Landscape Design in St. Clair Shores, MI

Why plan it

Decide what goes where before a single bed gets cut.

Landscape design is a plan for the whole property: where the beds go, which plants go in them, how the stone and edges run, and how water gets away from the house. HD Landscape plans all of that around your yard, then builds it.

Most yards were never planned. A shrub went in here, a bed got cut there, and twenty years later nothing lines up. A design looks at everything at once, so you do not end up paying to redo the same corner twice.

How you use the yard, from the dog to the view out the kitchen window
How much sun and shade each bed really gets
Where water goes now, and whether the grade needs work first
Plants chosen for their full grown size, not their size on the truck
What stays: good trees and healthy shrubs get planned around

A large brick home with arched windows, a Japanese maple and curved clipped beds — Curved beds on a large brick home

What we look at

The yard decides most of the plan.

A good design starts with what is already there. We read these on the walk, and each one changes the plan.

Sun and shade
Plants do not read the tag. We look at how much sun each bed actually gets, after the house and the big trees take their share, and choose from there.
Water and grade
Clay is common across Metro Detroit, and it holds water. If the ground slopes the wrong way, no plant choice will save it, so yard grading goes in the plan first.
Full grown size
Small shrubs set close to the house are the classic mistake. They look tidy the day they go in, then spend the next decade pressing against the siding. Leave room for the plant it will become.
Road salt and snow
Beds along a drive or street take salt and plowed snow all winter. Purdue Extension rates eastern white pine as sensitive to salt spray, so it belongs back from the salted edge.
Big trees
Big trees usually stay, and the plan works around them. MSU Extension says about 80 percent of a tree's roots sit in the top 18 to 24 inches of soil, so soil should not get piled over them to make a bed or a flat lawn. A big tree that has to come down is a job for a tree company, not our crew.
All four seasons
A yard should still look like something in January. Evergreens, stone and clean bed lines carry the winter, and flowers and fall color get layered in around them.

Try it on

Pick the bed before we dig it.

Mulch or stone, dark or light. The bed material sets the look of the whole yard, so try the options here and tell Jake which one suits your house.

A curved raised bed in front of a brick ranch, with the ground cover changing as you pick each option — One of our real beds, finished in black mulch. The other four are digital previews, so treat the colors as a guide.

One of our real beds, finished in black mulch. The other four are digital previews, so treat the colors as a guide.

Design and build

The plan and the build are one job.

At HD Landscape the design and the build go together. The plan gets made for our crew to build, and the itemized estimate follows it line by line. Nothing gets lost between the person who planned it and the person holding the shovel.

It suits people who want one company on it from the first walk to the last rake. If you are after a drawing to put out for bids, tell Jake that on the walk, so you both know where you stand.

The owner walks the property and writes the estimate himself
Our crew builds it, so the plan is made with the build in mind
Every part of the plan gets its own line on the estimate

Ask Jake about your yard

Jake Hendricks, owner of HD Landscape, on the phone in sunglasses and a company polo, sitting on a Bobcat skid steer with a chainsaw at his feet — Jake Hendricks, owner

Why it works

Yards go wrong between the plan and the build.

There are three common ways to get a new yard, and any of them can work. Here is where the trouble usually starts, and why we do it the third way.

A drawing, then bids
Who plans it
A designer who may never see it built
Who builds it
Whoever wins the bid
The numbers
Come later, from someone else
After the crew leaves
Depends who you call
A crew, no plan
Who plans it
Nobody, really
Who builds it
A crew working it out as they go
The numbers
Often one lump sum
After the crew leaves
Depends if they pick up
What we do
Design and build
Who plans it
Jake, on your property, with you
Who builds it
Our crew, from that plan
The numbers
Itemized before we start
After the crew leaves
Jake calls you

Try it

Start your design right here.

Illustration of a brick colonial with a white dogwood, mixed foundation beds and a perennial border along the walk

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 Studio

Before and design

The plan, on the real yard.

Two of Jake's designs, each laid over a photo of the yard it was made for. Drag the line to compare the yard with the plan.

The design: a weeping willow in a round bed of hydrangeas and grasses in the front lawn, lit at dusk — **One lawn, one big idea**A plain front lawn gets a weeping willow in a round bed of hydrangeas and grasses.

Before: a white brick colonial with a plain lawn and a car in the drive — **One lawn, one big idea**A plain front lawn gets a weeping willow in a round bed of hydrangeas and grasses.

The design: a low block planter of white hydrangeas and grasses along the ranch, with a striped lawn — **Overgrown to one clean line**The tired shrubs out and a low block planter of white hydrangeas and grasses in, with the lawn brought back.

Before: overgrown shrubs and a worn lawn in front of a brick ranch with a yellow door — **Overgrown to one clean line**The tired shrubs out and a low block planter of white hydrangeas and grasses in, with the lawn brought back.

Start to finish

From first walk to last rake.

Walk
You show Jake the yard, what bothers you and what you want from it. He tells you what he would do and what he would leave alone.
Read the site
We look at sun, shade, drainage, soil, how materials will get in, and which plants and trees deserve to stay.
Plan
The bed lines, plants, stone, edging and grade get worked out with you, to fit the house and the way you use the yard.
Estimate
The plan becomes an itemized estimate you can go through line by line, with no pressure.
Build
The crew shows up when we said. The right order is ground first, then stone and edging, then plants, then mulch or sod, and the job site gets left clean.
Follow up
Jake calls when the crew is done and goes over watering. We can do the watering or keep the yard up each month if you want.

