Take advantage of the winter months and start planning your design for spring while the weather is cold.
While most Twin Cities homeowners view winter as dormant time for outdoor projects, savvy property owners understand that late fall through winter represents the perfect opportunity for landscape planning and design. The months from November through March—when gardens sleep under blankets of snow—offer unique advantages for homeowners ready to transform their outdoor spaces. At Minnesota Landscapes, we've discovered that clients who engage in off-season planning consistently achieve better results, lower costs, and earlier project completion than those who wait until spring urgency hits.
This comprehensive guide explores why winter planning delivers superior outcomes and how Twin Cities homeowners can leverage the off-season to create the landscapes they've always envisioned.
Every April and May, landscape companies across the Twin Cities face the same scenario: phones ringing nonstop, email inboxes overflowing, and schedules filling months in advance. Homeowners who delayed planning suddenly realize that:
Peak Season Scheduling Challenges: The best design-build firms book spring and early summer projects months in advance. Waiting until spring to begin planning often means mid-summer or even fall installation dates—missing an entire season of enjoyment.
Compressed Timelines: Spring projects face pressure to complete quickly before summer heat. This compressed timeline can compromise design quality, material selection, and installation excellence as crews rush to finish before the next project.
Limited Availability for Consultations: During peak season, design teams have minimal time for lengthy consultations. The thoughtful, collaborative design process that creates truly exceptional landscapes gets squeezed by scheduling demands.
Material Procurement Challenges: Popular materials, plants, and specialty items often face spring shortages. Early-season demand depletes inventories before suppliers can restock, limiting design options or forcing substitutions.
Weather Delays Compound Problems: Spring's unpredictable weather—late snow, heavy rain, delayed ground thawing—can push timelines back weeks, creating frustration as prime outdoor season slips away.
Homeowners who embrace off-season planning discover multiple compelling advantages that more than compensate for snow-covered sites and bare deciduous trees.
Winter consultations happen without the urgency that characterizes spring and summer. Design teams have time to:
Explore Possibilities Thoroughly: Rather than rushing through options, winter consultations allow comprehensive exploration of design alternatives, material choices, and feature integration.
Develop Multiple Concepts: Our design team at Minnesota Landscapes can develop several design concepts, allowing clients to compare approaches and select elements from different options.
Refine Details: The extra time available in winter permits attention to details that might be overlooked in rushed spring consultations—lighting integration, drainage solutions, seasonal interest planning, and long-term maintenance considerations.
Research and Education: Clients have time to research plants, materials, and features between consultation sessions, leading to more informed decisions and greater satisfaction with final designs.
Our design team's availability during off-season months means:
Longer Consultation Sessions: Without the pressure of multiple daily appointments, winter consultations can extend as long as needed to address all questions and concerns.
Multiple Revision Opportunities: Design revisions happen quickly during winter rather than competing with dozens of other projects requiring attention.
Responsive Communication: Questions receive prompt, detailed responses rather than brief replies squeezed between meetings.
Personal Attention: Clients receive the full focus of designers who aren't juggling installation supervision, client meetings, and emergency calls simultaneously.
Winter planning provides significant material selection benefits:
Complete Availability: Manufacturers, quarries, and specialty suppliers have full inventories available rather than depleted spring/summer stocks.
Custom Orders Welcome: Projects requiring custom-fabricated elements, special-order pavers, or unusual plant materials benefit from the extended timeline winter planning provides.
Trend Access: Be first to access new products and materials released for the upcoming season rather than discovering popular items are unavailable.
Price Negotiations: Some suppliers offer off-season pricing incentives or are more willing to negotiate on larger orders when demand is lower.
Winter planning delivers tangible financial advantages:
Off-Season Pricing: Some contractors offer winter planning incentives or installation discounts for projects scheduled during slower periods.
Budget Time: The extended timeline allows clients to plan financing, save for upgrades, or adjust project scope based on budget without installation pressure.
