New Landscape Planting Tips for Michigan Homes
Introduction: A New Landscape Is Only the Beginning
The landscape is installed, but the plants look small, and the beds have more open space than expected. That is usually intentional.
Kate McCoy, Luke Landscape’s horticulturist, helps the Luke team plan landscapes based on what plants will become, not merely what they look like when first planted. Her expertise includes understanding new cultivars, the original plants they came from, their growth habits, and how they are likely to perform over time. Landscape plant spacing is crucial to good design.
A successful planting plan also considers mature size, site conditions, bed material, watering, and long-term care before installation begins. It is also really important to consider how much, or how little, maintenance the homeowner wants to do or can realistically do.
This article outlines the thoughts behind the plans, common landscaping questions for Michigan, and some common mistakes homeowners make. If you are thinking about adding new landscaping, redesigning existing landscaping, or need tips for maintaining what you already have, this article is for you.
A Good Landscape Plan Shows You the Future
When we are planning a new landscape for Michigan, we don’t just think about this season. The plan includes predicting what the beds will look like in 2, 5, 10, and 20 years. To do this, we start with the foundation of the beds.
“When we design a landscape, we show the plants at a reasonable maturity. When everything is first installed, it is still small.” Kate McCoy explains.
“Are you sure there’s enough plants?” is a common reaction from homeowners who envision beds full of mature plants and flowers, all blooming and waving in a sea of color.
It is important to keep in mind that newly installed plants will be smaller. Leaving open space during the first few seasons does not mean that the landscape is unfinished.
Filling every gap immediately can create:
overcrowding
poor air flow
unnecessary pruning
costly plant removal later
Trees, shrubs, grasses, and perennials all grow differently, so spacing cannot follow one universal formula. How far apart to plant shrubs is a common question and something homeowners often get wrong. You need to space plants according to their mature size rather than their size at installation.
Start With Priorities, Not a Plant List
Before choosing specific plants, Kate always works with the client to determine how they want the landscape to function.
Before committing to a design, these are the types of things to consider:
Do you want a full landscape with flowers and plants growing together?
Do you prefer an open, crisp, highly structured appearance?
How much maintenance are you realistically willing to perform?
Are you an enthusiastic gardener, or do you want the landscape to largely take care of itself?
How long do you expect to live in the home?
Who will handle pruning, dividing, deadheading, weeding, and seasonal cleanup?
Are deer or other wildlife a significant concern?
This is where Kate becomes the guide. She does not simply recommend plants she likes. She translates the client’s priorities into a planting strategy.
Choose Plants for the Property
Most people can relate to wandering around a garden center or seeing a beautiful plant on vacation or in a friend’s yard and wanting to put it in their own landscaping. Just because a plant is sold locally or looked beautiful somewhere else does not mean it will thrive on a particular Mid-Michigan property.
Before choosing any type of plant for your yard, consider:
Sun and shade
Soil condition
Drainage
Exposure to wind and winter conditions
Heat reflected from pavement, buildings, or stone
Deer pressure
Available irrigation
Mature plant size and growth habit
Whether a plant spreads, reseeds, clumps, or stays contained
If you’ve lived in Michigan a day, you know our weather is strange, varied, and fickle. The entire state is not in the same Zone. How well a plant will survive varies throughout the state, so you cannot always go by the Zone number alone.
Choose the Bed Material Before Finalizing the Plants
Mulch vs. Rock Landscaping
When designing landscaping, there are two main types of beds: decorative stone and mulch. Each one has its pros and cons, and there are a few key things to consider. Mulch and stone come in a wide range of materials, colors, and sizes, and choosing among them is a topic of its own.
Here, we are focusing on the bigger decision: how mulch and stone function differently in a landscape. Understanding those differences will help you choose the material that best supports your plants, maintenance preferences, and long-term goals. If you need help selecting a specific type of mulch or stone, the Luke team is happy to guide you.
Michigan Mulch Beds
Mulch beds are incredibly popular and are often initially more affordable than rock beds. However, they require more thoughtful maintenance over time.
Before we go any further, let's talk about landscape fabric. We get asked a lot about this, and Kate’s professional opinion is not to use it in mulch beds, and here’s why:
Organic mulch eventually decomposes into material where weed seeds can germinate. Weeds are more difficult to remove from beds with fabric, because they embed into the fibers of the fabric itself. Pulling the weeds can tear the fabric and create larger, long-term problems.
Another concern with landscape fabric, especially in new beds, is choking the plants. When you cut a small hole in the fabric and plant the plant, it fits. But that plant is going to grow, and if that hole is not cut larger, the fabric could eventually choke or constrict the plant.
When Mulch Beds are the Better Choice
Mulch beds can support denser planting plans. So if your long-term goal is full, close-together plants and flowers, this is the way to go. Also, ground covers and perennials can gradually fill in the available space in mulch beds.
Rock beds require more spacing, which we explain in the next section.
Your maintenance plan for a mulch bed should include checking and refreshing the mulch during your spring cleanup. A refresh does not necessarily mean adding a full new layer every year. Begin by removing debris and weeds, then loosen and redistribute the existing mulch. Add only enough new material to maintain an even layer approximately two to three inches deep. Keep mulch several inches away from tree trunks and plant stems, as piling it too deeply can trap excess moisture and damage plants.
