A beautifully landscaped property and a healthy Lake Leelanau should not be competing goals. With thoughtful planning, we can have attractive lawns, gardens, patios, and lake access while also reducing erosion, filtering runoff, and protecting water quality. The challenge is finding a landscaper who understands that a lakeside property is not just another yard. Lake properties have special needs and, as property owners, we usually have different desires.
Do Some Homework First
Before calling landscapers, talk with neighbors and friends about their experiences with contracting a landscaping service. Ask what went well, what they would do differently, whether the company stayed within budget, and how the landscaping has held up over time. Check their websites and see if you can get referrals from past and present jobs.
As you travel around the lake, notice properties you find attractive. Take notes about specific features you like, such as natural planting beds, shoreline buffers, pathways, patios, or ways of preserving the view. These examples will help a landscaper understand your preferences and show that lake-friendly landscaping can be both beautiful and functional.
Also think about whether the project can be completed in phases. You might begin by correcting drainage, preserving existing plants, or improving one section of shoreline, then add other elements over several years. Ask whether there are portions you can reasonably do yourself, such as planting, mulching, or ongoing maintenance. A good landscaper should be willing to help you establish priorities and develop a long-term plan, not pressure you to do everything at once.
Start With Asking Your Landscaper One Open-Ended Question:
How would you design and maintain this property to help protect Lake Leelanau?
Then let the landscaper answer without suggesting what you want to hear.
A lake-friendly professional should talk about slowing and absorbing runoff, preserving existing vegetation, using native plants, reducing chemical applications, protecting the shoreline, and selecting plants suited to the property's soil, sunlight, moisture, and exposure.
Be cautious if the answer focuses only on creating a lush lawn, improving the view, clearing vegetation, adding irrigation, or installing stone along the water. Those may be elements of a larger plan, but they should not come at the expense of the lake.
Ask How the Property Drains
A good landscaper should study where water comes from and where it goes. Roofs, driveways, patios, compacted soil, and closely mowed lawns can all move stormwater rapidly toward the lake.
- Where does runoff flow during a heavy rain?
- Can downspouts be directed into planted areas?
- Could rain gardens, swales, or other features help water soak into the ground?
- Will the project disturb soil or create a new path for runoff?
- How will exposed soil be protected during construction?
The best time to address drainage is before the landscaping is installed, not after a major storm carries soil and mulch toward the lake.
Discuss Native Plants and the Shoreline Buffer
Native trees, shrubs, grasses, sedges, rushes, and flowering plants generally have deeper root systems than turf grass. Those roots help hold soil, absorb nutrients, filter runoff, and create habitat.
Ask how much experience the company has with plants native to northern Michigan. Request examples of completed projects and ask how those landscapes performed after several seasons.
A lake-friendly plan does not have to block the view or eliminate access to the water. A natural shoreline buffer can include a path, selected openings, lower-growing plants, and space for swimming and boating. The Michigan Natural Shoreline Partnership recommends a natural greenbelt approximately 20 to 35 feet deep along roughly 70 percent of the shoreline.
Example schematic drawings of a natural shoreline landscaping plan on a site with higher wave energy. Riprap is used in conjunction with other natural shoreline stabilizing elements, such as coir logs and a natural vegetation buffer, to help withstand the erosive energy of larger waves.
Use Extra Care with Shoreline Work
Routine landscaping and shoreline restoration are not the same thing. If a project involves erosion, removal of aquatic plants (discouraged), seawalls, riprap, dredging, or reshaping the shoreline, look for specialized experience.
Ask whether the contractor is a Michigan Certified Natural Shoreline Professional. This training covers lake-friendly erosion control and bioengineering methods. The Michigan Natural Shoreline Partnership maintains a list of professionals who have completed the certification program. Its website also has lists of native plants, site examples & permitting information. Lake Leelanau Lake Association’s Shoreline Stewardship website also has lists of local landscapers and local nurseries that carry native plants.
Certification does not guarantee the right result, but it indicates that the contractor has received relevant training. Also ask who will determine whether EGLE, county, or township permits are required. Any work below the Ordinary High Water Mark requires a permit from EGLE. Be wary of anyone who dismisses the need for permits without reviewing the site and proposed work.
Put the Plan in Writing
Once you select a landscaper, include your environmental expectations in the written proposal. Identify which vegetation will remain, which native species will be planted, where fertilizer and pesticides may or may not be used, how runoff will be handled, and how disturbed soil will be stabilized.
A written plan can also specify which work the landscaper will perform, which portions you will complete yourself, and how future phases will fit into the overall design. This prevents a maintenance crew from later mowing down a shoreline buffer, removing desirable native plants, or applying chemicals where they were not intended.
Keep an Eye on the Ongoing Project
Follow along with the landscaper's progress as the project develops to ensure your plan is being followed. If any work is done that significantly disturbs soil on shore or at the shoreline, a silt fence or turbidity curtain may be required. Keep an eye on those structures to make sure they're still intact and preventing sediment from entering the lake.
Choose a Partner Not Just a Service
The lowest bid may not represent the best long-term value. A landscaper who selects plants suited to the site, reduces unnecessary lawn, manages water responsibly, and avoids routine chemical use may create a landscape requiring less irrigation, fertilizer, and maintenance over the long term.
Most importantly, choose someone who listens when you say that protecting Lake Leelanau is a priority. By hiring professionals who understand the connection between our properties and the water, we can create beautiful landscapes while preserving the lake's health and natural character.
Lake Leelanau Lake Association has a wealth of information on its website under the Shoreline Stewards tab. There are also past newsletter articles available on the website that can be helpful resources in your planning. The lake association also has a Shoreline Steward Ambassador program. Trained volunteers are happy to come to your property for a free consultation to help you down this exciting journey.
Schedule a Shoreline Consultation
Learn more about the program here, or click below to schedule your own shoreline consultation.
Main photo credit: Mark Bugnaski Photography