Learn how to create a waterwise landscape plan for your home- expert design tips and tricks to create landscapes that are Lush with LESS!

1. LANDSCAPE DESIGN FOR
UTAH
Cynthia Bee, BLA

2. Class Topics
 What is a “waterwise” landscape
 How to Develop a Plot Plan
 Pre-Design Analysis
 Identifying Existing Landscape Issues
 Creating a Landscape Design
 Phasing for Re-Developed Landscapes

3. “Zero-scape”
FAIL! But
almost
succeeded.
--Gray BAD
color choice
-- Lack of
green on
ground
plane.
Former
Kraftmaid
Cabinets,
West Jordan

4. “DIY Blogger House”- SLC Parade of Homes
2012
Landscape Design: Cynthia Bee, Conservation Garden Park Installation: Aposhian
Landscaping

5. Professional Landscape Plan
A Plan
doesn’t need
to be this
FANCY to be
FUNCTIONA
L!
Don’t be
intimidated,
jump in and
get ‘er done!

6. How to create a base map for your
landscape project the EASIEST way
possible!
How to Develop a Plot Plan

7. Plot Plan Base Map
 Tools:
 Plot plan from builder or City Building Dept.
 100’ tape measure
 Rolling tape measure
 Google Maps- “My Maps” feature.

8. Google Maps- Base Map
Scale
Draw a line
feature will
measure lines
to scale

9. Google “Classic My Maps”
This Line is
37.59 feet

10. How to draw to scale
Scale means that one measurement
is substituted with another equally but
smaller. Scale for plans is based of a
measurement of 1 inch.
1 inch is equal to x number of feet

11. Graph Paper is Your Friend
Graph paper is an easy way to
draw to scale for homeowners.
1. 1. Count the number of
squares wide and tall for your
graph paper. This one is 34
squares wide x 38 squares
long.
2. 2. Figure out the width and
length of your yard. This yard
is 102 feet wide by 111 feet
long.
3. 3. Divide it by the squares to
find the closest scale.
4. Scale: 1 square = 3 Photo Credit: How Stuff Works

12. Basic Plot Plan
Design
starts with a
scaled ‘Plot
Plan’ that
includes the
dimensions
of all
relevant
objects on
the property.

13. Site Analysis
 Orientation
 Site Conditions
 Soils
 Sun
 Wind
 Slopes
 Drainage
 Views

14. Needs Assessment
Site Concerns:
 End of day sun on back
patio- too hot/bright.
 Back of house is hot in the
afternoon.
 Low spot in front yard/
drainage problems.
Use Concerns:
 Patio is inadequate for
family.
 Lack of storage.
 Social space to connect
with neighbors in front
yard.

15. Consider Maintenance
 How much time are you REALLY interested in
spending maintaining your yard?
 Are you morally adverse to using pesticides
and/or herbicides? Have you researched the
alternatives?
 Do you have children or pets which may cause
damage to lawns, plantings and/or art?
 Do you spend long periods of time away from
home?
 How much time are you REALLY interested in
spending maintaining your yard?

16. Additional considerations for existing
landscapes.
Pre-Design Analysis, Existing

17. Conceptual Ideas

18. Additional Information Required
 Identify locations of plants, structures and
hardscape (patios etc.) that will be retained.
 Identify locations and types of sprinklers on
existing system. Need to know:
 Where the heads are and what type (pop up, rotor
etc.)
 Which valve controls which heads.
 Pipe sizing for main and laterals (3/4”, 1”, 1 ½”)
 Sprinkler head style and manufacturer.

19. Exist. Sprinkler
1. 1. Head
Locations
.
2. 2. Group
by Zone
3. 3. Type
of Head
4. 4. Pipe
Sizes

20. As interpreted by Cynthia
Landscape Psychology

21. Why We Love Lawn!
- Sea of Green
rests the eye
between busier
plantings.
--Conveys a
lushness
indicating
abundance to our
agrarian psyche.
-- Visually
demonstrates the
power of positive/
negative space.
--Organizes
space.

22. Other Possibilities
Left: Ice Plant in full bloom.
Above: Creeping Thyme lawn in
garden while blooming.

23. Taller ‘Green’ Lawn Alternatives

24. Less IS More!
Boring! Interesting!

25. Typical: The “Utah” Island
--People think
they are
‘supposed’ to
have one.
-- No context,
floats on a sea
of lawn.
-- Can leave
awkward bits of
lawn that are
useless but
require water
and work.
--
Psychologically
uncomfortable.

