Landscaping can get expensive, but it needn’t. Removing old, overgrown trees and shrubs can get pricey, requiring special machinery and labor-intensive manpower.

Insisting on exotic evergreens and hybrid plants often translates to higher prices, including shipping costs for bringing them in from far away.

Use locally grown plant materials well-adapted to southern Indiana’s growing conditions. Designscape grows and nurtures viburnums, hydrangeas, redtwig dogwoods, river birches and Norway spruces—all great for your yard or garden.

For walkways, retaining walls and patios, use local sandstone and limestone found in our parts. Pennsylvania bluestone and northern granite look nice, but are pricey to bring home to Indiana.

Use ground covers such as common periwinkle and pachysandra to reduce erosion, weeds and mulching requirements, and improve moisture retention for all surrounding plants. For plants that like hot, dry conditions, such as sedums, lavender, herbs and spireas, use gravel and rocks for rock gardens, Japanese gardens and herb gardens to cut down on remulching. These plants like rock and gravel.

Use perennial flowers and ground covers that come back year after year, including deer-resistant, drought-tolerant Shasta daisies, Russian sage, coneflowers and bearded irises. Minimize annual flowers to focal-point containers to minimize replacing annual flowers each year.

Use a local landscaper so you’re not paying for long hauls of bulky items at high gasoline costs. Designscape, operating in Bloomington, Brown County and Columbus, is well-positioned to minimize your transportation costs.

Finally, plan ahead. “Think spring” before it gets here. Spring landscaping often gets to be a madhouse. Avoid the frustration and cost of competing with your neighbors by contacting us in late winter. One of our designers will meet you on your home turf, hear your concerns and put you on a path to attractive, sustainable landscaping.

Then, wait for our trained, able technicians, along with the designer, to appear on your doorstep. Problem solved!