Fancy Yard Landscaper Agent Skill

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                    LANDSCAPE DESIGN FLOW                         │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                                  │
│  1. DOCUMENT         2. ANALYZE           3. DESIGN              │
│  ├─ Photos (all      ├─ Sun/shade         ├─ Zones (public/     │
│  │  angles, times)   │  mapping           │  private/utility)   │
│  ├─ Measurements     ├─ Soil conditions   ├─ Focal points       │
│  └─ Existing plants  └─ Drainage          └─ Plant palette      │
│                                                                  │
│  4. VISUALIZE        5. PHASE             6. IMPLEMENT          │
│  ├─ AI renders       ├─ Priority items    ├─ Seasonal timing    │
│  ├─ Plan drawings    ├─ Budget tiers      ├─ DIY vs. hire       │
│  └─ Plant lists      └─ Year 1/2/3+       └─ Maintenance plan   │
│                                                                  │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

ESSENTIAL SHOTS:
├── Overview from each corner of property
├── From each window looking out
├── Problem areas (drainage, erosion, bare spots)
├── Existing plants you want to keep
├── Neighbor views you want to screen
└── Architecture details for style matching

TIMING:
├── Morning (east sun exposure)
├── Midday (overhead sun/shade patterns)
├── Evening (west exposure, golden hour beauty)
├── If possible: winter vs summer foliage

INCLUDE IN FRAME:
├── Property lines/fences
├── Utility boxes/meters
├── Windows and doors
├── HVAC units, septic covers
└── Overhead wires

ARBORVITAE (Thuja) - Everybody's First Choice

Common types:
├── 'Emerald Green' - Narrow, 12-15' mature height
├── 'Green Giant' - Fast, 40-60' mature height
└── 'American' - Native, 40-60' mature height

THE PROBLEMS NOBODY TELLS YOU:
├── Deer LOVE them (will eat to sticks in one winter)
├── Bagworms can devastate entire hedges
├── Heavy snow/ice breaks branches (often permanently)
├── Root-bound nursery stock often fails
├── They brown from inside out as they age
├── 'Emerald Green' often dies in extreme cold
└── They look sparse for 3-5 years before filling in

VERDICT: Consider carefully. Have backup plan.

VERY FAST (3-5' per year):
├── Hybrid Willow - 6-10'/year, but SHORT-LIVED (15-20 years)
├── Lombardy Poplar - 6'/year, but DISEASE-PRONE, messy
├── Leyland Cypress - 3-4'/year, but BAGWORM/DISEASE susceptible
└── Eastern Red Cedar - 2-3'/year, TOUGH but slow to fill

FAST (2-3' per year):
├── Cryptomeria 'Yoshino' - 3'/year, graceful, deer-resistant
├── Green Giant Arborvitae - 3'/year, if deer aren't an issue
├── Dawn Redwood - 2-3'/year, deciduous but stunning
└── Nellie Stevens Holly - 2-3'/year, evergreen, berries

MEDIUM (1-2' per year) BUT BETTER LONG-TERM:
├── Eastern White Pine - 2'/year, soft texture, needs space
├── Norway Spruce - 2'/year, classic, very hardy
├── Canadian Hemlock - 1'/year, shade-tolerant, elegant
├── American Holly - 1'/year, native, wildlife value
└── Southern Magnolia - 1-2'/year (zones 7+), broadleaf evergreen

THE HARD TRUTH:
Fast growth often = weak wood, disease problems, short lifespan
The best privacy screens are planted 10 years ago.
Second best time: this fall.

How quickly do you NEED privacy?
├── ASAP (1-2 years)
│   └── Consider fence + fast growers
│       ├── Fence provides immediate privacy
│       └── Plants soften and eventually replace
│
├── Medium-term (3-5 years)
│   └── Plant mid-sized specimens now
│       ├── 6-8' plants ($100-300 each)
│       └── Mix species for resilience
│
└── Long-term thinking (5+ years)
    └── Plant smaller, healthier stock
        ├── 3-5' plants ($30-75 each)
        ├── Establish better root systems
        └── Outperform larger transplants within 5 years

BUDGET REALITY:
├── Cheap/fast route often needs replacing in 10-15 years
├── Quality/patient route lasts generations
└── Consider: which will you regret more?

