Landscaping - Gardening - Lawn Care

Keeping costs down may be the toughest landscape challenge. Use our price guide as a starting point.

Flowers, Shrubs, Grasses

Generally, starting small keeps plant costs under control; however, it may be years before your landscape matures. Larger plants cost more, but provide instant results. If you buy large trees, you may need professional help transporting and installing them.

With all plants, the price varies with rarity and quality. For annuals and perennials, buying seed and starting plants indoors is almost always cheaper than purchasing bedding plants.

How Much Sand, Soil, Mulch?

When buying sand, soil, rocks, mulch, and other loose landscaping materials, it can be hard to estimate how much you'll need for a project. Materials may be sold by volume (cubic feet or cubic yards) or by weight (tons).

A ton (2,000 pounds) of anything may seem like a lot, but if it's a dense, compact material, such as sand or soil, a ton might not cover as much as you think -- particularly if you are spreading it to a depth of a few inches. A ton of dirt, sand, or gravel will fill up less than a cubic yard (27 cubic feet; a space 3 feet long, 3 feet wide, and 3 feet deep). Here are some other helpful guidelines.

A cubic yard of soil, compost, or mulch fills about this much space:
* 320 square feet to a depth of 1 inch;
* 160 square feet to a depth of 2 inches:
* 107 square feet to a depth of 3 inches;
* 80 square feet to a depth of 4 inches.

- A cubic yard of soil weighs more than 2,000 pounds; a cubic yard of sand or gravel weights nearly 3,000 pounds.
- A ton of 1/4- to 3/4-inch-diameter decorative rock spread 2 inches deep will cover 110-120 square feet.
- A ton of sand or pea gravel spread 2 inches deep will cover about 100-120 square feet.
- Most full-size pickups hold 2 to 3 cubic yards of dirt, sand, gravel, or mulch; however, maximum weight capacity may limit you to carrying less. A single-axle dump truck holds 5 to 7 cubic yards of loose-fill material. Larger trucks may hold more than 10 cubic yards.

Better Homes and Gardens

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