Accurate Estimates: With ample time for detailed planning, estimates reflect actual project scope rather than hasty assessments, reducing unexpected costs.
Value Engineering: Time permits exploring cost-effective alternatives or phasing strategies that maintain design quality while fitting budgets.
Tax Planning: For clients timing projects around tax refunds or fiscal year-end bonuses, winter planning aligns perfectly with financial planning cycles.
Perhaps the most valuable advantage: clients who complete winter planning secure priority installation scheduling for spring.
First in Queue: Winter planning clients get first choice of spring installation dates rather than competing for limited availability.
Optimal Timing: Projects can be scheduled for ideal installation windows—early spring for tree and shrub planting, late spring for perennials and annuals.
Weather Contingency: With priority scheduling, weather delays don't push projects into unfavorable summer heat or fall's compressed timeline.
Crew Allocation: Premier crews become available for winter-planned projects rather than being assigned wherever immediate needs exist.
Understanding the winter planning process helps clients make the most of this strategic approach.
Even under snow cover, experienced landscape designers conduct thorough site assessments during winter consultations.
What Designers Evaluate:
Indoor Planning Benefits: Much of the consultation occurs comfortably indoors, reviewing existing photos, discussing lifestyle needs, and exploring design possibilities without weather constraints.
At Minnesota Landscapes, our designers bring extensive photo portfolios, material samples, and planning tools to winter consultations, making them as productive as summer site visits while being far more comfortable.
Winter's unhurried pace permits thorough exploration of how clients want to use outdoor spaces:
Lifestyle Considerations:
Long-Term Vision: Winter planning encourages thinking beyond immediate needs to five, ten, even twenty-year horizons. This long-term perspective creates landscapes that evolve beautifully rather than requiring complete renovations.
With ample time available, the design development phase becomes truly collaborative:
Concept Development: Initial concepts explore different approaches—formal vs. naturalistic, high vs. low maintenance, entertainment-focused vs. garden-centered.
Material Selection: Clients can review actual samples of pavers, stone, lighting fixtures, and other materials rather than making decisions from catalogs under time pressure.
Plant Selection: Winter permits careful consideration of plants' seasonal characteristics. Our team creates planting plans that ensure four-season interest, not just spring and summer color.
Feature Integration: Patios, lighting, water features, and other elements integrate seamlessly when time permits careful planning rather than being added as afterthoughts.
Revision Opportunities: Multiple revisions happen naturally during winter planning rather than requiring rescheduling and delays.
Winter provides time for thorough technical documentation that prevents installation problems:
Detailed Plans: Complete construction drawings with dimensions, specifications, and installation details
Drainage Design: Proper grading and drainage solutions prevent water problems that plague rushed projects
Lighting Plans: Comprehensive electrical planning integrates exterior lighting effectively rather than adding it as an afterthought
Irrigation Design: Efficient irrigation systems integrate seamlessly when planned from the start
Material Specifications: Detailed specifications ensure contractors supply exactly what designs require
Cost Estimates: Comprehensive estimates based on complete plans rather than preliminary concepts
Winter site evaluation offers unique insights often missed during growing season:
Deciduous trees' bare branches reveal winter solar exposure patterns critical for:
Snow cover and melt patterns make drainage issues highly visible:
Landscape "bones" stand out during winter:
One of our favorite success stories illustrates winter planning's advantages. A Woodbury homeowner contacted us in November with frustration about a cookie-cutter yard lacking privacy and personality. Rather than waiting until spring, they engaged in our winter planning process.
Winter Planning Phase (November-February):
Spring Implementation (April-May):
Results: The homeowners enjoyed an exceptional outdoor space throughout that first summer while neighbors who waited until April to begin planning were still weeks from starting construction. The project won design recognition and has required minimal maintenance due to thorough planning.
