If you have a backyard that you want to spruce up, you can do so by landscaping the area with some plants. You can put as many or as few plants in your backyard as you prefer. Fewer plants will mean less maintenance, but you may only achieve a lush looking backyard by adding many more plants. You do not need any gardening experience to landscape your backyard with plants.

Prepare your soil for planting by adding peat moss, compost or commercial multi-purpose soil to the ground. This gets your yard ready for new plants.

Look at the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map on the U.S. National Arboretum website if you are not sure what plants will grow in your region. Once you know your hardiness zone, you can look on potential plants for a tag that states what zone they grow best in.

Add shrubs and lavender to line any walkways you have in the backyard. Make identical plantings along each side of the walkway.

Plant roses, shrubs and small flowers around any structures in the yard, such as a gazebo. Or you can create a flower bed around the perimeter of the structure. If you are worried about the plants getting enough water, choose plants that do not need much. Plants that grow well with little water include shasta daisies, lamb’s ears, echinacea, yarrow and lavender.   If you have any trellises or gates, plant roses and any climbing plants that grow well in your region.

Group plantings around any trees in your yard. This results in falling leaves creating natural mulch as well as making it easier for when you mow your lawn. If you are concerned about difficulty when mowing, keep the plants at tree bases and in rounded flower beds. Rounded beds are easier to mow around that square or rectangle beds. As your group plants together, do not over crowd too many in one space or they will compete for water and nutrients.

Put taller plants in the back of the yard so that you will be able to see the smaller plants. For example, if you have a gated or fenced yard, keep the taller plants, such as tulips, closer to the fence while keeping smaller plants, such as pansies, in the front. Group plants together that are higher maintenance. For instance, if you have some plants that require more frequent watering, put them together so that you will not over water your other plants when trying to water the ones that need a lot of water.

Include some non-plant features in the yard so that it will not be bare in the cooler months. Use things such as rocks, fountains and benches if space permits.