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Hello, we are finishing up our new house and need some help with the front yard. Right now we had them just seed it with grass, but in the long-term we would like minimal grass and natives/wildlife landscaping (we're in the Southeast). I am wanting to develop a plan that we can add to over the next couple of years but am not sure where to start without it looking incomplete. I will try to post a few better pictures later. Thanks in advance!

do nothing other than cut the grass for the first year or so
In hat time have a good look at what is growing in other yards in your area,
Take lots of photos of your yard from the same place early morning midday & late afternoon to get a feel for the amount of sun / shade and direcion of sunlight so you don't end up planting some thing that shades out a goodly portion of the yard in winter when sun angles are low.
When you decide to do something, do it all in one hit .
Do not plant a border hedge of anything but if you want then do a clump of one shrub then an overlapping clump of another.
Your house is not symeterical so do not plant a symeterical garden which will look out of place with the house behind it

Thank You ! bertsmobile1

So glad I live in the countryside where I don't have to please my neighbors but some subdivision have rules as to what is allowed planting wise. Some even boss you about everything.

The only thing I see many new homeowners do is to plant trees under utilities lines without thinking of the long term impact of having them butchered by the utilities tree trimmers. If you wish to plant under these utilities plant low growing types like Dogwoods so they dont get aggressively trimmed.

One other thing got to be taken in the planting is if you have septic system where roots of trees and shrubs can clog the field lines. Some trees do have aggressive root systems.

But personally I plant what I like but I am in the countryside. I did have all the Bradford under the electric/cable lines (30 of them) removed when I first moved here as they were already getting into the lines. I have since replanted using low growing flowering trees.

>> We built about 6 years ago. My wife announced she wanted minimal lawn and the rest in natural areas. We ended up with tiny areas at the front and rear steps with "lawn" and the rest in what most would call "pine islands". But it's reversed. The grass is what is the "island", while the natural areas fill the remainder. Furthermore, the grassed areas are not rectangular, but fancy kidney-shaped with curved edges. I thought she had lost it, but it's really gorgeous. And because there are no corners, it's really easy to cut. Mowing is reduced to simply walking around and around. There is no stopping or backing up as there would be in a traditional rectangular plot of grass.

To minimize maintenance in the non-lawn areas, she laid down pasteboard (flattened shipping boxes) and then puts down pine straw or wood chips over that. In this way the areas at the edge of the forested areas that would normally be growing briers, blackberry thorns and other trashy volunteers simply do not grow anything. It also eliminates the need for herbicides and poisons in trying to control types of "brush" common in border areas. Amazon Prime sends us all these landscaping control boxes about twice a week for FREE, and there's always a nice gift inside too !! Pine straw and wood chips also lasts longer since it's not touching dirt. The boxes last about 5 years, at which time we simply cover the old with another layer of pasteboard and pine straw. Autumn leaves are blown off the small grassed areas onto the mulched areas using the mower, by simply starting in the center of the grassed areas. The yard and border areas look perfectly manicured all year round, except that we do less yard work than ever. The overall effect is that it looks as if a lawn care team spends 3 days a week in our yard, when in truth we have never had a pro on the property.

>> You'll want to check the "grass" that your lawn guy put down. In the SE, Fescue grass is planted in the Fall because July heat will burn it up. A better lawn choice might be Centipede, which should be planted in Spring. Once started, Centipede spreads by itself and needs zero fertilizers and other chemical treatments through the year. IOW, less expensive to maintain. The only encouragement it needs is to be cut short, which makes it want to spread. We are in a colder area, and so we planted a cold-tolerant centipede called TifBlair.

>> We have slowly weeded out all the wild cherry trees and other native trash trees. In their place we have about 20 different types of conifers, the most prevalent being Red Cedar. This has 2 HUGE benefits: 1) Year round privacy. 2) Cedars send their roots deep. This keeps tree roots out of our septic system. If you have a septic tank, then you must cut back trees like maples... OR keep the septic maintenance guy on a retainer.

Hope this helps.

PS.
Beautiful home you have there !

I like your house project, unusual. I chose the same type of house project for myself in https://www.boutiquehomeplans.com/farm-house-plans and slightly adjusted the house's layout. In general, I have already had time to deal with the problems of what will heat the home? How to deliver water? Will the house be energy efficient? I was explained that the project must contain an engineering part, which reflects the location of the boiler room, distribution of communications, ventilation system. Also, the choice of technology is directly related to the construction budget. But the house project itself seriously affects it: the more complex configuration, shape of the roof, internal layout, the more expensive it.

I would fertilize it in about 5 weeks then just overseed the bare spots as needed. Keep it mowed at about 3 1/2 inches. You will have a nice yard for next year.

FYI: Dogwood trees are understory trees. That means they have to be partially shaded. Dogwood trees cannot handle full sun.
You are in the southeast so, Wax Myrtle are excellent native shrub.

