing structures, shrubs, and street. Your plan will help you install or modify your landscape in phases, reducing initial expenses. In the planning stage, decide how zones of the landscape will be used. Group plants with similar watering needs together.

Compost and cultivate. Clay soil absorbs water so slowly that the water runs off the surface very quickly. Adding an organic amendment such as compost helps clay soil absorb and retain water.

Consider grass and ground cover. Use turf where it is practical and functional. Grass can require more water, maintenance and nutrients than most other plants. One inch of water, once a week, is just right for most lawns. Water twice a week only during a heat wave. Ground covers, low-water-using plants, and mulches are good choices where there is little foot traffic. Steep slopes, sharp angles, and narrow driveway or sidewalk strips are ideal places for groundcover. Established ground cover reduces weeds and prevents slope erosion. Hardscape is another option. Use rock, concrete, or wood for paths, patios, and other areas of interest.

Remember that every plant has its place. Different plants require different amounts of water and sunlight. They also need compatible soil conditions to survive. Group plants according to their needs.