The estimate is free. Ask Jake how a full design is handled on your project before any planning starts.

Finished work

Plans that made it into the ground.

A few of our 200+ projects. Curved bed lines, clipped hedges and stone borders, each one planned for the house behind it.

A clipped hedge on a curved stone bed, in fall
Sweeping beds around a brick patio
Island bed with boulders beside the patio
Courtyard planting with a low stone border
New planting along a tudor front
An island bed in a wide lawn

Close to home

In St. Clair Shores, start with the water.

St. Clair Shores is home base for HD Landscape, on the west side of Lake St. Clair. Zoning allows one family lots from 6,000 square feet inland, and lakeshore districts start at 20,000, so the same plan rarely suits both.

Small lots that show everything
On a small lot, every foot of the front bed counts. A few well placed plants and one clean bed line usually do more than a solid row of shrubs.
Clay that holds water
USDA soil maps put poorly drained clay loams across most of the city, on ground with very little slope. So the plan starts with where the water will go, raised beds can make sense in the wet spots, and plant choices come after that.
Yards near the water
The city has 14 miles of canals, and those yards and the lakefront take the wind off Lake St. Clair. High water flooded parts of town in 2019 and 2020, so a plan here should allow for wet ground and keep the view of the water open.
Ask the city before moving dirt
Michigan generally requires a soil erosion permit for earth changes within 500 feet of a lake or stream, and St. Clair Shores runs that program itself, not the county. Ask early, so the plan you fall in love with is one you can build.

What customers wrote

One street, three houses.

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
Jake is a no pressure, skilled landscaper with excellent communication abilities. Contracting, communicating and paying for services are seamless, and Jake is reliable on time estimates. Highly recommend.
Mark R.Landscaping

Read every review on Google

Questions

What people ask about landscape design.

The things people ask us most before booking. If yours is not here, call or text (586) 718-8762.

Do you do landscape design in St. Clair Shores?

Yes. HD Landscape designs and builds yards in St. Clair Shores, MI, where the company is based and works often. Most of the city sits on slow draining clay, so a plan here usually deals with the water first. We also work across Metro Detroit, including Grosse Pointe, Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills and Rochester. Call or text Jake at (586) 718-8762.

What does a landscape design include?

A landscape design from HD Landscape covers the layout of your beds, the plants, the stone and edging, and how water leaves the yard. It starts with Jake on the property with you, because what works depends on the yard in front of him. Our crew then builds it, and the estimate lists each part on its own line.

Is landscape design free?

The estimate from HD Landscape is free. For a full design, ask Jake how it is handled when he sees the yard, before any planning starts. Our plans are made for our own crew to build, so the plan and the build go together.

How much does a landscape design project cost?

The yard sets the number: how big it is, how much the grade has to change and what goes in. Two yards the same size can land far apart if one needs grading first. Jake prices it once he has seen it, and there is no charge for the estimate. It comes itemized, so every piece of the plan has its own line.

Do you build the landscape you design?

Yes. HD Landscape plans the job and our crew builds it, so one company is on it from the first walk to the follow-up call. Jake also calls after the crew is done to check how it went and go over watering.

How long does landscape design take?

A front bed and a full property are very different jobs, so Jake can give you a clear idea once he has seen the yard. On the build side, some jobs wrap up in a day and bigger ones take longer.

When should I start planning a new landscape in Michigan?

Start before the season you want it built, because the plan comes before any ground work. We work in Michigan while the ground is workable. For new trees, the Michigan DNR recommends spring or fall, and Michigan State University Extension leans toward spring because new roots stall as the soil cools.

Can you design a landscape for clay soil?

Yes. Clay is common in southeast Michigan and drains slowly, so the plan deals with drainage first and plants go in at the right depth. The Michigan DNR says a tree's root flare should sit level with the top of the hole or slightly above it.

Do you design low maintenance landscapes?

Yes, if that is what you want. Low maintenance mostly comes from the right plant in the right spot, with room for its full grown size, so you are not cutting it back every year. Monthly landscape maintenance is there for upkeep you would rather hand off, and what a visit covers is set on your estimate.

Can you design just my front yard?

Yes. A front yard or a single problem area is a fine place to start. Jake will look at how it connects to the rest of the property, so a later phase does not mean undoing this one.

Do you install sprinklers as part of a landscape design?

No. HD Landscape does not install sprinkler systems. If you want one, have it put in before the planting, and we will plant around it. New plants still need steady water, and we offer plant watering while they settle in.

Do you design commercial landscapes?

Yes. We work on residential and commercial properties. Entry beds, planters, hedges and stone along a building get planned the same way as a home, with the same itemized estimate.

Background: a finished job, relit for evening

Free estimate

Tell us about the yard.

What do you want to change, and what do you want to keep? Text a photo if that is easier, and Jake will come look and write it up as an itemized estimate.

To talk now, call or text(586) 718-8762 Text us a photo of the yard

Landscape design in St. Clair Shores, MI and across Metro Detroit: Drawn for your yard. Built by our crew.

Decide what goes where before a single bed gets cut.

The yard decides most of the plan.

Sun and shade

Water and grade

Full grown size

Road salt and snow

Big trees

All four seasons

Pick the bed before we dig it.

The plan and the build are one job.

Yards go wrong between the plan and the build.

A drawing, then bids

A crew, no plan

Design and build

Start your design right here.

The plan, on the real yard.

From first walk to last rake.

Walk

Read the site

Plan

Estimate

Build

Follow up