Off-season planning strategies vary based on property type and homeowner goals:
Properties in Apple Valley, Cottage Grove, and other developing areas particularly benefit from winter planning:
Properties needing complete landscape overhauls benefit from winter's planning time:
Properties receiving targeted improvements benefit from winter planning's coordination advantages:
Ready to embrace strategic off-season planning? Here's how to begin:
Create Your Vision Board:
Assess Your Current Landscape:
Contact Minnesota Landscapes to schedule your winter design consultation. During initial contact, discuss:
Work closely with your designer through concept development and refinement:
Winter's relaxed pace makes material selection enjoyable rather than stressful:
Secure your preferred installation timeline:
Winter planning benefits extend beyond landscape design to other services:
Winter is ideal for planning comprehensive tree care programs:
Off-season is perfect for planning exterior lighting improvements:
Winter reveals hardscape issues requiring attention:
Different Twin Cities areas present unique considerations in winter planning:
Lakefront Properties (White Bear Lake, Dellwood): Lake effects moderate temperatures but increase exposure to wind and winter sun damage. Winter planning addresses these factors with appropriate plant selection and wind protection strategies.
Urban Properties (Minneapolis, St. Paul, Edina): Heat island effects and limited space require careful planning maximizing small areas while addressing reflected heat and limited root zones.
Suburban Developments (Eden Prairie, Eagan, Shoreview): Newer properties often need complete landscape establishment, making winter planning essential for coordinated development.
River Valley Properties (Mendota, Mendota Heights, Afton): Slopes, views, and unique microclimates require specialized planning best addressed during unhurried winter consultations.
Southern Suburbs (Rosemount): Open exposures and windy conditions factor into plant selection and feature placement.
Homeowners sometimes hesitate to engage in winter planning due to misconceptions:
"Won't snow cover prevent accurate assessment?"
Experienced designers understand how to assess sites under snow cover, and many critical factors—structure, topography, views—remain clear. Additionally, reviewing summer photos and discussing site characteristics provides comprehensive understanding.
"Isn't it too early to think about spring?"
Spring arrives quickly in Minnesota! Projects requiring materials procurement, permits, or complex installation benefit from several months' lead time.
"What if I change my mind?"
Winter planning's extended timeline accommodates changes and refinements better than compressed spring schedules. Revisions are natural and expected during design development.
"Will prices change between now and installation?"
Comprehensive winter estimates lock in pricing for spring installation. Any significant material cost fluctuations are communicated before commitments are made.
When you choose Minnesota Landscapes for off-season planning, you benefit from:
Nearly Three Decades of Experience: Since 1996, we've helped thousands of Twin Cities homeowners create exceptional landscapes through all seasons.
Award-Winning Design Team: Our designers bring creativity, technical knowledge, and practical experience to every project.
Comprehensive Service Integration: We coordinate all aspects of landscape development—design, tree care, hardscapes, lighting, and ongoing maintenance.
Client-Centered Approach: Our GROWTH values—Great service, Reliable work, Ownership, Willing to go extra mile, Team commitment, Humility—guide every interaction and project.
Local Expertise: Deep knowledge of Twin Cities microclimates, soil conditions, and plant performance ensures designs perfectly suited to your specific location.
Professional Execution: Premium materials, skilled installation crews, and attention to detail ensure designs become reality exactly as envisioned.
Don't let another winter pass without positioning yourself for spring success. While others wait until spring urgency forces rushed decisions and compromised results, you can secure priority scheduling, optimal pricing, and thoughtful design that creates lasting value.
Contact Minnesota Landscapes today at 651-457-0000 or info@minnesotalandscapes.com to schedule your winter design consultation. Let's use the quiet winter months to plan the exceptional outdoor living space you've been envisioning.
Our comprehensive winter planning services include:
Serving homeowners throughout the Twin Cities including White Bear Lake, Shoreview, Rosemount, Dellwood, Woodbury, Apple Valley, Eden Prairie, Edina, Minneapolis, Mendota, Mendota Heights, Eagan, St. Paul, Cottage Grove, and Afton.
Winter's quiet months offer the perfect opportunity to create something extraordinary. Let's make it happen together.
