Hi, Jo Ann! I want to welcome you to the area. I live only a few miles from Travelers Rest, a little more north. I don't have any experience with most of those plants since I only have a full sun yard. Have you looked them up on the internet? I think some of them get pretty big and your yard seems to be pretty shady already. I am envious of the shade - I only have one large tree and it is in the far corner of my yard. If you were going to be in this area the October 2nd, there is going to be a Native Plant sale in Greenville.

Yes, I would definately talk to the architect. I don't know how he could design something for you when he doesn't really know you. I see so many homes that have the same old, same old landscaping. You know what I mean?

Dear drjoann upstate 7b,
That is a beautiful house. The windows are fantastic. I also like its woodland setting.

I don't mean to be harsh in this comment, but whoever told you that lilacs cannot be grown in South Carolina doesn't know what he/she's talking about. In colonial times, settlers migrated from Virginia down wagon roads into northwestern South Carolina, the last frontier of the state, bringing with them boxwoods, lilacs, and other familiar ornamental and fruit-bearing plants from home. Lilacs have, thus, been grown in the South Carolina Piedmont for generations. However, in our area the problem with "generic" lilacs is that our climate is too hot for them to thrive. Therefore, old-fashioned lilacs frequently tend to look pitiful. That being said, there are numerous relatively new, named lilac varieties that have been introduced into the American nursery trade. Many of these new lilac cultivars have been bred for warm-climate sections of the United States (Zones 7b-8 and possibly into Zone 9). I don't know the names of these varieties, but a number of highly reputable mail-order nurseries supply them. Forest Farm, in the Pacific Northwest, offers a number of the heat-tolerant lilacs. They ship nationwide and have an excellent, secure Website. Check with them for heat-tolerant lilacs (www.forestfarm.com); and by all means, ditch that either ignorant or prevaricating landscape architect.

Most of the list is not native, and a few plants are even on the invasive list, at least in NC. And yes, it looks like a list that "could have been done for anyone." Too bad. You need to ask him to show you HOW he met your requests and requirements or WHY he did not. (Lilac, for example, since Jay indicated there were options here.) Too much money to have something you actually did not ask for! This happened to me 25 years ago, and I still hate and ignore what is around the house. (Hubbie doesn't want me to pull everything out!) Good thing I have seven ac. as I work in the woods and plant the things I really love.

Having said all of this, Greenville County is a wonderful area. I think you will love it and feel very welcome there. I grew up very near Traveler's Rest...played in the woods but wasn't interested in plants then. I did know how green it was and enjoyed the wildness. Your house is lovely, and I am sure you can get some changes that will meet your needs. Be strong! Insist on their listening to you and not follow "typical" landscaping!

Welcome to the Carolina's! Though I live in Raleigh NC, I have friends that live in the upstate of SC so I have spent time in that area. You'll love the weather compared to coastal TX.

The list is full of trees that get too big for the empty spots I see in the photos - do they intend to build beds out away from the house or use these trees up near the house? It looks like a generic list of common bushes/trees that do well in the area. There's nothing special or native about it.

I would express my concern and see if they will allow you to amend the list before they get started. Better suited plants are available, these guys are just taking the easy route. You're paying them to work a bit harder.

JoAnn,
There is a local nursery that has an excellent reputation and deals in natives.
I do not know if I can mention the name of the company here.
e-mail me if you are interested.

I also have the name of a Greenville landscaper who deals with natives. However, you may be contractually bound to use the one who gave you the generic list? Email me off list if you want to try a new person.

This retired landscape person noted several things while viewing your photos:
1. Your house has been well designed as it does not need landscaping. Yes, you will plant but it is rare to find an architect who designs a total structure 'down to the ground' the way yours is.
2. If the sidewalk between driveway and front steps has not been installed plan to swing it out in a curve allowing plenty of bed planting space. Don't run it in a straight line close to the building.
3. Suggest you take your time. Level off the disturbed land. Sod that bit of lawn you desire and have a crew heavily spread pine bark mulch over all bare soil to control any winter erosion problems. Wait until you are in the house before making any landscape decisions.

4. As lsst points out, there is an excellent nursery in the area. Wildlife probably is going to be a problem. Take your time. Talk with the nursery. Study deer resistant plants. You are retired. Live with this lovely piece of land for a few months. Experience the light and shadows. Where do you want color and texture? Don't let a landscape crew come in and just plug in plants all at once. You have a definite thought in mind. Listen to yourself.

What a lovely house!!

It sounds like you have an image in your mind about how you want things but the landscaper has a different image of 'how it should be'. No matter how pleasing to the eye the final outcome may be, if it's nothing like what you see in your mind you won't be happy with it. If you look at the list and think ... "Well, it's nice, I suppose. It'll look pretty, I guess.", ditch it. You don't want to sit on your porch with a good cup of coffee and think "I wish...". You want to sit on the porch and think "My hummingbirds really love that little flower- so do I."

To me, there's two types of landscaping. Get the job done and ooh-la-la. I have a steep slope where nothing wants to grow and I'm worried about erosion. It's totally a get-the-job-done type of project.

Otherwise, I go for ooh-la-la. Specifically, MY ooh-la-la. It's MY yard and though I'm not above distant dreams of 'envy of the neighborhood', my goal is to please me.

Your house is ooh-la-la. It deserves an ooh-la-la yard, lol.

Were it me, and repeating some already given good advice, I would...

-Wait. It's easier to plant what one wants then rip out what somone else wanted and replant. If everything is done when you move in, within a year you'll wish plant 'a' was a little more to the left, plant 'b' was in the back instead of the front, and that plant 'c' had never set root on your land, lol. Where you think you want an herb garden now may change after you've lived there a bit.

-I love the idea of a curved walkway. Instead of having the landscaper work on the actual planting, have them work on the bones of the yard instead. Walkway, driveway, etc. As suggested by someone else, have them mulch the rest.

-I also think you can find a lilac that will be happy in your yard. I've lived all over the east coast have seen lilacs everywhere. In fact, when I lived in Conway, SC we had the biggest lilac bush I've ever seen growing near the front porch.

-Have the landscaper test the soil. I live on a lot that was once forest and I have fairly acidic soil. I try to work with that as much as possible. I don't have the inclination to go against nature and fight a never-ending pH battle with my yard.

-Once you know what soil you're working with, look up local wildflowers. I live in NC and NC native plant society has a webpage that lists all the common plants of NC, whether or not they are native, where they commonly grow, and has a huge photo gallery. I really like that I can browse the photos since 'that little blue flower' may have several names. It also lists the invasives which is good to know. Even if you don't want to plant all wildflowers, it will give you a good idea of what species grows well in your area.

-Work with a local nursery. The list you have looks like it came out of a "Landscaping with Lowe's" catalog. Don't get me wrong, I have plenty of plants from Lowe's. However most of my ooh-la-la plants came from the local nursery.