Anyone have any good resources for landscape design?

I'm redoing my back yard. Had 7 huge red tips that I cut down yesterday and I'm excited about picking out new plants and having a new look in the back yard. That said, there are so many beautiful plants and it can be a little overwhelming when you go to a nursery.

Any advice when it comes to picking out your landscaping?

https://texags.com/forums/61/topics/2843541

My advise is always try to get native or plants that will thrive in your zone, and go for drought tolerant plants. Never know when you are going to be on water restrictions and best to buy plants that can survive.

Drive around neighborhoods and look at different designs and styles. Take pics in a non-creeper fashoon if you need ideas. if you can take a pic comfortably, write down a brief description and how it is planted (in Direct soil, raised bed, planter,) and describe any unique characteristics. (Flower color, vine or trunk, leaf color/shape). Get to know a local nursery and spend a lot of time there. In my experience these people love sharing knowledge and if you go in with a book of questions/ideas, they will be very helpful.

A variety of color is what I prefer and get plants of varying heights to give depth to your beds.

Other things to consider are if you have pets to make sure plants you select are not toxic to pets, if you like humming birds and bees, get lots of stuff that flowers. Other plants are naturally aromatic and help repel pests (rosemary, etc)

I recommend shredded cedar for mulch, and go thick. Cedar is very aromatic, and naturally a pest repellant. Lay it thick and buy quality mulch and you don't really need an underlayment weed barrier. The few weeds that do pop up are easily pulled and/or a quick shot of round up will take them out.

Good luck.

Oh my gosh right there on the first page. Oops! Thanks so much for the advise!

If you are in Dallas and maybe around the Lake Highlands area, go talk with the folks at Brumley Gardens. They came out and did an entire redesign of our front for free. We aren't green thumbs and the architect gave us size and species to buy, where to plant and all "maintenance free" and native. Great folks. Will call them against when we do the backyard next year.