The Beginner’s Guide to Landscaping

Starting a landscape project can feel overwhelming.

You may know that the front of your home looks empty, the backyard needs privacy, or the property needs more color, but figuring out what to plant and where to begin is not always simple.

Should you start with trees?

Do you need evergreens?

Which shrubs belong near the house?

How far apart should everything be planted?

What will still look good during winter?

A successful landscape does not begin with buying random plants. It begins with understanding the property, deciding what the landscape needs to accomplish, and selecting plants that will continue working as they mature.

At Maple Leaf Farms in Manalapan, New Jersey, customers can explore a wide range of trees, shrubs, evergreens, flowering plants, and specialty landscape material in person. With more than 135 acres of plant material, there are options for nearly every property size, style, condition, and purpose.

Whether you are landscaping a new home, replacing old plants, creating privacy, or simply improving one section of the yard, this beginner’s guide will help you take the first step.

Begin with a Purpose

Before choosing plants, decide what you want the landscape to do.

A landscape can serve many purposes beyond adding color.

You may want to:

• Improve curb appeal

• Create backyard privacy

• Shade a patio or lawn

• Screen a road or neighboring property

• Frame the front entrance

• Replace overgrown foundation shrubs

• Add seasonal color

• Create a focal point

• Reduce open, empty areas

• Make a pool area feel more private

• Give a new home a more established appearance

Most properties need more than one solution.

The front yard may need structure and curb appeal, while the backyard may need shade and screening. One side of the house may need plants that tolerate shade, while another area may require plants that handle full sun and dry conditions.

Knowing the purpose of each planting area makes choosing plants much easier.

Look at the Entire Property Before Planting

One of the most common beginner mistakes is choosing plants one at a time without considering the rest of the landscape.

A single shrub may look attractive at the garden center, but that does not automatically mean it belongs beside the front door, under a window, or next to a driveway.

Walk around the property and look at it from several directions.

Consider:

• Which areas look empty?

• Which views should be screened?

• Where is shade needed?

• Which parts of the home should remain visible?

• Where does water collect?

• Which areas receive full sun?

• Where are walkways, utilities, fences, and property lines?

• How much room is available for mature plants?

Taking a few basic measurements before visiting Maple Leaf Farms can also help. Measure the width and depth of each planting bed, the height beneath windows, and the approximate distance between the home and walkway.

These details help prevent selecting plants that will eventually become too large for the space.

Trees Create the Long-Term Framework

Trees are often the best place to begin because they create the largest and longest-lasting elements in a landscape.

A tree can provide shade, height, seasonal color, privacy, and a sense of permanence. It can also help balance the size of the home and make an open property feel more complete.

Shade tree options may include:

• Red Maples

• Pin Oaks

• Zelkovas

• Honey locusts

• Other large deciduous trees suited to the property

Ornamental and flowering trees may include:

• Eastern Redbuds

• Flowering Cherries

• Flowering Pears

• Dogwoods

• Magnolias

• Japanese Maples

• Crape Myrtle trees

When selecting a tree, consider its mature height and width rather than only its current size.

A small tree planted too close to the house can eventually crowd the roof, block windows, or interfere with walkways. A larger tree placed in an open lawn can provide shade and scale without overwhelming the property.

Trees should generally be selected first because shrubs and smaller plants can then be arranged around them.

Evergreens Give the Landscape Year-Round Structure

Evergreens are essential in many New Jersey landscapes because they retain foliage throughout winter.

Without evergreens, a landscape that looks full during summer may feel bare once deciduous trees and shrubs lose their leaves.

Evergreens can be used for:

• Foundation structure

• Privacy screening

• Property-line planting

• Pool screening

• Winter color

• Wind protection

• Hiding utility areas

• Framing entrances

• Adding shape and texture

Popular options may include:

• Emerald Green Arborvitae

• Green Giant Arborvitae

• Hollies

• Boxwoods

• Junipers

• Hinoki Cypress

• Dwarf Alberta Spruce

• Serbian Spruce

• Norway Spruce

• Southern Magnolia

• Rhododendrons

• Aucuba

• Specialty conifers

Beginners often assume that all evergreens should be planted in straight rows. That works for certain privacy projects, but evergreens can also be mixed by shape, height, texture, and color.

Combining upright evergreens with rounded shrubs and lower spreading varieties can create a more natural appearance.

Deciduous Shrubs Add Seasonal Change

Deciduous shrubs lose their leaves during winter, but they bring valuable color, flowers, texture, fragrance, and fall interest during the growing season.

They can soften the appearance of evergreens and prevent the landscape from feeling too rigid.