Michigan Rock Beds
While it’s true that stone and rock beds generally require less maintenance, they are not maintenance-free.
You are also more limited in what you can plant in a rock bed. The stones retain and reflect heat, creating a hotter root environment, so plants must be selected for those conditions.
Some of Kate’s favorite hardier plants that are generally better suited for Michigan rock beds include juniper, spirea, viburnum, and Karl Foerster feather reed grass.
Landscape fabric should be used in rock beds. However, as described earlier, it doesn’t expand as the plants mature, so spacing and growth habits become even more important.
While stone doesn’t require annual or biennial freshening like mulch, a periodic touch-up can rejuvenate a bed and fill in settling and replace any stone lost to time and routine maintenance.
The three top things to remember for rock bed maintenance are:
Remove debris from the rock beds periodically. Leaves and other debris will decompose, leaving space for weeds to germinate between the rocks. At a minimum, clean out your rock beds in the spring and the fall. Pro tip: Use a leaf blower to blow them out.
Check landscape fabric around trunks. At least once a year, make sure the fabric is not choking the growing plants. It may be necessary to cut the fabric or move away stones as plants expand.
Monitor rock migration. Rocks can settle and move, especially after heavy rains. Be sure you don't have rocks creeping into your lawn or sidewalk. Also check that they aren’t collecting too much around the base of plants.
Remember: Lower maintenance is not the same thing as maintenance-free.
The Lowest-Maintenance Landscape Is the One Designed for Your Actual Life
Bigger Plants Are Not Always the Better Investment
Choosing plants for Michigan landscaping.
Whether you are purchasing perennials, ornamental grasses, shrubs, or trees, larger plants typically come with a higher price tag and may require more labor or equipment to install. Starting with appropriately sized plants can be a smarter investment, especially when the landscape has been designed to accommodate their growth. The hardest part is trusting the plan and giving everything time to fill in.
A Quick Note When Selecting Trees
Size does truly matter when it comes to the price of trees. Tree size (for deciduous trees) is generally measured using trunk caliper (how big around the trunk is).
A tree with a caliper of 2 inches or less can usually be installed with minimal equipment, or even by hand. As the tree gets larger, the purchase price, transportation requirements, and installation costs all increase.
A deciduous tree with a 5- to 6-inch caliper generally requires a tree spade, adding specialized equipment and more labor to the installation. Once those expenses are factored in, a 5-inch tree can cost approximately five times as much as a 2-inch tree.
For many projects, a moderately sized tree provides a better balance of cost, installation practicality, and long-term growth. A larger tree may create more immediate impact, but the biggest tree available is not automatically the smartest investment.
And, just a side note: smaller trees are less likely to experience transplant shock and require less care in the early stages of growth than their larger counterparts.
Pro Tip: It takes about 2-3 years per inch for a tree to grow. So, you could pay for the bigger tree or wait just a few years for it to catch up.
Plan First-Year Watering Before the Plants Go In
Watering New Landscape Plants
New landscaping cannot simply be watered on the same schedule as the lawn. Lawns, trees, shrubs, and perennials have different watering needs, especially while newly installed plants are establishing their root systems.
Trees generally benefit from slower, deeper watering around the root zone, while perennials may need closer monitoring and more frequent attention early in the establishment period. This is why planting beds and lawns may require different irrigation zones, sprinkler heads, and schedules. Temporary drip lines, soaker hoses, or watering bags can also provide practical solutions during the first growing season.
There is no universal watering schedule, including “15 minutes every day,” that works for every property. Water pressure, soil type, drainage, plant size, weather, and the watering method all affect how much moisture reaches the roots. The goal is to provide consistent moisture without leaving the soil saturated.
As plants become established, they generally require less supplemental water. However, drought, heat, and individual site conditions will continue to influence their needs. Before installation begins, make sure there is a clear plan for how the new landscape will be watered and who will be responsible for monitoring it.
Common New Landscaping Mistakes Kate Sees
Choosing plants only because they are blooming beautifully at the nursery
Ignoring mature height, width, or spreading habits
Overplanting to make a new bed look immediately full
Using the same plants in mulch and rock beds
Assuming landscape fabric eliminates all future weeds
Selecting plants that are marginal for the site or climate
Treating planting beds like lawns when watering
Waiting until installation is complete to think about maintenance
Common Questions about New Landscaping in Michigan
Why does my new landscaping look sparse? Because plants are spaced to accommodate future growth. A properly designed landscape fills in over time.
How far apart should landscape plants be? Spacing depends on the mature width, growth habit, surrounding plants, and intended design.
Is rock landscaping lower maintenance than mulch? It can require less annual refreshing, but it still needs debris removal, weed control, and appropriate plant selection.
Should landscape fabric be installed under mulch? Luke generally does not recommend it beneath organic mulch because mulch decomposes and weeds eventually grow into the fabric.
How long do new landscape plants need extra watering? The first growing season is especially important, but the actual schedule depends on plant type, soil, weather, and irrigation method.
Conclusion
A strong planting plan accounts for what you want now, what the plants will need as they grow, and how the landscape will be cared for in the years ahead. Those decisions are easier and far less expensive to make before installation begins.
Planning a new landscape in Mid-Michigan? Start with a team that knows what to consider before the first plant goes into the ground.
Request a consultation or call Luke Landscape at 517-339-6500.
Comments