A new deck changes the way you use your backyard. But once the framing is done and the boards are down, there’s usually a ring of bare dirt, displaced mulch, and trampled grass where the construction happened. The landscaping around your deck is what ties the whole project together — it softens the transition between structure and yard, adds privacy, and makes the space feel finished rather than bolted on.
This guide covers the practical side of planning landscaping around a new deck in Naperville: what to think about before you plant, which types of plants work best in this climate, and where to source them locally.
When to Plan Your Landscaping
The best time to plan the landscaping around your deck is before construction starts — not after. Here’s why: the placement of footings, stairs, and structural posts affects what you can plant and where. If you want a planting bed along the base of the deck, your contractor needs to know that during the design phase so they can account for access, grading, and clearance.
That said, you don’t need to have every plant picked out before the first board goes down. What matters is having a general layout in mind — where beds will go, whether you want privacy screening on one side, and how much space you’re leaving between the deck edge and any planned plantings. The actual planting can happen after construction is complete, and in many cases, it’s better to wait a few weeks so the soil around the footings has time to settle.
In the Naperville area (USDA Hardiness Zone 5b), the ideal planting windows are mid-April through June for spring, and September through mid-October for fall. Trees and shrubs establish best when planted in fall, while perennials and grasses do well in either season.
What Works Around a Deck
The area immediately around a deck has its own microclimate. Depending on the deck’s height, orientation, and overhang, you may have deep shade underneath, reflected heat along south-facing edges, and dry soil near the foundation where rain doesn’t reach. Choosing plants that match these conditions is more important than choosing the ones that look best at the nursery.
Here are the categories of plants that commonly work well around deck installations in the western suburbs:
| Purpose | Plant Types | Notes |
| Deck-edge softening | Boxwood, dwarf spirea, low ornamental grasses, heuchera | Keep height below railing; 12–18″ clearance from boards |
| Privacy screening | Arborvitae, columnar juniper, tall ornamental grasses | Check HOA height limits; evergreens screen year-round |
| Shade under deck | Hostas, ferns, astilbe, brunnera, native sedges | Check drainage under deck before selecting |
| Color / seasonal interest | Coneflower, black-eyed Susan, daylilies, hydrangea | Natives support pollinators; well adapted to Zone 5b |
| Containers on deck | Annuals, herbs, dwarf evergreens, ornamental peppers | Use planters that won’t stain or trap moisture |
One common mistake is planting too close to the structure. Shrubs and perennials need room to reach their mature size without pressing against the deck. Crowded plantings trap moisture, encourage mildew on the boards, and make it harder to inspect the substructure later. A general rule is to keep the center of any plant at least 18 inches from the deck edge, and farther for anything that spreads aggressively.
Hardscape Transitions
Landscaping isn’t just about plants. The way your deck meets the ground — whether it steps down to a patio, opens to a gravel path, or transitions into a lawn — affects how the whole outdoor space functions. Many homeowners pair a raised deck with a ground-level patio below, using pavers or natural stone to create a second seating area for a fire pit or dining space.
If you’re considering hardscape elements alongside your deck, keep in mind that the City of Naperville requires a permit for any patio where the total paved area exceeds 500 square feet, or for any patio that includes a permanent fire pit, fireplace, built-in grill, or electrical and gas connections. Plan these features together with your deck so the permitting process covers everything in one application. For more detail on what triggers a permit, see our step-by-step guide to Naperville’s deck and patio permit process.
The Growing Place — A Local Nursery Worth Knowing
The Growing Place is a family-owned garden center with deep roots in the Naperville area. The nursery traces its history back to 1936, when it started as Emma’s Perennials on Plank Road. Today it operates two locations — one on Plank Road in Naperville and a second on Montgomery Road in Aurora — and carries roughly 3,000 plant varieties across trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals, natives, vegetables, and herbs.
What sets The Growing Place apart from the big-box garden sections is the depth of their plant selection and the knowledge of their staff. The Naperville location features extensive Learning Gardens — curated display beds organized by growing conditions like sun, shade, dry, and moist — so you can see what plants look like at maturity and in combination with each other before you buy. They also offer at-home and virtual landscape design consultations, plant installation and delivery, and a container design service.
| Detail | Naperville Location | Aurora Location |
| Address | 25W471 Plank Rd, Naperville, IL 60563 | 2000 Montgomery Rd, Aurora, IL 60504 |
| Phone | (630) 355-4000 | (630) 820-8088 |
| Hours | Daily 10 AM – 5 PM (Thu until 6 PM) | Daily 10 AM – 5 PM |
| Website | thegrowingplace.com | thegrowingplace.com |
If you’re planning landscaping around a new deck, visiting The Growing Place early in your project is a good move. Their staff can recommend plants that fit your specific conditions — sun exposure, soil type, drainage, and the existing style of your yard. You can also use their online plant search tool to browse what’s in stock before you visit.
Planning Landscape and Deck Together
The smoothest outdoor projects are the ones where the deck and landscaping are planned together, even if they’re installed at different times. When your deck builder knows where beds and hardscape will go, they can plan stair placement, adjust grading, and even rough in lighting conduit before the landscaping crew arrives.
A few things to coordinate between your deck project and landscape plan:
- Grading and drainage. Deck construction often changes the grade around the foundation. Make sure water drains away from the house and doesn’t pool against the deck’s substructure.
- Irrigation. If you’re adding beds that need regular watering, plan the irrigation layout before the deck is built — running lines under or around a finished deck is expensive and disruptive.
- Lighting. Post-cap lights, stair lighting, and landscape path lights should be on the same plan so the wiring is coordinated.
- Access for maintenance. Leave room to get behind plantings for pruning, mulching, and deck inspections. A bed that looks beautiful at install but prevents you from reaching the ledger board is a problem you’ll regret.
For help deciding on the right decking material before your landscaping consultant visits, our guide to outdoor building materials available in nearby Bolingbrook covers where to compare composite, PVC, and wood options in person. And if you’re choosing deck board colors to coordinate with your home and landscape palette, take a look at our tips for picking the right deck color .
Start With the Right Team
Platinum Decking builds custom decks and outdoor living spaces for homeowners across the Naperville area. We work alongside local landscapers and nurseries to make sure your deck and yard come together as one finished space. Call us at (224) 634-4345 to start planning your project.