Common landscape choices may include:

• Hydrangeas

• Viburnums

• Lilacs

• Roses

• Spirea

• Rose of Sharon

• Weigela

• Crape Myrtle shrubs

• Flowering Quince

A mixed landscape usually looks more complete than one built from only a single type of plant.

Evergreens provide dependable structure, while deciduous shrubs create movement and seasonal interest.

Foundation Landscaping Should Frame the Home

Foundation landscaping is the planting placed directly around the house.

Its purpose is to soften the transition between the building and the surrounding property while keeping doors, windows, siding, walkways, and utility areas functional.

Good foundation landscaping should:

• Highlight the entrance

• Frame the corners of the home

• Keep windows visible

• Avoid blocking walkways

• Maintain access to utilities

• Include plants of different heights

• Provide year-round structure

• Offer seasonal color without becoming overgrown

One of the biggest beginner mistakes is planting shrubs too close to the house.

A plant that looks small today may eventually grow several feet wider. When mature size is ignored, shrubs can crowd siding, block windows, trap moisture, and require constant pruning.

Choose plants according to the space they will occupy later, not only how they look on planting day.

Use Taller Plants at Corners and Blank Walls

The corners of a home often benefit from taller plants because they help anchor the structure.

Blank walls may also need height, especially when there are no windows or architectural details.

Possible choices may include:

• Upright Hollies

• Narrow Arborvitaes

• Ornamental trees

• Rhododendrons

• Taller flowering shrubs

• Specialty evergreens

• Compact conifers

Taller plants should not be placed where they will cover windows, crowd doors, or interfere with rooflines.

Use Lower Plants Near Windows and Walkways

Low-growing shrubs and compact evergreens are generally better beneath windows and beside entrances.

They help fill the planting bed without obstructing views or creating excessive maintenance.

Depending on the site, options may include:

• Boxwoods

• Dwarf Hollies

• Compact Hydrangeas

• Low Junipers

• Dwarf conifers

• Smaller flowering shrubs

The goal is to keep the house visible while making the planting feel complete.

Create Layers Instead of Planting One Flat Row

A landscape often looks more natural when plants are arranged in layers.

The tallest plants form the background, medium shrubs fill the middle, and smaller plants soften the front edge.

A simple layered bed may include:

• An ornamental tree or upright evergreen in the background

• Flowering shrubs or rounded evergreens in the middle

• Compact shrubs or lower accents along the front

This approach creates depth and helps the landscape look fuller without overcrowding it.

Planting everything in one straight line can make a bed look flat and temporary.

Add Privacy with the Right Plants

Privacy is one of the most common landscaping goals in New Jersey.

Homeowners may want to block neighboring houses, screen a road, create separation around a pool, or make a patio feel more comfortable.

Privacy plants may include:

• Green Giant Arborvitae

• Emerald Green Arborvitae

• Hollies

• Southern Magnolia

• Skip Laurel

• Viburnums

• Rhododendrons

• Mixed evergreen borders

The right choice depends on the available width, desired height, sun exposure, drainage, and amount of maintenance the homeowner wants.

A narrow property line may require upright plants. A larger backyard may allow for a wider mixed border with several plant types.

The best privacy landscape is not always the fastest-growing plant. It is the plant that fits the space and remains manageable as it matures.

Do Not Forget Shade Trees

Many beginner landscapes focus only on the foundation and forget the open lawn.

A properly placed shade tree can make a major difference in how the property feels.

Shade trees can:

• Cool outdoor seating areas

• Make lawns more comfortable

• Add fall color

• Improve the scale of the property

• Reduce the appearance of large open spaces

• Create a more established landscape

A young shade tree may not provide immediate coverage, but it becomes increasingly valuable as it grows.

Plan for More Than One Season

A landscape should not look attractive for only a few weeks each year.

Try to combine plants that contribute during different seasons.

Spring

Spring interest may come from:

• Eastern Redbuds

• Flowering Cherries

• Dogwoods

• Magnolias

• Azaleas

• Rhododendrons

• Lilacs

Summer

Summer color may come from:

• Hydrangeas

• Roses

• Crape Myrtles

• Rose of Sharon

• Viburnums

• Weigela

Fall

Fall interest may come from:

• Red Maples

• Japanese Maples

• Viburnums

• Ornamental trees

• Shrubs with berries or changing foliage

Winter

Winter structure may come from:

• Arborvitaes

• Hollies

• Spruces

• Boxwoods

• Junipers

• Southern Magnolia

• Hinoki Cypress

• Specialty conifers

A four-season landscape feels intentional because something is always providing color, shape, bark, berries, flowers, or foliage.

