Landscape design and installation turns a site plan into planted beds, trees, shrubs and hardscape suited to your yard's sun, soil and drainage. In Metro Atlanta, a good plan accounts for heavy clay, slopes and mature shade. Fall is generally the best time to plant trees and shrubs, and design work can happen year-round.
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A good landscape plan starts with the site, not the plant catalog. Before anything goes in the ground, a designer or installer should look at how sun moves across the yard, where water flows after a storm, what the soil is like, and how you actually use the space. In Metro Atlanta, that usually means planning around heavy clay, mature shade trees, and slopes.
What a design and installation project usually includes
- Site visit and conversation. Your goals, budget, maintenance tolerance, and any problem areas such as bare spots, erosion, or wet corners.
- Plan or sketch. This can range from a simple marked-up photo to a scaled drawing with a plant list. Ask what is included before you agree.
- Soil preparation. Removing old turf or weeds, loosening compacted clay, and adding organic matter to planting beds based on a soil test.
- Hardscape and drainage first. Walls, walkways, and drainage work typically go in before plants so they aren't trampled.
- Planting and mulching. Trees and shrubs set at the right depth, beds mulched, and new plants watered in.
- Establishment watering. New plantings need regular watering through their first growing season, even drought-tolerant ones.
Plant choices that work in Atlanta
The Atlanta area falls mostly in USDA hardiness zones 7b and 8a, with hot, humid summers and occasional hard freezes. Plants that handle both, and that tolerate clay once established, tend to do best. Native plants such as oakleaf hydrangea, Virginia sweetspire, inkberry holly, and native azaleas are well suited to many Atlanta yards. UGA Cooperative Extension publishes plant selection guides for Georgia landscapes and is a good, non-commercial place to check a proposed plant list.
Right plant, right place
- Check mature size. Many foundation shrubs outgrow the space in a few years and end up sheared into boxes.
- Match sun needs. "Full sun" generally means six or more hours of direct sun a day.
- Group plants with similar water needs so irrigation can be zoned efficiently.
- Avoid planting large trees under power lines or close to the house and septic field.
Timing
In Georgia, fall is generally considered the best time to plant trees and shrubs, because roots can grow through the cool months before summer heat arrives. Spring planting works too, but plants will need more careful watering through their first summer. Design work can happen any time of year, so winter is a good season to plan and get on a company's schedule.
Questions to ask a landscape company
- Is design included, or is it a separate fee?
- Do you guarantee plants, and for how long? What voids the guarantee?
- Who handles watering during establishment?
- Can you show me photos of similar projects and provide references?
- Can you provide a certificate of insurance?
When you're ready, request a landscaping company and describe the area you want to change.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a landscape architect or a landscape designer?
For most residential planting and bed projects, a landscape designer or design-build landscaping company is typical. Licensed landscape architects are more often involved in complex grading, large hardscape, commercial work, or projects that need sealed drawings for permits.
How much does landscape installation cost in Atlanta?
It varies widely with the size of the area, plant sizes, soil prep, and any hardscape or drainage work. Get written, itemized estimates from more than one company and compare plant sizes, quantities and guarantees, not just totals.
What are good low-maintenance plants for Atlanta yards?
Many native and well-adapted shrubs, such as oakleaf hydrangea, Virginia sweetspire and inkberry holly, handle Atlanta's heat and clay once established. UGA Cooperative Extension publishes plant selection guides for Georgia landscapes.