Shrub Planting Service and Tree Planting — Foundation Plantings
Dead junipers in front of the picture window, a bare foundation on a new house, or a fence line that needs screening — planted right so it is still alive in three years.
JMB Builders is a shrub planting service and tree planting crew for the Twin Cities metro and north to St. Cloud. We plant foundation shrubs along the house, a privacy row along a fence, or a shade tree in the yard: holes dug wide, root flare set at grade, backfilled and watered in, staked only if needed, and mulched with the mulch off the trunk. You pick the plants or we bring a list. Priced per project.
- Priced per project, by plant count and size
- Root flare at grade, holes dug wide not deep
- Hardy plants for the Minnesota zone and your light
- Utility locate before we dig
- Licensed MN contractor BC809005
Most shrubs that die in the first two years were planted wrong: too deep, in a hole the size of the pot, in soil that never drains, with mulch piled against the stem. The plant sits in a clay bowl, the roots never leave the pot shape, and the trunk rots at the mulch line. Planting is a small job that gets done badly a lot, so this page is about the part that matters.
The right way is simple. Dig the hole wider than the root ball and no deeper. Find the root flare, the spot where the trunk widens into roots, and set it at or just above the finished grade; nursery plants often come with the flare buried in the pot, so it has to be found. Cut circling roots. Backfill with the native soil, water it in to settle it, and mulch over the root zone with the mulch pulled back from the stem. Stake a tree only if it cannot stand on its own, and take the stake off after a season.
We plant along the house most often: the foundation row that frames the front, sized so it is not blocking the windows in five years. Privacy rows along a fence, a tree to shade the patio, and replacing the shrubs that died are the rest. Plants come from a nursery you like or one we use, and we help you choose for the zone, the light and the space.
What you supply
- The plants, or tell us what you want and we bring a list sized for the spot and pick them up
- Where they go, or a photo of the house and the look you want; we lay them out with you before digging
- Sprinkler heads and lines pointed out, and any private lines such as a run to a garage or a well
- Water after we leave: we set a schedule for the first season, or an irrigation adjustment if you have one
What JMB supplies
- Utility locate before we dig
- Layout with you: pots set in place and moved until the spacing looks right from the street
- Holes dug wide and to the right depth; clay soil loosened and amended where it needs it
- Root flare found and set at grade, circling roots cut, plant set straight
- Backfill with native soil, watered in to settle, a soil berm to hold water on new trees
- Staking on trees that need it, with soft ties, to be removed after a season
- Mulch over the root zone and pulled back from stems and trunks
- Removal and haul-off of dead or unwanted shrubs and their roots
- Photos of the finished planting in your job folder
How it is priced: per project
Quoted in writing from your photos within one business day. What moves the number:
- Number of plants and their size: a small shrub in a pot is a hand-dug hole; a large balled-and-burlapped tree is a machine and two people
- Whether we source the plants or you have them on site
- Soil: sandy soil digs fast, heavy clay is slow and needs amending
- Old shrubs and roots to remove first
- Access: front foundation from the driveway vs. a backyard through a gate
- Bed prep, edging and mulch in the same visit, quoted as their own line
- Watering setup: a berm and hose schedule, or adjusting a sprinkler zone
Send a photo of the spot from the street or the yard and say how many plants and what kind, or what you want it to look like. We quote from that, with a plant list if you want one.
How long it takes
A foundation row of shrubs: a half day to a day including removing the old ones. A single tree: a couple of hours. A privacy row along a fence: a day.
How your project works
- 1
Send photos, get a written quote
Send three photos of the space and a sentence about what you want. You get a clear, itemized quote within one business day. We only come out to measure first when the job needs a tape measure — no pressure, no games.
- 2
Pick materials, or bring your own
We help you choose profiles and materials that fit the house and the budget, or match your existing millwork exactly — or you buy the door or trim yourself and we install it. Everything is confirmed before the crew is scheduled.
- 3
Clean, precise installation
The crew shows up on time, protects floors and furniture, and installs with tight joints and consistent reveals. Photos of the finished work go in your job folder.
- 4
Walkthrough and invoice
We walk the finished work with you. If anything is not right, we fix it before we call the job done. Then one invoice, paid by check or direct deposit — no card fees, no payment links.
Situations and options
Foundation plantings along the house
The row in front of the house: evergreens for winter, a flowering shrub or two, sized so nothing blocks a window in five years. Set far enough from the siding that they can grow and you can get behind them.
Replace dead shrubs
The junipers or yews that died in front of the window come out with the roots, the soil is loosened, and new shrubs go in at the right depth. Usually the old ones died from planting depth or a downspout, so we check both.
Privacy row along a fence or lot line
Arborvitae or another upright evergreen spaced to fill in, or a mixed row of shrubs that screens without being a hedge. Planted in a bed cut into the lawn so the mower can get by.
Shade or ornamental tree
One tree in the front yard or over the patio. Hole dug wide, root flare at grade, staked only if the wind calls for it, a berm and mulch ring so it holds water its first summer.
New construction landscaping
A new house with bare dirt around it: foundation beds cut and edged, shrubs and a tree or two planted, mulched, ready for sod or seed on the rest. Sized to the house so it does not look like a nursery in three years.
Shrub Planting Service and Tree Planting — Foundation Plantings: questions, answered
When is the best time to plant shrubs and trees in Minnesota?
Spring after the ground thaws, and early fall, are the two best windows: the plant has cool weather and rain to get roots down before it has to survive heat or a hard freeze. Container plants can go in through summer if they are watered, but they need more attention. Late fall planting, after the leaves drop, works for many trees as long as there is time for the ground to settle before it freezes.
How far from the house should foundation shrubs be planted?
Far enough that the shrub at its mature width does not touch the siding, plus room to walk behind it. Most plants are set too close because they are small in the pot. We plant to the mature size on the tag, which puts the row farther from the house than most people expect and leaves a gap that closes in a few years. That gap also keeps moisture off the siding and lets you get to the windows.
Why do my shrubs keep dying in front of the house?
Usually one of four things: planted too deep with the root flare buried; a downspout dumping on them or, the opposite, a roof overhang keeping all rain off them; mulch piled against the stems; or road salt in a bed near the driveway. When we replace shrubs we look at all four, fix the depth and the mulch, move or extend the downspout, and pick a plant that tolerates the spot.
Do you help pick the plants?
Yes. Send a photo of the spot and tell us the look you want, and we bring a short list of plants that are hardy for the Minnesota zone, fit the light the spot gets, and stay the right size. We pick them up from a nursery or you can buy them yourself and we plant what you bring. We stay away from plants that will outgrow the space or that deer in the area eat to the ground.
Should a new tree be staked?
Only if it cannot stand on its own or the spot is windy. A tree that is staked when it does not need it grows a weaker trunk. When one is needed we use soft ties that do not cut into the bark, loose enough that the trunk can flex, and the stakes come out after one growing season.
How much do I water new shrubs and trees?
A deep, slow soak a couple of times a week for the first season, more in hot dry weeks, less when it rains; the goal is soil that is moist down at the roots, not wet on top every day. New trees get a soil berm around the hole so a hose left on trickle fills it and soaks in. We leave a watering schedule, and if you have irrigation we check that the zone actually reaches the new plants.
Get a written quote for this job
Three photos and a sentence is enough. You hear back within one business day. Or text the photos to 763-204-2099.
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Read morePage reviewed September 24, 2026 · JMB Builders LLC, MN license BC809005 · All landscaping pages
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