Once you’ve started daydreaming about your new landscaping project, you can’t wait to get started, right?
Can the landscaper start the new patio tomorrow? Bring on the outdoor kitchen — you’ve got steaks thawing! Can you plant flowers that will bloom by the weekend?
Patience, please. Landscaping schedules aren’t instant. This stuff takes time. But how much time?
How long do landscaping projects take? When you’re hiring a landscaper, when should you start planning?
If you plan far enough in advance and provide us with all the necessary information, we can usually complete your landscaping project in about six weeks from the start of work. But if you want to enjoy your new outdoor oasis by spring or summer, that planning should start in the fall or winter.
Keep reading to learn more about when to start landscaping.
Two weeks? Two months? How are you supposed to know when to invite your neighbors over for the big reveal?
The amount of time varies, depending on the size and complexity of your project, says Kirk Jeppesen, landscape designer at Outback Landscape.
“No matter the size, we try to stick to the job until it’s done — no bouncing around between projects,” he says.
Some basic landscape installation in Boise and Idaho Falls takes only 1-2 weeks to complete after breaking ground. But more complex projects, like outdoor kitchens or those that require grade changes, leveling, compacting, and large hardscapes, will take longer.
But if you plan far enough in advance and provide us with all the necessary information, we can usually complete your landscaping project in about six weeks.
What kind of information? We’ll need to know your budget and how you want to use your space.
We’ll cover all those details in your initial consultation (more on that later), but it’s best to give this some thought beforehand. That goes a long way to ensuring you have a quick and smooth design-build process.
Here at Outback, we typically start projects in April, but if weather permits, we can start in March. Here in Boise and Idaho Falls, most landscape construction is scheduled between April and the end of November.
But we design landscapes all year round.
That means when you’re hiring a landscaper, you can get your project started in the fall or winter. And you should.
If you wait until April to start the process, you’ll spend the summer watching construction crews and sizing up dirt piles instead of relaxing on your patio or sizzling fajitas in your outdoor kitchen.
If you hope to have your landscaping project ready to enjoy by spring, you should contact your designer as early in the year as possible—in January or February.
“Schedules fill up fast,” Jeppesen says. “So the sooner you get in touch with us, the better. That way we can have things lined up for spring.”
If you procrastinate and wait until May to get in touch with us, you may not enjoy your new landscape until the fall.
There’s more involved than some homeowners realize, Jeppesen says.
“From design to install, there is quite a process,” he says. “Material selections need to be made, ordered, and delivered. There may need to be design revisions along the way as well.”
Good things take time.
The fun starts with an in-depth landscape consultation with one of our Outback landscape designers, who will take the time to discuss your wants and needs.
What's on your wish list? A patio where you’ll spend every outdoor minute? New landscaping beds? An outdoor fireplace for entertaining?
It’s important to have an idea of how much you want to spend on your landscape project before the meeting so your designer can tailor the presentation and design to fit within your budget.
Knowing how much you want to spend will also be a big help when choosing materials, the project’s size, and whether you want to do it in phases or all at once.
Also, think hard about how you want to use the space. Will your outdoor haven be for entertaining? Morning yoga? Romantic dinners? A play space for active kids? How many people will use the space regularly? Your designer needs to know all this as they create your perfect landscaping plan.
We’ll chat with you about your expectations, what the project includes, landscaping schedules, the expected completion time frame, and your budget.
Your designer will use the information to create a design that you can review and make revisions to. We’ll also show you the materials that will be used in your project so you can get a real sense of what it will look and feel like.
Once your design is completed and approved, construction starts.
This is the easy part for you, except for the part where you have to put up with some construction mess.
Sit back and watch your exciting plans come to life.
Your landscape contractor should take care of applying for permits, arranging inspections and handling most of the technical details for you—they know how to complete the paperwork to get the build pushed through quickly.
As demolition and construction get underway, you’ll see lots of dirt, big machines, and guys with shovels. Old plants come out, new ones go in. Patios come into view. Suddenly, a fire pit!
(Don’t worry about all the dirt, the huge tire tracks, the construction debris. It’ll all be gone by the end. When we give you a price for the job, it includes all cleanup.)
Remember, stuff happens. Even when everything is humming right along and you’re already planning your appetizers for your first patio party, bad weather or unforeseen issues can set landscaping crews back a bit and delay your installation process.
Nobody can control the weather, but other issues can also slow down landscaping schedules.
Maybe you decide you want a change after everything is already in progress. Maybe a cool plant you hoped to include isn’t available, and you have to choose a substitute.
Deep breathing helps.
A big part of a new landscaping project is usually plant material, from perennials to trees to lush new sod lawns.
While landscape designers are busy designing great gardens all year round, actual planting here in Boise and Idaho Falls has a specific window.
Let’s take a look:
If your landscaping project includes new trees — and they often do — how does that factor into what happens when out there?
Landscape installation in Boise and Idaho Falls typically involves planting trees in the spring or fall.
Spring planting happens between March and May to make sure your new leafy friend has plenty of time to root before it’s shocked by a summer heat wave.
Fall planting is best in September, but definitely before the first frost -- which is usually around late October here in Idaho.
In the fall, be aware you’re competing with the tree’s natural instinct to go dormant, which means the tree doesn’t have a ton of time to develop a root system. So landscapers plant early enough in the fall to water and fertilize trees before the ground freezes.
Here at Outback, we prefer planting trees in spring. This gives the tree enough time to get the moisture and nutrients it needs to get a good start. Your new tree might not leaf and bud to its full potential the first year, but it will be sturdier and more hardy the second season.
Again, spring and fall are the best times for planting here in Idaho. Planting in these two seasons allows plants to establish roots before the extreme temperatures of summer and winter.
The extra daylight hours of spring, combined with the plentiful spring rain, are great for plant growth, allowing new plants to thrive.
Planting in the fall, after the hottest part of the season, allows plants to establish roots before winter arrives. And because above-ground growth slows down this time of year, plants can focus on root development, leading to stronger plants the following spring.
Landscape installation in Boise and Idaho Falls involves planting cool-season grasses, which thrive in cooler temperatures and have their peak growing seasons in spring and fall.
The best time to plant these grasses here is around September, to allow the grass to establish a strong root system before the ground freezes.
Soil temperatures are warm enough for seed germination but not too hot for the seedlings to thrive.
Another advantage: annual summer weeds start dying back, so they’re not competing with your hungry new grass for resources.
Fall typically brings plenty of rain, too, which new grass needs. But Outback crews know not to wait too long into the fall, or the new grass may not have enough time to grow before the first hard freeze.
You can’t wait, right? So let’s get started.
At Outback Landscape, we have skilled, creative in-house landscape designers who will love bringing your ideas to life.
We love matching our clients with your dream landscape design plan, and watching your excitement as the process unfolds.
And we make it easy, from your first meeting with our landscape designers through to the excitement of installation.
Our experienced team can help with your landscape planning, no matter where you are in the process.
To ensure your landscape installation begins on schedule, contact us well before our spring installations begin.
Bring all your questions, ideas and excitement.
Outback Landscape offers full-service landscape installation in Boise and Idaho Falls, along with a comprehensive list of services, including landscape design, construction, maintenance, lawn care, snow and ice removal, lighting, and irrigation.
We install beautiful, functional landscapes. But our work doesn’t stop there. We’ll stay with you for the long haul, taking care of your property through all four seasons.
We serve residential and commercial properties in Idaho Falls, Rexburg and Pocatello, Idaho, as well as Bonneville, Madison and Bannock counties, call us at 208-656-3220 or fill out the contact form to schedule a no-obligation meeting with one of our team members. We can’t wait to hear from you.