Landscape design 101: A complete guide to landscaping your yard
By Nicki Escudero•Last updated Jun 22, 2023
Last updated Jun 22, 2023
Table of Contents
- What is landscaping?
- Components of landscape design
- What are the 7 principles of landscape design?
- 5 landscape design tips for beginners
- Common landscaping mistakes to avoid
- Popular and unique landscaping ideas
- How much does landscape design cost?
- When to DIY vs. hire a pro to landscape your yard
- Who to hire to landscape your yard
- Landscape design services near you
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This guide was reviewed by landscape designer Bret Douglas of
If this is your first time owning a yard, you're probably wondering what landscaping features you should add. But before you start hiring professionals to design your backyard or front yard, it's important to understand the basics of landscape design. After all, your landscaping choices can influence everything from your mood to your home’s curb appeal and resale value.
Keep reading to learn more about landscape design, how much it costs and what features to consider.
What is landscaping?
Landscaping refers to the act of making a landscape design a reality. Planning a landscape design requires careful consideration, including changes to the terrain and the addition of plants and other decorative elements.
For example, landscaping could mean adding a garden and hardscape elements to an existing green space. It could also involve completely changing the plant life in an outdoor space, such as replacing non-native species with xeriscaping and more native plants.
Landscape design is the art of strategically arranging elements in an outdoor space to enhance its beauty and functionality. It's also a science. A good landscape designer analyzes the existing environment and modifies it to make the space both attractive and practical.
During the landscape design process, a professional landscaper takes into account how different materials complement or work against each other. They create a solution that's cost-effective and aligned with the client's goals.
Components of landscape design
When it comes to landscape and garden design, landscapers often incorporate several components and styles into yards:
- Softscape. Sometimes called soft landscaping, softscape elements are the living parts of your yard. This includes grass, flowers, trees, shrubs, soil and more.
- Hardscape. Hardscape refers to the man-made, non-natural elements in a yard. This often includes fire pits, patios, decks, pathways, lighting, retaining walls, water features and more.
- Xeriscape. This type of landscape design involves creating a yard with plants that need little water and irrigation. Drought-tolerant plants are often used when xeriscaping a yard.
- Zeroscape. Unlike xeriscape, zeroscape is a landscape design that doesn't have any plants. Instead, the yard contains gravel, dirt and/or sand. It's a low-maintenance design that can save you money if you don't mind a plain yard.
What are the 7 principles of landscape design?
According to the Colorado State University Master Gardener program, there are seven main principles of landscape design. They are interconnected and work together to create beautiful, practical outdoor environments:
- Unity. Unity brings all elements of a space together. An initial storyline, or aesthetic idea, inspires the components of the landscape design. All of these must work well together to create an effective landscape.
- Scale. Scale relates to the comparative value of certain elements to others. For example, the size of the trees compared with the house influences scale. Likewise, more items in one space will look busier than fewer items in a similarly sized space.
- Balance. Balance refers to the equilibrium of the right and left sides. An informal balance where the sides differ can make a space feel more relaxing or lively. A formal balance where the sides perfectly match can make a space feel more formal or elegant.
- Simplicity. Simplicity uses repetition to create unity. It can also mean keeping spaces uncluttered to foster serenity.
- Variety. Variety adds contrast amid repetition, preventing monotony by introducing different colors, forms and textures to a space.
- Emphasis. Emphasis involves adding a focal point of dominance among subordinate elements. For example, it might mean adding a large tree among many short shrubs.
- Sequence. Sequence refers to the flow or change in form, size, color or texture. It helps give a yard a sense of movement.
To successfully achieve these principles, landscape designers use multiple tools.
- Lines: Lines can define a space and create the appearance of outdoor zones or rooms.
- Form: Form refers to three-dimensional mass, such as trees, shrubs, plants and other foliage.
- Texture: Texture refers to the sizes, shapes, spacing, colors, gloss and dullness of plants and leaves.
- Color: Color has a powerful effect on the environment. It can create or enhance mood and feeling. Different colors tend to spark different moods.
5 landscape design tips for beginners
If you're interested in working on your home's landscape and need landscape design ideas to get started, use the following tips to guide you.
1. Choose colors that evoke a chosen mood
Think about how you want to feel when you look at your front yard or backyard landscaping. Different colors prompt various psychological responses. For example, Colorado State University reports the following hues are associated with specific feelings.
- Red: passion, courage, motivation, power
- Yellow: joy, optimism, happiness
- Blue: serenity, calm, reflection
- Green: nature, growth, harmony
- Orange: enthusiasm, exuberance, playfulness
- Purple: intuition, spirituality, royalty
- White: purity, grace, innocence
- Pink: uplifting, love, sweetness
2. Follow the 90/10 rule to create a relaxing space
Public spaces such as high-traffic gardens often feature bright flowers to draw people in. However, a home's landscape should be designed to create a tranquil and relaxing atmosphere.
To prevent your landscape from feeling too overwhelming, use the 90/10 rule. Feature 90% green space with 10% color to maintain harmony.
3. Create interest with contrasting plants
You can create visual interest with plants in many ways, even when they're all the same color. For interesting combinations, pair opposites, such as:
- Small/large
- Fine/coarse
- Short/tall
- Round/upright
You can also use color contrast to add instant interest. Consider mixing and matching plants or flowers in different colors.