Even if you use a different material for a garden bed border, adding rocks or stones breaks up the profile for an understated natural accent. In many cases, front yard landscaping ideas with rocks can serve an important function, too, like making a rock spillway for your rain gutters that will keep an area from getting too muddy. By simply upgrading or refreshing the border on your flower beds, it will change the whole look of the plants and features already there. There are also enough places online to find house plans with cost to build, so all you have to do is make the best choice.

Natosha Jacobs said:

Hello, we are finishing up our new house and need some help with the front yard. Right now we had them just seed it with grass, but in the long-term we would like minimal grass and natives/wildlife landscaping (we're in the Southeast). I am wanting to develop a plan that we can add to over the next couple of years but am not sure where to start without it looking incomplete. I will try to post a few better pictures later. Thanks in advance!


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Notasha, I'm about 30 miles South of Atlanta, here's a few of my favorites that do well in this part of the country.
Crepe Myrtle

Limelight Hydrangea

TigerLilies






Daylilies
At one time there were over 500 varities of these in my yard.






Sweet Shurbs are a native favorite (these came from my Grandfather's farm)

And no Southern yard is complete with a few Azales



Hope this gives you some ideas, Cheers, Ray

It would be best if you waited until boarding. At first, it is necessary to check the condition of the soil, its features, study the plan of the sewerage and electrical network. All this is very important when planting plants if you want to create a beautiful garden for many years. You can also ask your neighbors what blooms well in this region. From my experience, I can say, choose low shrubs with a calm root system. In the new house that we took on a mortgage after consulting with Mortgage Advisor Newcastle, we initially planted a few fir trees and then regretted it. Their needles are constantly crumbling; the root system pulls everything out of the soil.

I may have some general ideas - I do agree with the above, that checking out neighbor's landscaping, and particularly plant choice, can be very helpful. You will want to pay attention to where the sun is now as it plays across your property during the day, and what you may be doing to create shade in the future.

Research Crepe Myrtles, there are many varieties. Some are tall and be 'tree form' ,others are more large-bush like. Many colrs avaiable and some have near-black leaves! Some may have issues with powdery mildew but it often isn't serious. Liriope (spicata is shorter than muscari) and maybe Ajuga(in shadier spots) could be something to look at for 'lawn alternatives' . both could be considered hardy in most conditions, but that may mean they are too invasive for some plantings?

missouribotanical.org is a site I like for researching plants, you might also like to check out davesgarden.com .

It would be nice to know from you which roof repair company is the best?

You do have a wonderful home! I dream of moving to live closer to nature, and I hope that dream will come true soon. I want to finish everything in my house, and I will be working with a landscaper on such issues. You, too, I advise contacting such a specialist, because the view from the window you have to look often, and he should always make you happy. As for roof repair companies, I can confidently say that Trojan Roofing is the top Indianapolis roof company for you. Their speed and quality of work are top-notch, I can guarantee it.

Send some soil tests off to WayPoint labs in Memphis. Find out what the top 8 - 10" are like and start amending it now to make up any minerals that are missing. Then when you get ready to plant you'll have better soil. It is only like $20 - $25 a soil test. I use a long soil probe to pull cores than remove the top inch since it may skew the results. When it comes to plants, some of the local junior colleges may have low cost or free classes in designing your landscape. We are in a different part of the USA but we choose plants that flower a lot so that humming birds, bees, and butterflies frequent our areas compared to most neighbors.

Natosha Jacobs said:

Hello, we are finishing up our new house and need some help with the front yard. Right now we had them just seed it with grass, but in the long-term we would like minimal grass and natives/wildlife landscaping (we're in the Southeast). I am wanting to develop a plan that we can add to over the next couple of years but am not sure where to start without it looking incomplete. I will try to post a few better pictures later. Thanks in advance!


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you have such a beautiful house.

Hello there! I'd highly recommend you hire a team of specialists. Tbh, I'm not a pro in this field, but I'm currently building my new house, and I've hired these guys https://jscustomlandscaping.com to do the landscaping for me. Next month the house will be finished. So, I'm really excited to see what they've done. That's why the only option I'd highly recommend to you is hiring a company that would do landscaping instead of you. If you want to DIY, I could also recommend you look for some reasonable decisions on Pinterest. Anyway, a year has passed, so I hope you've already come up with something great. Keep us updated!

Front yard landscaping can be a fun and rewarding project. Consider starting with a clear plan that matches your style and the climate in your area. Plant some colorful flowers, shrubs, and maybe even a small tree to add some greenery and curb appeal. It's a great way to make your new home feel even more inviting.

By the way, if you ever plan on enhancing your new house's value even further by exploring mortgage options, you might want to consider connecting with a professional Mortgage Broker in Cheltenham. They can provide you with valuable insights and guidance tailored to your unique situation.