FULL SUN (6+ hours direct sun):
├── Most flowering shrubs (roses, hydrangea paniculata)
├── Ornamental grasses
├── Fruit trees
├── Most privacy hedges
└── Lavender, salvia, coneflowers

PART SHADE (3-6 hours sun):
├── Hydrangea (macrophylla, quercifolia)
├── Azaleas and rhododendrons
├── Japanese maples
├── Hostas, ferns
└── Astilbe, heuchera

FULL SHADE (less than 3 hours):
├── Hostas, ferns, wild ginger
├── Pachysandra, vinca groundcovers
├── Canadian hemlock (privacy)
├── Some hydrangeas (oak leaf)
└── Coral bells, bleeding heart

DEER-RESISTANT (not deer-proof):
├── Ornamental grasses
├── Lavender, Russian sage, catmint
├── Boxwood (usually)
├── Japanese pieris
├── Barberry (invasive in some areas)
├── Most ferns
└── Daffodils, alliums

DEER CANDY (they WILL eat):
├── Hostas
├── Arborvitae
├── Rhododendrons and azaleas
├── Tulips
├── Daylilies
├── Roses
└── Most fruit trees

STRATEGY IN HIGH-DEER AREAS:
├── Accept some plants are off the menu
├── Deer fencing (8' minimum for dedicated deer)
├── Repellent rotation (they adapt)
├── Plant sacrificial perimeter
└── Native plants deer evolved with = more resistant

COLONIAL/TRADITIONAL:
├── Formal symmetry
├── Boxwood hedges, foundation shrubs
├── Classic perennial borders
├── Brick or stone paths
└── Traditional roses, hydrangeas

MODERN/CONTEMPORARY:
├── Asymmetric, sculptural
├── Ornamental grasses, architectural plants
├── Minimalist plant palette (repeat!)
├── Concrete, steel, gravel hardscape
└── Green walls, dramatic specimens

CRAFTSMAN/BUNGALOW:
├── Naturalistic, arts-and-crafts feeling
├── Native plants, cottage garden style
├── Stone walls, wood arbors
├── Mix of formal structure + flowing plants
└── Ferns, hostas, informal hedges

FARMHOUSE:
├── Mix of utility and beauty
├── Kitchen gardens, cutting gardens
├── Picket fences, informal hedges
├── Heirloom varieties
└── Meadow plantings, pollinator gardens

MID-CENTURY MODERN:
├── Bold, geometric
├── Desert-adapted or sculptural plants
├── Specimen trees (Japanese maple, olive)
├── Gravel, aggregate, pavers
└── Indoor-outdoor flow

SPRING (after last frost):
├── Annuals and tender perennials
├── Warm-season grasses
├── Container plantings
└── Vegetable gardens

FALL (6 weeks before freeze):
├── Trees and shrubs (BEST TIME)
├── Spring bulbs
├── Cool-season grasses (seed)
├── Perennial divisions
└── Garlic

WHY FALL PLANTING IS BEST:
├── Roots grow while tops are dormant
├── Winter rain establishes roots
├── Less transplant shock (cool temps)
├── Plants are often on sale
└── Spring = immediate growth

YEAR 1 (Bones):
├── Trees (they take longest)
├── Major hardscape
├── Irrigation rough-in
└── Screening/privacy plants

YEAR 2 (Structure):
├── Large shrubs
├── Paths and borders
├── Irrigation refinement
└── Raised beds if desired

YEAR 3+ (Flesh):
├── Perennials and groundcovers
├── Fine-tuning
├── Annual color spots
└── Maintenance refinement

BUDGET TIP: This phasing lets you spend money
where it matters most first (trees!).

For Stability AI / Ideogram renders:

PROMPT STRUCTURE:
[style] landscape design, [house type], [key plants],
[season], [time of day], [specific features],
professional landscape photography, magazine quality

EXAMPLE:
"Modern farmhouse backyard landscape design,
green giant arborvitae privacy screen along fence,
ornamental grasses in foreground, stone patio,
early autumn, golden hour lighting,
native pollinator garden border,
professional landscape photography"

REQUEST MULTIPLE ANGLES:
├── Front elevation
├── Backyard overview
├── Patio-eye-view
└── Aerial/plan view