Landscape Planning & Design Services in the Fox Valley

Your backyard should feel like an extension of your home – a place to relax, entertain, and enjoy your property in a way that fits how you actually live. But getting there takes more than choosing a patio or planting a few shrubs. This article is meant to give you a summary of the most-important steps: Planning & Design.

At Lowney’s Landscaping, our Planning & Design process helps homeowners in Appleton, the Fox Valley, and Northeast Wisconsin turn ideas into a clear, coordinated plan for their entire outdoor space, and without shortcuts that would otherwise turn into expensive mistakes.

Whether you’re dreaming about an outdoor living area, new landscaping, or a complete backyard transformation, this is where it all begins.

First, where are you on our website and what is this page for? If you are planning an Outdoor Living upgrade (deck, pergola, kitchen, patio, etc.) OR if you are planning a landscaping build (new planting beds including mulch and rock, trees, perennials, a new home build, etc.) then this page is for you because Planning & Design comes first. We will walk you throw that all-important first step on this page, then guide you to your next steps.

If you only want or need landscaping maintenance (mowing, mulch or stone into existing beds, spring and fall cleanups) then use the Residential Maintenance button below. Commercial customers (landscaping maintenance OR design/build) skip ahead to your Commercial page.

Residential Landscaping Planning & Design: How Lowney’s Landscaping is Different

We’ll start by explaining who we are and what we do, but you should also watch the video on our About Us page. Here’s a summary of how we explain our process and how we’re different.

We have consultants with decades of experience. The landscaping consultants in the Fox Valley with the most experience tend to wind up gravitating to Lowney’s Landscaping. Our lead sales consultant is beyond 30 years of experience and our owner is almost there.
We have a full landscape design team led by the most-experienced and talented landscape architect in the area.
Lowney’s has a full-time maintenance team that (sorry, have to say it again!) is the most talented and experienced in the area. Our maintenance leaders and crews have won multiple awards.
Our landscaping crews are full-time, year-round, and fantastic. They are not seasonal or stopgap. They’re good at what they do and they care about what they do. You will very quickly know their names and appreciate how hard they work.
Lowney’s has an on-staff carpenter and specialists in areas like outdoor audio and lighting.
Lowney’s Tree Service is the 5X winner of Best of the Valley and your project will have access to their expert arborists.

In other words, we have the largest and most complete landscaping company in the area, and we focus on building trust from clients who would prefer to have things done correctly the first time. Read our Reviews and watch our About Us video for more detail.

Why Planning Comes First

Most outdoor projects fail for one simple reason: They weren’t planned as a complete system.

Patios get built where a pergola should have gone.
Trees get planted where a future firepit belongs.
Lawns get installed … then torn up a year later for drainage, walls, or lighting, and planted again.

A well-designed yard doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when everything – hardscape, plants, drainage, lighting, and how you use the space – is thought through before construction begins.

That’s what Landscaping Planning & Design is for.

Designing for How You Actually Live

A beautiful backyard is nice. A backyard that works for your life is better. That’s why our first step isn’t drawing plans – it’s understanding you.

We talk through things like:

How many people you usually host
Whether this is a quiet retreat or an entertainment hub
How much sun and shade you want
How often you really use things like firepits, grills, or seating areas
How your needs might change over time (kids, pets, retirement, etc.)

This allows us to design spaces that don’t just look good in photos – they make sense every day you use them.

One Plan That Ties Everything Together

Your outdoor space is not one project; it’s a system of projects.

Your plan might include:

An Outdoor Living area (patio, deck, pergola, firepit, outdoor kitchen)
Landscaping (beds, trees, lawn, privacy plantings, drainage, grading)
Lighting, audio, steps, walls, and more

The Planning & Design process makes sure all of those pieces fit together, so you don’t have to redo work later.

This is what allows us to phase projects intelligently, install utilities before concrete is poured, and make sure today’s choices don’t limit tomorrow’s options.

Our Planning & Design Process

Every project starts with three core stages:

Your Ideas & Inspiration: You’ve probably been collecting ideas for years – photos, websites, magazine clippings, notes. We encourage you to bring them. This gives us insight into your style, priorities, and what excites you about your outdoor space. We also are not intimidated when somebody wants to take an active role in the planning of their dream space. We will do this together.

Consultation & Site Evaluation: Next, you’ll meet with one of our landscape consultants. We walk your property, discuss your goals, review your budget range, and talk through what’s realistic for your space and timeline. This is where rough ideas become real possibilities.

Professional Landscape Design (When Warranted): For larger or more complex projects, we move into formal design. This is where our landscape designers and landscape architect develop detailed plans that include:

Layouts and elevations
Plant selections
Drainage and grading
Electrical and lighting
Material choices

This stage takes time – typically several weeks – because everything has to work together. It only begins once you are a client, because it involves significant professional work. It is quite common for people to want that step before they sign. We’re letting you know now that our design team is busy and talented and access to them isn’t free.

Avoiding the Most Common (and Costly) Mistakes

Most outdoor regrets come from skipping the planning stage.

We see things like:

Patios built too small
Firepits placed where they don’t get used
Grills too close to the house
Lawns installed where future hardscapes were planned
Electrical and lighting added later at much higher cost

A Master Plan prevents all of that by making sure the entire property is considered before construction starts.

Planning for Phases, Budgets, and the Future

Not every project happens all at once – and that’s OK.

A smart design allows you to:

Build in stages
Install footings, conduit, and utilities now
Add features later without tearing things apart

This saves money, prevents disruption, and keeps your long-term vision intact. Very often we recommend just finishing the project all at once; other times that doesn’t make sense from a planning or budgetary standpoint. We’ll talk that through with you.

More Research: Links to your next articles

Your next step is to decide this: Are you planning an Outdoor Living upgrade (including decks, patios, kitches, etc.) or only a Landscaping upgrade (planting beds, mulch & rock, etc.)? If you are planning an Outdoor Living space, you have three articles to read, with links below.

First, read this article about how to plan an Outdoor Living space, with advice from our seasoned consultants.

If you are planning an Outdoor Living space, which means structures like decks and patios and pergolas, here are three research articles. First, read this article about how to plan an Outdoor Living space, with advice from our seasoned consultants.

Next, learn about all of your options to include in your Outdoor Living space, including patios, decks, pergolas, firepits, kitchens, seating walls, water features, and more. Our Outdoor Living page offers more advice on how to plan for a project that you won’t regret years down the road and includes a video to watch.

Finally, read all of your landscaping upgrade and enhancement options. This is where you’ll plan the perennials, trees, planting beds, lawn care, and every “living thing” that will be part of the project.

Only Need Landscaping Upgrades & Enhancements?

If you ONLY need landscaping “softscape” upgrades (mulch and stone, planting beds, trees and plants, but no decks, patios, outdoor kitchen, etc.), then proceed below. This article will help walk you through your options with plants, trees, lawns, bed care, grading and water management, privacy screens and more.

Rather just talk to a landscaping consultant? Contact us so you can start the process.