Match Plants to Sunlight

Before purchasing plants, determine how much sunlight each area receives.

Full Sun

Full-sun areas generally receive at least six hours of direct sunlight.

Many flowering shrubs, shade trees, evergreens, Roses, Crape Myrtles, and other sun-loving plants perform best in these conditions.

Part Sun or Part Shade

These areas receive a mixture of direct sunlight and shade.

Many Hydrangeas, Viburnums, Boxwoods, Rhododendrons, and ornamental plants can perform well depending on the specific variety and exposure.

Full Shade

Heavily shaded areas require plants that tolerate lower light.

Possible options may include:

• Aucuba

• Certain Hollies

• Rhododendrons

• Shade-tolerant evergreens

• Other plants selected for the specific conditions

Do not choose plants based only on flower color or appearance. A beautiful plant installed in the wrong light conditions may never perform well.

Pay Attention to Drainage

Drainage is one of the most important parts of plant selection.

Some areas dry quickly. Others remain wet long after rainfall.

Look for:

• Standing water

• Low areas

• Heavy clay soil

• Water flowing from downspouts

• Areas beneath rooflines

• Sloped ground

• Compacted soil

Plants placed in poorly drained soil can decline even when watering seems correct.

If a location remains wet, the solution may involve raising the planting area, improving drainage, or choosing plants that tolerate those conditions.

Plant High, Not Too Deep

One of the most damaging landscaping mistakes is planting too deeply.

Trees and shrubs should not be buried below their natural root flare or crown. Planting too deep can limit oxygen around the roots and create long-term health problems.

In many landscapes, plants should be installed slightly above the surrounding grade, especially where drainage is slow.

The planting height may vary depending on the plant and site, but the root flare should remain visible and the plant should never be buried too deeply.

Space Plants for Their Mature Size

Newly installed landscapes often look sparse because young plants have not yet filled in.

This can tempt homeowners to plant everything too close together.

Overcrowding may create a fuller appearance immediately, but it often causes problems later.

Crowded plants may:

• Compete for sunlight

• Restrict airflow

• Grow into walkways

• Cover windows

• Require frequent pruning

• Become more susceptible to disease

• Lose their natural shape

Give each tree or shrub the space it needs to mature.

A properly spaced landscape becomes fuller over time without becoming unmanageable.

Avoid Choosing Everything in the Same Shape

A landscape made entirely from rounded shrubs can look repetitive.

Try combining different forms, including:

• Upright trees

• Narrow evergreens

• Rounded shrubs

• Spreading evergreens

• Weeping specimen plants

• Dwarf conifers

• Layered flowering shrubs

Different shapes create contrast and make individual plants more noticeable.

Use Color Beyond Flowers

Color does not have to come only from blooms.

Foliage can provide lasting color throughout the season.

Consider plants with:

• Deep green foliage

• Blue-green needles

• Golden foliage

• Red or burgundy leaves

• Variegated leaves

• Silver or gray tones

• Bright berries

• Colorful bark

Foliage color often lasts much longer than flowers and can make the landscape more interesting even when nothing is blooming.

Choose a Focal Point

A focal point is a plant or feature that draws attention.

It may be placed near the entrance, in a lawn, at the end of a walkway, or within a larger planting bed.

Possible focal plants may include:

• Japanese Maples

• Weeping trees

• Specialty conifers

• Flowering Magnolias

• Crape Myrtle trees

• Unique Hollies

• Dwarf specimen evergreens

• Unusual ornamental trees

One strong focal point often has more impact than several unrelated plants competing for attention.

Start with One Area

You do not need to landscape the entire property at once.

A beginner may achieve better results by completing one section properly before moving to the next.

Consider starting with:

• The front entrance

• The main foundation bed

• A privacy screen

• The patio

• The pool area

• An empty property corner

• A shade tree

• The driveway entrance

Once that area is established, the next phase can be designed to connect with it.

Build the Landscape in Phases

A phased landscape may begin with large structural plants.

Phase One

Install:

• Shade trees

• Ornamental trees

• Privacy evergreens

• Major foundation plants

Phase Two

Add:

• Flowering shrubs

• Medium evergreens

• Plants around patios or walkways

Phase Three

Complete the design with:

• Smaller shrubs

• Ground-level accents

• Seasonal containers

• Mulch and bed edging

This approach helps control cost while keeping the long-term plan organized.

Do Not Depend Only on Online Pictures

Online landscaping ideas can provide inspiration, but many images do not show realistic plant size, maintenance needs, local conditions, or how the landscape will change over time.

