Planning

Landscape design is a problem solving, step-by-step process that includes, but is not limited to, project research and analysis, development of plans and diagrams for functional and aesthetic use of plant materials, design implementation and construction, and landscape maintenance. Any landscaping project must first start with a plan; one that takes into consideration your needs, the limitations and obstacles of the site, and the resources that you have available. Site conditions need to be evaluated and matched with the planned landscape goals and desired plant characteristics.

Walk over the proposed planting site to determine the location of power, gas or phone lines, septic leach fields, sidewalks, structures, etc. These features should be noted so that plants do not conflict with utilities, structures or other land uses. Some of these features may not be apparent from walking over the site. A few will have to be researched by talking to neighbors, checking city and county records, etc. To locate underground utilities contact the National Line Locator at 888-258-0808.

Steps to Planning

1. Consider family interests and needs. List the outdoor activities and interests of your family members, including pets.
    
2. Analyze site . Understand the resources, especially soil texture, depth, pH, and stability.
    
3. Develop and evaluate alternatives. Visualize an initial landscape design that meets your objectives. Consider each of the following when formulating your conceptual plan:
   Site: What’s the soil type? How much water exists?
   Plants: Are the plants you’ve visualized adapted to the site?
   Function: Do the plants meet your objectives for shade, as a screen or as an accent?
    
4. Establish budget and timetable. Will all the landscaping be put in place at one time or will it progress in phases over several years? How much will be spent and when?
    
5. Implement plan. Prepare site, add amendments, purchase plants and seed, and plan for their timely planting. Protect the soil from erosion during construction activities.
    
6. Solve problems identified in the site analysis. For example, adding amendments such as compost can improve soil drainage and lower the pH. Mulches can conserve water and protect soil surfaces from erosion.
    
7. Save or remove existing landscaping. All desirable vegetation should complement future plantings. All unwanted vegetation should be entirely removed, either mechanically or chemically. If it looks like a weed, it probably is a weed. Prior to reestablishment of plant cover, weeds should be identified and controlled.
    
8. Monitor and maintain landscape. Check plants for pest damage, weed competition, soil moisture, etc.

Site Inventory and Assessment

Planning and design begins with a thorough site inventory and assessment of the following factors:

Current and Historic Land Use

How has the property been used or altered in the past? Is it forested hills, an irrigated valley bottom, dryland pasture, native rangeland, or along a stream or permanent wetland? Are there other signs of former tillage activity? What level of clean up will be necessary? These are important considerations before entering the next landscape phases: design, site preparation, plant selection.

Vegetative Inventory

Native species evolved to perpetuate themselves in harmony with their environment. Furthermore, plants have established niches within diverse plant communities. These time-tested relationships should be re-created as closely as possible for successful native landscaping. Look around and see what plants are already growing on the site or a similar site nearby. Consider why a particular plant might be located there. Does it grow there as part of a natural plant community? Was it planted, or introduced by humans? Was it planted by nature, i.e. wind, water, animals? Try to identify the plants and determine if they are annual or perennial.

A weed is any unwanted plant growing on the site. Weeds should be properly identified and controlled prior to planting. Chemical, biological, mechanical, or hand-weeding are all viable options.

Soil

Soil plays an extremely important role in a plant’s ability to adapt and survive on a site. Plan to salvage topsoil prior to any construction disturbance to secure a desirable plant growth media. Soil testing is advisable to deter-mine the following soil attributes.

Texture. Soil texture is the relative percentage of sand, silt, and clay particles. A loam soil is ideal for plant growth. It is made up of equal parts of sand, silt, and clay.

Physical/Chemical. Physically, an ideal garden soil consists of 50 percent solids, 25 percent water, and 25 percent air by volume. The solid portion includes soil, rock and organic matter. The soil organic matter serves as a valuable nutrient source, assists with water retention and infiltration, and promotes root growth through aeration. Chemically, the pH measures the acidity or alkalinity of the soil. Plants have preferences for certain pH levels. In the northern Great Plains and Rocky Mountains most soils are alkaline. Soil salinity and sodicity is a measure of the amount of calcium, magnesium, and sodium salts. High salinity or sodicity is not conducive to healthy plant growth. Salts desiccate plants and can become toxic to many plant species.

Erodibility. Highly erodible soils, particularly those on steep slopes, need to be protected from wind and water erosion during site preparation and plant establishment. Moisture levels are difficult to maintain on slopes, as water runs off, rather than into the soil. This problem can be reduced with mulch. In windy areas, blowing soil is a problem that is reduced with strategically placed plant material.

Climate

Across the northern Great Plains and Rocky Mountains regions, extreme variability and unpredictability in climate is normal. Native plant community adaptation depends primarily on the extremes of temperature and precipitation.

USDA Winter Hardiness Zones (WHZ). This map categorizes areas by average annual minimum temperature and should be used to determine plant species adaptation. (See Winter Hardiness Zone map.)

Elevation/Topography/Aspect/Hydrologic Regime/Landform & Landscape Position. These elements influence the length of the growing season, number of frost-free days, wind, sunlight, snow cover, soil depth, and other factors. Local effects of landscape position and microclimates around structures can modify growing conditions. Riparian areas, wetlands, and subirrrigated sites offer unique opportunities for plant diversity.

Precipitation. Seasonal precipitation and timing dictate water availability—a meaningful element when establishing plants and maintaining them during the active growing season.

Wind. High wind speed exposes plants to moisture desiccation. Warm chinook winds can falsely lure trees and shrubs into breaking bud, making them vulnerable to winterkill. Winter-hardy plants must be selected to avoid damage.

This information is also available for downloading as Chapter 2 of the publication, Creating Native Landscapes in the Northern Great Plains and Rocky Mountains. This document requires Adobe Acrobat.

Planning (PDF; 4.4 MB)

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