Landscape design in Birmingham, MI: A plan that fits the lot you have.
Jake at HD Landscape walks your Birmingham lot first, then draws a plan around your light, your trees and the city's rules on what can go where. Lots here are small, shaded and looked at closely, so nothing on the plan gets to hide.
- Drawn for your light
- Built by our crew
- Free itemized estimate
A finished job, relit for evening
Design in Birmingham
On a small lot, the city weighs in before the plants do.
Two of every three single family parcels here sit in the R2 and R3 districts, where the minimum lot is 6,000 or 4,500 square feet. On a lot that size there is no back corner to hide a mistake, and the city has firm ideas about the front yard, the strip by the street and the plants themselves.
The front yard stays mostly green
The zoning code requires at least 65% of the front open space to stay vegetated, and pavers do not count as green, even permeable ones. A front walk 3 feet wide or narrower does not count as an impervious surface, and a wider one does. A big stone bed deserves the same measuring before it goes on the plan.
The old shade fixes are not allowed
English ivy and periwinkle, the old answers for a dark bed under a maple, are on the city's prohibited species list, along with euonymus, Japanese barberry and common privet. The list covers private yards too, so a plan here works around it from the start.
The strip by the street plays by other rules
The ground between the walk and the curb is public right of way. Plantings there are limited to 2 feet, street trees aside, and any improvement needs a Special Treatment permit from Engineering. Most of the time the design money does more inside the walk.
A rain garden can earn a credit
Birmingham charges a storm water fee and runs a Rain Garden Program for single family homes, with a fee credit for a garden that qualifies. It has to catch water headed for the sewer, which usually means the front half of the lot, and the city's guide says to keep it out from under existing trees. If you want one, say so at the walk through.
What you get
A design settles the layout, the plants and the water.
A design is the plan for the whole job, made by the company that builds it. It works out the pieces below, and the work they call for is itemized on your estimate.
- Property walk
You show Jake the yard and tell him what you want.
- Layout
Bed lines, stone and edging planned to fit the house.
- Plant plan
Plants picked for your sun and soil, spaced for full size.
- Water and grade
Where water goes, and any grading the yard needs first.
- The build
Our crew builds it, and Jake calls after to check in.
Estimates are free. Sprinklers are not part of our work, so have any system put in before we plant.
Picture it on a Birmingham front yard.
Swap the tree, the shrubs, the urns and the walk border on a full front yard, then send your favorite to Jake.
Open the Yard StudioIn Birmingham
Jake reads the lot first, then draws the plan.
Jake starts on the property, looking at where the sun lands, what the big trees are doing and where water runs after a storm. You tell him how you use the yard. He tells you what he would do and what he would leave alone.
You get the plan and an itemized estimate you can go through line by line. Our crew does the installation, so the person who drew the plan is the one answering for how it turns out. We work in Birmingham often, and we know the neighbors will be looking.
One calendar note: if your home sits in a local historic district, exterior work needs the city's approval first, and applications go in three weeks before the Historic District Commission meets. Ordinary maintenance does not go to the commission. We would rather plan for that than find out in May.
- Starts with
- Jake walking the property
- Estimate
- Free and itemized
- Built by
- Our own crew
- Not included
- Sprinkler systems
Jake with HD Landscape did an amazing job. We are the 3rd house he did on my street and he did AMAZING for each of my neighbors and me. He is reasonably priced, and most important of all he does quality work! You can tell he cares about doing the job right, and is very passionate. …
Amanda H.Trees and landscaping
I recently had the pleasure of working with HD Landscape to completely revamp my outdoor space, and I couldn’t be happier with the results. From start to finish, the experience was seamless and exceeded my expectations in every way.
Billy W.Outdoor space revamp
I am extremely impressed with the work HD Landscape has done. Great team - they were very responsive and communicative. Very happy we decided to work with them!
Gina D.Landscaping
Questions
What people ask about landscape design in Birmingham.
If yours is not here, call or text (586) 718-8762.
Do you do landscape design in Birmingham?
Yes. HD Landscape designs and builds landscapes in Birmingham, MI. Jake draws the plan around your light, your trees and the city's planting rules, and our own crew does the installation. Sprinkler systems are not part of it.
Do I need city approval for a landscape plan in Birmingham, MI?
Plants and beds on your own lot generally do not need it, but parts of a plan can. Anything in the right of way needs a permit from Engineering, and a new walk goes through the Building Department. Local historic districts cluster around downtown, Shain Park, Bates Street and the Mill Pond area, with a few single properties elsewhere, and exterior work there needs approval first. We will flag what we see, and the city has the final word.
What can I plant instead of ivy or vinca under a big tree?
In Birmingham, English ivy and periwinkle, also sold as vinca, are on the city's prohibited species list, so they are out. The right replacement comes down to how much light the spot gets and how much water the roots take. Hostas are a common start, since they can live in deep shade, though they want extra water under shallow rooted maples and deer like them. For evergreen shrubs, the city suggests yews and inkberry holly as alternatives to boxwood.
Can a rain garden lower my storm water bill in Birmingham?
It can. The city gives a storm water fee credit for a qualifying rain garden on a single family lot, and its Rain Garden Program has its own applications and asks you to keep the garden up for two years. Location decides a lot of it: on a typical lot the front half drains to the street, so a rear yard rain garden may not qualify. Confirm the current terms with the city before you build around the credit.
Do deer eat new plantings?
They can. Birmingham notes that deer have adjusted to living in and around urban areas, and it suggests choosing plants they do not like. If deer come through your yard, tell Jake at the walk through so the plant list can allow for it.
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Background: a finished job, relit for evening
Free estimate
Get your Birmingham estimate.
Tell us about the yard and where in Birmingham it is. Jake will take a look and give you an itemized estimate.