First of all, be sure you know if you have a homeowner's association that has landscaping rules. If you do have a HOA, you may be obligated to have certain plants or to NOT have certain plants or structures. I knew someone once whose HOA had an "approved" list, and you could only plant what was on the list.

Secondly, with clay soil, you MUST improve it if you want to have a standout landscape. Clay soil is improved with the addition of organic material.....compost, composted animal manure, soil conditioner products that are mostly humus and or compost and or fine bark, pine bark fines, etc. Everything will grow better with improved soil, and improved soil holds moisture longer and requires less irrigation.

Third, we all could list plants we think would look nice, but we can't "see" your house and your landscape, so it is hard to know what would look nice in your yard, with your house. One thing you can do is drive around and look at houses that have landscaping you like. Make notes of what you like, and use your notes to help you draw up a landscaping plan.

Fourth, plan for year-round interest. It is easy to have an attractive landscape in spring and summer, but a little harder in fall, and very hard in winter. Be sure to include plants that have great fall color and SOMETHING of interest in the winter months. For interest in winter, you can use evergreens, berry-producing plants, trees or shrubs that have interesting bark colors or exfoliating bark, etc.

Fifth, plan a waterwise yard that does not require extensive irrigation.

Sixth, plant in layers. Your lawn is one layer, ground covers are usually another since most grow taller than grass but shorter than shrubs, intermediate-sized shrubs are yet another layer, and trees are another. Don't forget that you can add vertical interest by growing vines too.

Seventh, for a really interesting yard, plant flowers that attract butterflies and hummingbirds. (There's no point in doing this, though, if you are going to use poisonous pesticides that will harm the butterflies and hummers.)

Eight, add a water feature. There are many attractive water features you can add....everything from ponds and waterfalls to fountains or even small container-sized water gardens.

Ninth, remember that a landscape needs structure, not just plants. You can use ornamental fencing, gates, arbors, trellises, benches, etc. to add some structure to your landscape.

Finally, go to a bookstore and look for a good book on landscaping. You want one that not only gives you ideas, but also tells you how to implement them. A good book is a tool that is worth its' weight in gold.

Also, plant what YOU like. Your landscape is an extension of your home and you want it to reflect your creativity, your interests, your likes, etc.

If it is too hard for you to decide what to do on your own, hire a REPUTABLE LANDSCAPE DESIGNER.....not just some person who mows lawns and trims shrubs and calls himself (or herself) a landscaper. A good landscape designer or architect will ask you a lot of questions about what you like and what your want to achieve, and then will draw up a plan that will help you to do just that.

Good luck,

Dawn