YARD MAKEOVERS FOR LESS

(Image credit: Barry Block Landscape Design & Contracting)

published 5 March 2009

Hiring a professional to design and create a beautiful landscape for your yard never is cheap. But we went in search of projects that cost $30,000 or less. That's no small change but is money well spent, considering a professionally landscaped yard can add up to 20% to your home's value.

Here are six inspiring transformations -- and the cost-saving moves the designers and homeowners used.

Navigation begins at your right.

Portland, Oregon

Cost: $10,000

Landscape Architect: Samuel H. Williamson Associates, Portland, Ore.

BEFORE: The homeowners wanted a woodland-inspired garden to replace their bald front yard, which had drainage problems. They also had a tight budget and a list of plants they wanted incorporated into the design.

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Portland, Oregon

Cost: $10,000

Landscape Architect: Samuel H. Williamson Associates, Portland, Ore.

AFTER: To help keep costs low, the landscape architects developed a plan to help with drainage, and the homeowners implemented it. The design team also ordered plants so the homeowners would have to pay just above wholesale prices. They also eliminated labor costs by arranging the plants on the property and letting the homeowners plant them and by designing stepping stone paths that the homeowners installed.

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Irvington, New York

Cost: $25,000

Landscape Architect: Artemis Landscape Architects, Brookfield, Conn.

BEFORE: The homeowners had a small backyard and wanted to remove the lawn. Instead, they wanted a shady garden. Luckliy, a fence around the property eliminated the need to worry about selecting deer-resistant plants.

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Irvington, New York

Cost: $25,000

Landscape Architect: Artemis Landscape Architects, Brookfield, Conn.

AFTER: Artemis Landscape Architects had to begin by removing clay soil and adding organic material, topsoil and sand. Then Artemis founder Tara M. Vincenta created a path of grass through a garden of hostas, ferns, hydrangeas, andromeda and other shade plants.

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Mission Hills, Kansas

Cost: $9,000

Landscape Architect: Landworks, Edwardsville, Kan.

BEFORE: Whenever it rained the homeowners would see pools of water in their front yard. They had hired an engineer to design a drainage system, but the problem wasn't solved after it was installed. So the homeowners turned to landscape architect Andy Wright of Landworks to find a solution.

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Mission Hills, Kansas

Cost: $9,000

Landscape Architect: Landworks, Edwardsville, Kan.

AFTER: Wright proposed installing inlets to help surface water drain and used landscaping to help protect foundation. Landworks built low retaining walls in front of the house and near the driveway, filled the areas with topsoil and added plantings. The drains were placed in front of the wall nearest the house. Landworks also laid sod in the front yard. Now the homeowners see a beautiful garden instead of a soggy yard.

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Portland, Oregon

Cost: $10,000

Landscape Architect: Samuel H. Williamson Associates, Portland, Ore.

BEFORE: The challenge was to turn a narrow back deck with no seating into an area where the family could hang out. Also the home was only five feet from the neighboring house, so the homeowners wanted some privacy. "When one person is sitting on the back porch and a neighbor comes out, you have guests," says Sam Williamson, the landscape architect who was hired for the design project.

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Portland, Oregon

Cost: $10,000

Landscape Architect: Samuel H. Williamson Associates, Portland, Ore.

AFTER: Williamson used the porch's existing structure and posts as arm rests and built a cantilevered 35-foot-long bench out just far enough that it could accommodate seating but wouldn't encroach on the small yard area the homeowners shared with neighbors. He took inspiration from the home and gave the bench and screen a Victorian touch with lots of intricate detail work.

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Darien, Connecticut

Cost: $25,000

Landscape Architect: Artemis Landscape Architects, Brookfield, Conn.

BEFORE: The owners were renovating their house and wanted to improve their outdoor area, as well. They asked the designer to create a contemporary dining terrace.

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Darien, Connecticut

Cost: $25,000

Landscape Architect: Artemis Landscape Architects, Brookfield, Conn.

AFTER: Although the project was small, it involved pricey materials, such as the Chinese granite used on the terrace. And it was labor intensive -- all the black river pebbles on the terrace were set by hand, for example. The design team also installed sod, hedges, perennials and potted plants.

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Amagansett, New York

Cost: $30,000

Landscape Architect: Barry Block Landscape Design & Contracting, East Moriches, N.Y.

BEFORE: The builder of this newly constructed home in the Hamptons had done some landscaping, but the landscape designers basically had a blank slate. The homeowners wanted the landscaping to screen out unwanted views and provide an outdoor room that would reflect the home's interior. They wanted the plantings to provide year-round interest and have an English-garden theme.

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Amagansett, New York

Cost: $30,000

Landscape Architect: Barry Block Landscape Design & Contracting, East Moriches, N.Y.

AFTER: The design team had to bring in topsoil, compost and mulch and install sod, lighting, fencing and stonework near the pool (not pictured). They also salvaged plants installed by the builder and the owner's English boxwoods to create a new landscape design with additional plantings, including perennials, ornamental grasses, several dogwood trees and an alley of hydrangeas along the side of the house. The project won the Long Island Landscape and Nursery Association's Gold Award for residential design ½ acre or less.