Unique Garden Plantings

Extraordinary Landscape

No two pieces of property are the same, and nor would we want them to be. Your outdoor spaces should be every bit as special as your home or business.

Every landscape design we create is unique, beautiful and custom tailored to meet the needs and desires of each client we work with. We have such a large number of landscaping structures, tools and practices in our arsenal, that it’s nearly impossible for any one landscape to use every feature we offer. But the one thing we do for every single client we contract with, is integrate unique garden plantings into the designs we create for custom gardens, landscapes, and outdoor living areas.

Adding distinctive or unusual plants can take an ordinary landscape design and transform it into a one-of-a-kind work of horticultural art. These “accent plantings” in our landscape designs bring your property out of the realm of a usual, everyday yard and turns it into a striking space that you’ll be proud to show off. We love taking the opportunity to create a touch of unexpected drama that will be sure to have your neighbors, guests and passersby talking about, admiring, and maybe even envying your property.

What Makes a Plant Unique?

When we say that we use unique plantings, we aren’t necessarily talking about exotic plants from the other side of the world whose names you might have trouble pronouncing. Instead, we look at unusual features when deciding what works best for creating a wow factor for focal points in your landscape. Some reasons we might suggest a plant for your yard are the shape, color, branching habits, uncommon leaf or trunk texture, or the striking nature of its flowers when they are in bloom.

Of course, our client’s needs always come first. We will work with you to determine which plants are the best fit for your yard, your vision, and your lifestyle. For example, you may be looking for a low maintenance landscape design. In that case, we might suggest a tree that can survive with minimal care. The waterfall-like branching habits of weeping trees create beautiful, graceful shapes that you might expect to find in the forest of a fairy tale.

We recommend a variety of plantings to our clients, such as:

Trees

Ornamental plants

Foliage plants

Perennial foliage

Ground covers

Grasses

Year-round flowering plants

Other popular choices for plants include various other weeping trees and shrubs, such as the weeping white spruce, weeping mulberry, or weeping pea shrub. Vibrantly colored Red Barron crab apple trees or the more softly colored hydrangea and Miss Kim lilac are also among some of our favorites.

Slowing down and taking a moment to really enjoy what nature has to offer is what a great landscape is all about. That’s why we also love to incorporate plants that attract butterflies and hummingbirds in the spring and summer.These additions will make your garden spring to life, adding an entirely new dimension to your property’s charm.

Healthy Plants, Happy Clients

Unique garden plantings can be added to any space, large or small. You won’t have to worry about your new plant’s ability to thrive, because we carefully consider every detail of your landscape’s environment, as well as our client’s needs. Soil and moisture conditions, sunlight, and maintenance needs all play a factor in our recommendations. Our aim is to beautify and enhance your home and outdoor space by helping you select the appropriate trees, shrubs, flowers and plants for your spaces.

Our founder, Laura as well as out team, has extensive training and practical experience in horticulture. Drawing on our expertise and then taking into consideration the conditions of your spaces, we will recommend only those plantings which will stay healthy and look great, whether you intend to care for them yourself or opt in for our seasonal maintenance service. We also use our own special soil mix for all of our garden beds to give your new plants the healthiest start in its new home.

If you’ve got a particular plant in mind, let us know. We’ll offer our advice about how it might fit in with the rest of your landscape, and we’ll be honest if it’s not the best fit for the Minnesotan climate, or for your property. (But we’ll be happy to offer alternatives!)

They May Look Exotic, But They’re All Home-Grown

All of the plants and plant materials we use in our unique custom landscapes come from farmers and suppliers right here in Minnesota. Sourcing from local suppliers not only supports Minnesota businesses, but saves you time and money overall.

Buying sight-unseen is never a good idea, so we always hand select and tag each specimen on behalf of our clients. With our experts selecting for you, you can be sure you’re getting a healthy, quality plant that gives off just the atmosphere and appearance you’re looking for.

Creating Landscapes With a Sense of Balance

At ALD, we believe that a great landscape is never one-note. While we love using the unexpected in our designs, our unique plantings are only stunning because we pair them with more conventional plant life and a variety of features that serve to create contrasts and comparisons.

We are proud to offer a diverse selection of beautiful flowers, trees and other plant life for your yard, but we also know that plants alone are not enough to unleash the full potential of your property. Creating the right balance between plants and features such as patios, hardscapes, stone work and outdoor living areas is what brings a landscape design together. We would love the chance to talk with you about how our unique plantings can work together with our other services to create a truly one-of-a-kind landscape for your property.