4. Go gradual with sequence
Stark changes in sequence, such as a sudden shift from tall to short, disrupt the flow and balance of a landscape. To create a pleasing sequence, make changes in color, texture, size and form gradually. For example:
- Create a sequence with texture: Start with coarser and larger plants in the back. Sequence to finer-textured and smaller plants toward the front.
- Create a sequence with size: Start with a small number of larger plants. Then gradually work outward or around those with larger numbers of smaller plants.
- Create a sequence with color: Use darker shades sparingly to create a focal point. Then add lighter-shaded plants in increasing numbers with progressively lighter plants.
Returning to the principles of landscape design, start with simplicity and gradually add variety. When you want your space to feel more relaxing than busy, less is more.
5. Use your storyline as a guide
Whenever you need inspiration or feel stuck in landscape design, refer back to your storyline. What do you want to achieve with your landscape?
For example, you might want your backyard to feel peaceful and tranquil. That will help you choose colors, decide how many elements to include and organize your space. For example, you may want to create a comfortable outdoor living room with Adirondack chairs, an outdoor fireplace or soft landscape lighting.
If you want to host lots of backyard parties, you probably want to make movement and gathering easier. Consider adding a patio, outdoor furniture, pathways and various points of interest that encourage wandering throughout the space.
A landscaper can use your storyline to make recommendations for how to design a space and which elements to include.
Common landscaping mistakes to avoid
Landscape design can go in an undesirable direction without a clear strategy. Using the main principles of landscape design as a guide, try to avoid common mistakes such as:
- Overusing repetition
- Overloading a space with too many elements
- Introducing elements that don't improve a space or add a positive impact
- Adding too many points of emphasis
- Using elements that create abrupt sequencing
Again, go back to your storyline as a guide. Then work on achieving all seven design principles using line, color, form and texture.
Popular and unique landscaping ideas
Check out our library of landscape design ideas to help you create an outdoor space you'll love:
How much does landscape design cost?
The cost to hire professional landscaping services varies greatly depending on several factors. These include:
- Features and elements you want. Installing large, complicated features like a deck, patio, retaining wall or pool may cost thousands of dollars. Choosing a simple design with grass, gravel and a few plants will likely cost less.
- Size of your yard. The smaller your yard, the less you'll likely spend on materials and labor.
- Time of year. If many homeowners in your area are landscaping their yards, the cost of services may increase. Try to schedule a large landscape design project in the off-season or when professionals are offering lower rates or discounts.
For a better idea of how much you should budget, check out our guide, How much does landscaping cost?
When to DIY vs. hire a pro to landscape your yard
You may want to design your landscape on your own. However, you'll save time and energy by hiring a professional.
Not sure which route to take? Here are some questions to ask:
- How quickly do I want the project completed? If you need to boost your home's resale value before you put it on the market soon, consider hiring a professional.
- How much expertise do I have? If you're new to landscape design, gardening and using tools, you might face a steeper learning curve.
- Do the landscaping tasks involve hazards? If you'll need to work from heights, perform electrical work or do construction tasks, skip DIY and hire a pro.
- How intense is the project? If you're adding a little greenery or a few flowers, you can consult an expert at a nursery for tips and plant them yourself. But if you're completely redoing a yard, hire a landscape designer.
Who to hire to landscape your yard
Different landscape experts may have different titles and areas of expertise. When researching professionals in your area, here's an idea of what pros with various titles do.
What do landscapers do?
Landscapers are professionals who help maintain your existing landscape. They know the best practices for executing groundskeeping duties. They ensure greenery and other elements in outdoor spaces look great and continue to flourish in their environments.
What do landscape architects do?
Landscape architects plan and design new landscape areas and strategize how to renovate existing areas. They have design expertise that follows the seven principles of landscape design to create the most aesthetically pleasing and functional spaces.
They have a state-issued license and engineering knowledge. They may also have other environmental expertise that allows them to carry out large public and commercial projects.
What do contractors do?
The term "landscape contractor" refers to any professional hired to complete a landscape project. Landscape contractors could include architects, landscape designers and other landscape professionals.
The term "contractor" sometimes has a more specific meaning. It can refer to landscape construction. This means a landscape contractor has the license to build hardscape features such as paths and patios.
Landscape contractors may also refer to the professionals who do the physical labor of renovating or creating new outdoor spaces. This may include electrical work and tasks like building walls.
What is the difference between a landscape designer and a landscape architect?
The main difference between landscape architects and designers is credentials and licensure.
Landscape architects gain knowledge in areas such as engineering and code enforcement. They should have a state-issued license. They typically need at least a bachelor's degree from a program approved by the Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board.
Landscape designers typically work on smaller projects, such as residential homes. They know how to enhance the design and function of space but may have more limited formal training and credentials.
Pro tip: No matter which type of professional you hire to design your landscape, make sure they're licensed, bonded and insured.
Landscape design services near you
Ready to start your landscape design project? Thumbtack can help.
Our extensive network of landscape professionals is available to work on whatever your home needs. For example, start searching for:
Download the Thumbtack app to find a landscape professional today.
A note about project costs included or linked in this article: Figures represent national average cost estimates using data provided by Thumbtack pros and additional research. These figures are provided for educational purposes only and are subject to change at any time due to various factors. Details about your specific project and local rates can impact costs.
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