How to Design a Yard in Phases | Ask This Old House

Ask This Old House landscape designer Jenn Nawada returns to her home state of Florida to help a homeowner design a tropical landscape for his backyard
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Cost: $10,000 and up
Skill Level: Beginner to Expert
Steps:
1. Break down the landscape into rooms that all have different purposes and functions but that flow together. This will make each section more manageable and, with a master plan, it will be easier to implement each room as time and budget allows.
2. Some common landscape area functions include a dining area, an entertainment area, garden areas, relaxation areas, and entry/exit areas.
3. Work with the existing footprint to keep the budget down. If there are already established plants in key areas, keep those and underplant with other native plants to accentuate them.
4. Remember that plants don’t need to just line the perimeter of the yard. Put plants in areas around the landscape that allow the landscape to be experienced, rather than just looked at.
5. Establish paths to connect different rooms together.
Resources:
Jenn suggests breaking a landscape down into separate sections and coming up with a game plan for each section, regardless of whether you plan to work on that section immediately or not. That way, as you add more to the landscape as time and budget allows, everything will connect nicely and not feel disjointed. Also, by breaking the landscape down into sections, it’s easier to give each section a specific purpose or function.
In Room 1, Jenn called for artistic concrete to be poured to give the patio a more finished look. The artistic concrete was Pacific Tile in Siberian Haze, with Sandstone grout lines, which is manufactured by Creative Resurfacing (creativeresurf.... The shade sail they installed to cool off the patio was manufactured by Creative Shade Solutions (www.creativesh....
In Room 2, Jacque brought a wide variety of Florida friendly plants, including coontie palm, nandina, smooth cordgrass, and an andonidia palm, which can be found at Zone 9 nurseries and garden centers. For mulch, Jenn and Jacque used pine straw, and for the walkways, they used pine bark mulch. Both of these materials can also be found at nurseries.
Expert assistance with this project was provided by Power Lawn Care in Winter Haven, FL, and Playground Services by David Bloom ( / playgroundservices .
About Ask This Old House TV:
Homeowners have a virtual truckload of questions for us on smaller projects, and we're ready to answer. Ask This Old House solves the steady stream of home improvement problems faced by our viewers-and we make house calls! Ask This Old House features some familiar faces from This Old House, including Kevin O'Connor, general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, and landscape contractor Roger Cook.
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How to Design a Yard in Phases | Ask This Old House
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[@stlchuckhd]

Wow! I love what you did to the patio! Awesome 😎

[@cup_and_cone]

4:02 - As a Florida native, I can assure all that loosely laid mulch and pine straw without any barrier will definitely float away when the yard floods in heavy rains and become a mess.

[@chriswhite6882]

yeah mine tries to do that I have a stone boarder I made it helps alot

[@Lou_Mansfield]

It's pretty cool what they did to the concrete patio

[@kevinshackles3396]

Get well Roger i wish you return soon

[@BloodyGrundel]

I would watch even if roger just sat in a chair and told other people what to do

[@janebutz5375]

Nice job! Love the emphasis on the pollinators. I'm wondering if this acrylic concrete works outside warm climates, such as the Northeast. How does it react to the freeze/thaw cycle?

[@joeyjo-jojuniorshabadoo6827]

"How to Design a Yard in Phases" (where I live) Phase 1: Consult municipal bylaws about "green space" and "soft landscaping". Phase 2: Design a yard to conform to the minimums required in Phase 1.

[@southstands303]

I miss Roger 💙💙💙

[@Pushyhog]

Southstands303 : and grass.

[@Dinuial]

I seem to recall reading that pine has a chemical which discourages growth of anything other than pine, and given the ground under where the two pine in my yard sit I believe it.

[@chriswhite6882]

all of my plants are doing fine but they were transplanted in it seems to help with a little bit of weed suppression but weeds grow like weeds in florida

[@theJonnymac]

Walnut does that, but not pine. You probably don’t have anything growing because there isn’t enough light for grass or other stuff to grow

[@Dinuial]

@@theJonnymac The ground under my walnut is healthy enough, of course it's a California black walnut and may be different than the genus you're familiar with.

[@theJonnymac]

Dinuial based on my research California walnut doesn’t seem to contain the chemical that eastern black walnut has.

[@dalesworld1308]

Black Walnut does that.

[@ducamealy5856]

A more detail exploration and explanation of the concrete part would have put me in the garden of Eden no apples please.

[@mahendraramsubhag9460]

It's not the same ,I miss Roger.

[@jej3451]

inb4 "Where's Roger Cook?"

[@alanrobertson453]

Great job Jen 👍

[@DXSUCKIT1990]

I do miss Roger, but she does a great job. And, she learned some from Roger too! Roger will be back more regularly when he gets better.

[@rexhargrove5172]

I LOVE IT!

[@yourbrokenoven]

Well, I like what they did to the patio... I'm not a fan of turning the back yard into pine needles and tree bark.

[@theJonnymac]

the scripting isn’t great. If one person says we are going to do room 1 and 2 and then the second person immediately says we are going to do room 1 &2. It sounds forced.

[@ambrosiohernandez2898]

That hand shake tho....😳

[@johnhartley3596]

You should have identified the plants.

[@martinzone8153]

Plastic patio? 🤔

[@jamesw4912]

I can't take this no more we need Roger back.

[@crmcbrideww]

Keep your Home improvement tips to yourself unless you have a Boston accent.

[@mae2759]

Jenn does a really nice job as the new Roger! She just needs to bust out a "trimmahhh" or a "haaaaard to staaaart" for nostalgia purposes.

[@jamesw4912]

There never be a new Roger. No one can't come close to be like Roger. He's one of a kind.

[@Pushyhog]

Patio is not a room.

[@jamesw4912]

Your right a patio is not called a room. What a embarrassment for This Old House. Definitely need Roger back.

[@lambert1702]

A lawn would have looked better and been easier to maintain.

[@jamesroach6348]

Wow, the haters are coming out in the comments.......get over yourselves, ladies, time marches on.

[@esedjify]

Yea bouii

[@jamesw4912]

Hate when every home improvement show has to mention budget.