Although many homeowners view fall as a time to reduce lawn upkeep and landscaping in Atlanta, GA, it is an excellent time to prepare your yard for the upcoming spring. It’s also an excellent opportunity to include any landscape and hardscape projects you’ve been planning for a while. After all, Atlanta’s warm climate allows you to enjoy those outdoor living areas, fire pits, and fireplaces well.

At Outdoor Makeover and Living Spaces, we offer top-notch backyard landscape design and build services in Atlanta and surrounding areas. This blog will gather information, tips, and resources on landscape ideas for yards in Atlanta, Georgia, and which grass, plant, shrub, and tree species will thrive in it.

5 Backyard Landscape Design for Atlanta, Georgia Yards

Best Soil and Grass in Atlanta, Georgia Yards

Georgia gardeners and landscapers favor loam soil. It is made up of sand, silt, and clay and is intended to minimize the undesirable characteristics of each type. Loam soil is productive, easy to work, and has excellent drainage. The most popular selections for fast-growing landscape grass species in Atlanta are:

Tall fescue (Festuca).
Perennial ryegrass (Lollium perenne)
Kentucky Bluegrass (Poa Pratensis)
Centipede grass (Eremochloa ophiuroides).
Saint Augustine (Stenotaphrum secundatum)
The plant Zoysia
Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon)

Note: Many people consider Bermuda grass species invasive grasses that grow quickly and spread rapidly. However, this grass can be found across the tropical and subtropical regions. It is extremely resistant to severe drought and rainy seasons.

Best Plants for Atlanta, Georgia Yards.

Whether you prefer floral plants, colorful plants, plants with thorns, or plants with enticing smells, there are many of species that flourish in Atlanta’s zone 7 and 8 temperatures. Consider the following for your yard’s garden area:

Fragrant Tea Olive (Osmanthus fragrances)
Sunflower (Helianthus Annuus)
Coleus (Coleus Scutellarioides)
Gerbera Daisies (Gerber Daisy)
Verbena (species)
Begonias (Bengonia)
Salvia (Salvia)

Note: Salvia, popularly known as sage, can produce red, purple, orange, white, or blue flowers. The tube-like flowers attract pollinators such as butterflies and hummingbirds to your landscape and garden.

Are you looking for professional landscape installers near me in Atlanta?

Best Shrubs for Atlanta Landscape

Shrubs have several applications in landscaping, including foundation plantings, privacy hedges, garden borders, and showpiece plants. Consider the shrub species listed below for your landscaping needs:

Juniper (Juniperus).
Cryptomeria japonica.
Holly (Ilex)
Gardenia (Gardenia Jasminoides)
Azaleas (rhododendron)
Arborvitae (Thuja).
Boxwood (Gardenia Jasminoides)

Best Trees for Atlanta Backyard Landscape Design

Tree roots retain soil in place and prevent erosion. Trees also mitigate the power of severe weather and considerably minimize runoff into sewers, streams, and rivers. Overall, trees increase water quality. These tree species are appropriate for zone 7-8 landscapes:

Red maple (Acer rubrum).
Thuja Green Giant (Standishii x Plicata).
Weeping willow (Salix babylonica)
Crabapple (Malus).
White dogwood (Cornus florida).
Callery pears (Pyrus calleryana)
Cercis canadensis (Redbud)
Maple (Acer)
Oak (Quercus)

Tip* Oak trees have been on the world much longer than humans. All of this species’ parts, from the body to the fruits, serve multiple functions for people and animals.

Water Features for Your Atlanta Landscape.

Outdoor landscape water elements offer sound, texture, and movement to landscape designs of all sizes, allowing homeowners to create a more natural atmosphere in their yards. Some of the most popular water features are:

Fountains
Ponds
Waterfalls
Streams
Water Garden
Birdbath

Low-Maintenance Landscaping Ideas:

Choose native plants:

Native plants that grow naturally in the Atlanta area are ideal for your low-maintenance landscape. Native plants have already adapted to local soils, precipitation, and pests, so they will require little aid from you once established. Look for native Georgia plants flourishing in Atlanta’s USDA hardiness zone 7b to 8a.

Some Native Plants to Consider:

Native trees: Do you want a huge tree that your family may enjoy for years? You might try native trees like red maple, river birch, or sugarberry.
Native flowers: It includes black bugbane, fringed blue star, and partridge pea, would provide interest and color to a flower garden or planting bed.
Native shrubs: You could create a hedge with native shrubs such as fetterbush, winterberry, or southern wax myrtle.

Design A Water-Wise Xeriscape:

“Xeriscape” is a large intimidating word that simply refers to a drought-tolerant landscape that uses little water. Even though Atlanta is not in a drought, xeriscaping can help you save water. You will save money on your monthly water costs while also saving an essential natural resource.

Your xeriscape can take on almost any appearance you like. All xeriscapes will use drought-tolerant native plants, mulch, gravel, and hardscapes. However, you are free to express your creativity in layouts and color schemes.

Once you’ve created and executed your xeriscape, you won’t have to do much else to maintain it. It will only require water on rare occasions (or never if it rains heavily).

Add Hardscape Elements:

What requires less maintenance than native plants or a xeriscaped yard? Hardscapes! A hardscape is any aspect of your landscape that is not alive and growing. This comprises outdoor living areas, fences, paths, retaining walls, and water features.

Because hardscapes are not alive, you do not need to care for them except for periodic cleaning.

If you have a location in your yard that appears to lack something, try building a hardscape rather than new plants. A well-placed hardscape can improve your home’s curb appeal and increase its value.

You may also add a new function to your yard by installing elements such as patios and outdoor kitchens.

Mulch Multch Multch:

Adding mulch to your plant beds will improve their health and make them easier to maintain. Mulch suppresses weeds and helps plant roots retain moisture during the summer heat. That means you will no longer have to spend time on your knees in the earth removing weeds. It also means you won’t have to water the beds as often as you did previously.

Mulch can be formed from a variety of biological and inorganic elements. Wood chips, shredded bark, and pine straw are some of the most commonly used organic mulches. Inorganic mulch, such as rubber mulch, gravel, and pebbles, lasts longer than organic mulch since it does not degrade in the soil.

Get Professional Landscaping Services For The Atlanta Metro Area:

Since 2001 with combined landscaping expertise, our expert Atlanta landscape installers near me are highly trained specialists who understand every facet of the landscape industry. Outdoor Makeover and Living Spaces is dedicated to providing consistent, exceptional service regardless of your budget or the project size. We handle everything from landscape to hardscape, porch to deck building, and everything under one roof.

So, what are you waiting for? Discuss your dream outdoor project with us today!

Backyard Landscape Design Ideas For The Fall Season