Computer-generated designs may place plants together that require different sunlight, drainage, or spacing.

A picture may look attractive without being practical.

Before following an online layout, ask:

• Are these plants suited to New Jersey?

• Will they fit when mature?

• Do they require the same amount of sun?

• Are they appropriate for the soil?

• Will they provide year-round structure?

• Will they still look balanced in five years?

Seeing plants in person provides a better understanding of their shape, texture, scale, and quality.

Explore More Than the Plants You Already Know

Many beginners arrive looking for only the most familiar trees or shrubs.

They may know Arborvitaes, Hydrangeas, Boxwoods, and Roses, but there are many other landscape options worth exploring.

Walking through Maple Leaf Farms may introduce you to:

• Specialty Hollies

• Unusual conifers

• Dwarf evergreens

• Weeping forms

• Unique Japanese Maples

• Variegated shrubs

• Blue or golden evergreens

• Less common flowering trees

• Specimen plants with unusual growth habits

You may discover a plant that fits the property better than the one you originally planned to purchase.

Trees and Shrubs Should Form the Foundation

Perennials and annual flowers can add color, but they should not be expected to create the entire landscape.

Trees and shrubs provide:

• Height

• Privacy

• Structure

• Shade

• Winter interest

• Long-term scale

• Permanent framework

Smaller flowering plants can then be added around them.

A landscape built only from low flowers may look attractive for part of the year but can feel empty during winter or fail to provide privacy and structure.

Avoid Planting Randomly

Buying one plant at a time without a plan often creates a disconnected landscape.

Before purchasing, decide:

• Where the plant will go

• What role it will serve

• How large it will become

• What will be planted near it

• Which season it contributes to

• Whether it matches the site conditions

Every plant does not need to match, but the landscape should feel connected.

Repeating certain colors, plant forms, or varieties can help create continuity.

Consider Maintenance Before You Plant

Every landscape requires some care, but the amount can vary significantly.

Before choosing a plant, consider whether it may need:

• Regular pruning

• Seasonal fertilizing

• Extra watering during establishment

• Protection from deer

• Winter care

• Frequent cleanup

• Disease monitoring

Some homeowners enjoy detailed garden care. Others prefer plants that remain attractive with limited maintenance.

The best landscape reflects the amount of care the homeowner realistically wants to provide.

Water New Plantings Properly

Newly installed trees and shrubs require regular monitoring while their roots become established.

Do not water automatically without checking the soil.

Insert your fingers or a small tool several inches into the root zone.

• If the soil is dry, water deeply.

• If it is damp, wait and check again.

• If it is wet, do not add more water.

• If water remains around the roots, drainage may be a problem.

New landscapes are often damaged by watering too frequently rather than by receiving too little water.

Deep, controlled watering is generally more useful than frequent shallow watering.

Mulch Correctly

Mulch can help retain moisture, reduce weeds, and create a finished appearance.

However, too much mulch can damage plants.

Keep mulch:

• In a light, even layer

• Away from trunks

• Away from shrub stems

• Away from plant crowns

• Below the visible root flare

Do not create mulch volcanoes around trees.

Mulch should protect the soil, not bury the plant.

Landscape Design and Consultation

Some properties require more planning than others.

If you need assistance selecting plants, organizing a complete layout, creating privacy, or planning a long-term landscape, Horticulture Specialists LLC may assist with landscape design and horticultural consulting.

A consultation may help determine:

• Which plants fit the site

• Where trees should be installed

• How to create year-round structure

• Which plants work for sun or shade

• How to design privacy screening

• How to improve the front entrance

• How to arrange plants by mature size

• How to complete the project in phases

A strong plan can reduce mistakes and help the landscape develop more successfully over time.

Visit Maple Leaf Farms in Manalapan, New Jersey

Landscaping does not need to begin with a perfect plan or years of experience.

It begins by understanding the property, choosing a purpose, and selecting plants that fit the location.

At Maple Leaf Farms, you can walk through the nursery yard, compare actual trees and shrubs, explore different sizes and varieties, and discover plant material that may never appear in a typical online search.

With more than 135 acres of plant material, Maple Leaf Farms offers options for:

• New landscapes

• Foundation beds

• Privacy screens

• Pool areas

• Shade

• Seasonal color

• Ornamental focal points

• Large and small properties

• Unique and specialty planting ideas

Maple Leaf Farms Garden Center & Country Store

525 US Highway 9 South

Manalapan, NJ 07726

Start with one area.

Choose plants that fit the property.

Allow room for growth.

Build the landscape around trees, shrubs, and evergreens that will continue improving the home for years to come.