26. Lawn as Focal Point

27. “Green
The
Bean”
Flip the
design so
the LAWN
is the
“island”

28. Typical Utah Front Yard with Planted Kidney Bean
Island

29. Waterwise Front Yard with Lawn as the Island
Design by Shaun Moser, Conservation Garden
Park

30. The Kidney Bean- 2 Ways

31. Typical
Utah Front
Yard
Landscap
e with the
“Required
” Kidney
Bean-
Shaped
Island

32. Revers
e
Kidney
Bean
“Island
”
MUCH
more
attractive,
waterwise
and lower
maintenanc
e!

33. Sea of LAWN surrounded by plantings
Inefficient & blocks view of building Central lawn surrounded by plantings.

34. Better Alternative: Peninsula
--Anchors the
house to the
landscape or the
bed to the
hardscape, natural
transition, has
context!
-- More functional
for maintenance.
-- More visual
appeal.
-- Feels ‘right’ by
creating sense of
enclosure rather
than exposure.
Before: Sparse landscape island and grass running up
to the foundation. After: ‘anchored’ plantings and new
path provide transition, interest and function.

35. Varied Density
Thinly planted over entire
area
Positive/ negative space
V
S
Even if the lawn above were gravel, it
would still appear lush and organized.
The key is open space contrasted
with filled space.
Some people dislike xeric
landscapes because of the “messy”
look. Avoid this by creating positive/
negative space.

36. Central Open Space
Resist the urge to “fill” the
blank canvas as that increases
maintenance and is visually
disorganized.
landscape “white space”
Green down low
(Horizontal
Juniper)
Green down low
(Fire Chalice)
“No Maintenance” Zone

37. Typical: “Row of Soldiers”
In your imagination: Reality:

38. Better Alternative:
Layered Mixed Plantings
Green Waterwise Shrubs
More Colorful Shrubs +
Perennials
Both examples from USU’s “Utah House” at the Utah Botanic Garden.
Kaysville, Utah

39. Dense plantings hide imperfect maintenance. Notice the “white space”
provided by the lawn? It’s the mix of open spaces and abundance that make
the landscape interesting.
The Lush Waterwise Landscape

40. Lower planting density than the previous design but still has planted areas
and open areas- even though there is no lawn. Grade change (deeper
river bed) is also used to keep it interesting. Design by Cynthia Bee
Organizing Elements

41. Begin by locating desired amenities in
locations where they solve needs identified
during analysis.
Planning for Functional
Elements

42. Initial ‘Bubble Diagrams’

43. Site Circulation & Function
Consider all
designed
elements in
terms of
accessibility-
select
surface
materials
appropriate
for the
application
and ensure
good access
to all areas
requiring
maintenance
.

44. Creating the Landscape
Design

45. Plan
Hardscape
Plan for all
hardscape
elements
first- even if
they will be
installed
later.

46. Create Plant List
Plant Schedule
TREES
TYPE/ SYMBOL COMMON NAME BOTANICAL NAME SIZE QTY NOTES
EVERGREEN
T1
WEEPING WHITE SPRUCE PICEA GLAUCA
‘PENDULA’
25’ H X 6’ W 3- 6’ UPRRIGHT/ COLUMNAR
W/ ELEGANT DRAPING
FOLIAGE
T2 COLUMNAR ATLANTIC
CEDAR
CEDRUS ATLANTICA
ARGENTEA ‘FASTIGIATA’
25’ H X 6’ W 2- 6’ UPRIGHT/ TIGHT
FOLIAGE/BLUE-GREEN
FLOWERING
T5
LOLLIPOP CRABAPPLE MALUS ‘LOLLIZAM’ 10’ H X 6’ W 4-
2” CAL
SMALL GLOBE SHAPE/
WHITE FLOWERS
SPRING/ YELLOW FALL
T6 WEEPING REDBUD CERSIS CANADENSIS
‘COVEY’
8’ H X 8’ W 1-
2” CAL
WEEPING/ VIVID PURPLE-
RED FLOWERS SPRING/
YELLOW FALL C
SHADE
T9
‘LACELEAF’ ELM ULMUS PARVIFOLIA
‘ALLEE’
40’ H X 30’ W 1-
2” CAL
DECIDUOUS/ YELLOW-
PURPLE FALL COLOR
T10 SILVER LINDEN TILIA TOMENTOSA
‘STERLING ’
40’ H X 40’ W 1-
2” CAL
DECIDUOUS/ FRAGRANT
SILVER UNDERSIDE TO
LEAVES/ YELLOW FALL

47. Hydrozone
Planting
design
should take
plant
watering
requirement
s into
account and
group plants
who like the
same
conditions in
the same
areas.

48. Function Plants
Function Plants’ are
those selected for
specific site purposes
such as:
--Screening Views
-- Wind Break
-- Passive Solar

49. Special
Interest
Next add plants for
‘Color Balance’
(ie: burgundy, gold,
blue-green or
variegated foliage).
--Make sure they are
distributed evenly
around the landscape-
don’t want to be
lopsided with color.
-Make sure bolder
foliage is “triangulated”
meaning it appears in 3
groups, triangularly
spaced.
Burgundy
foliage is
triangularly
spaced.

50. Repeat Plants
Backbone shrubs and
perennials which will
be repeated multiple
times. These plants
provide unity in the
landscape and have
the following traits:
Repeat bloom
Desirable foliage traits
Low-maintenance, low
worry
The ‘workhorse’ plants
of the landscape.

51. Filler Plants
Add other shrubs
and perennials
that may appear
only once or twice
in the landscape to
fill in the remaining
spaces to the
desired density.
- Filler plants
provide the variety
that keeps the
landscape from
being too much of
the same stuff.

52. “Reverse-Engineering” your existing yard.
Designing in Phases

53. Existing
Typical Utah
landscape-
yes, it has
the dread
“Utah
Island”.

54. Exist. Sprinkler
1. 1. Head
Locations
.
2. 2. Group
by Zone
3. 3. Type
of Head
4. 4. Pipe
Sizes

55. Side Yards
 New concrete on
the north side is
more functional for
property use.
 The side yard on
the South side is a
pass through- new
walkway makes
that easier and
more interesting.
 2 sprinkler zones
were switched to
drip irrigation.

56. Grassless Side Yard
“DIY Blogger House”

57. Add Front
Lawn reduced in front
yard area by anchoring
the island to the side
yard.
Drip lines from the new
drip irrigation zone in the
side yard are extended
into this bed.
Front yard lawn
sprinklers are
reconfigured by moving
and adjusting sprinkler
heads on that line.

58. Add Rear
Backyard plantings are
added by pulling the grass
away from the perimeter.
Trees do best when NOT
planted in the middle of
lawn areas- move lawn
away from trees when
possible by creating beds
and borders.
The 2 backyard sprinkler
zones had heads moved or
capped.
An additional valve and drip
irrigation zone were added
for the perimeter plantings.

59. Design Detail Ideas

60. Undulating Topography
-- Provides a
‘sense of
enclosure’ in
the
landscape.
-- Separates
yard from
traffic.
-- Shows
plants to
best
advantage,
makes beds
appear more
lush.

61. Entice
Moving in and out of space,
sense of mystery “What’s
around the corner?” People
move in and out of tree cover
or plants
An average design. Too open.
People are too far separated
from the plants, no variety of
experience.

62. Dry River Beds
Dry River Bed- Lushly Planted Dry River Bed- Lightly Planted
Designed by: Paula Refi
Photo Credit: Sunset Magazine

63. Landscape Structures
Problem: Wood undersized,
vine oversized, maintenance
issues.
Solution: Upsize columns,
downsize to a herbaceous vine.
Photo Courtesy
Northscaping.com

64. Landscape Structures
Right Material- Wrong
Installation
Right Material- Right Install

65. Create Outdoor Rooms
“DIY Blogger House”
Hanging Daybed
Swing
Gas Firepit
Pottery
Fountain
Hanging Daybed Swing Tutorial available at:
http://club.conservationgardenpark.org

66. Why focal point has no ‘s’ Focal PointS
“Landmarks”
“If everything is special, nothing is special.”

67. Context- How Elements Relate
‘Volcano’ Falls make no sense-
no logical point of origin. Try:
Professional Installation- Name
withheld to protect the guilty.
Design and Install by One Specialty
Landscape Designs, Dallas, Texas.

68. Screening
Must deal with landscape
‘negatives’
Garbage cans, lawnmowers and
bicycles are real
considerations.
Garbage cans have no ‘home’. Imperfect execution but good
example of an outdoor storage
enclosure.
Photo courtesy Arlington
Fence Company, Virginia

69. Sense of Entry
Front yard decorative hardscape
creates sense of entry and provides
a REASON to use the front yard.

70. Edges
-Crisp hard
edge where
lawn meets
flower bed.
-Soft, less
defined
edges where
mulch and
rock
entwine.
-Design
Credit:
Michelle
Derviss
Design by Michelle Derviss

71. Order of Installation

72. Order of Installation
 Site Grading
 Hardscape- Concrete etc.
 Trenching for Sprinkers
 Irrigation System
 Topsoil/ Soil Berming
 Rockwork or gravel pathways
 Turf Planting and Lawn Edging (highly recommend
sod vs. seed if your turf type is available as sod).
 Planting- start with trees and work your way down
 Mulch/ Top Dress Beds
 Adjust sprinkler heads and program controller

73. Plastic Edging Installation

74. Resources
The smartest part of doing
it yourself….
Is knowing when you
shouldn’t!