New construction homes in Tulsa often come from the builder with a rough graded lot, no sod, no plants, and a concrete driveway and walks that are functional but not designed. Homeowners then spend years adding elements piecemeal — sod one year, a few shrubs the next, an irrigation system eventually — and the result always looks like a series of additions rather than a designed landscape. A full landscape installation changes this: we design and install every element at once, on a properly graded base, with irrigation and drainage integrated before the sod and planting go down. The result is a finished, designed landscape that looks established from day one and performs correctly from the start. VistaScapes & Design installs complete residential landscapes throughout Tulsa, Broken Arrow, Bixby, Jenks, and Owasso.

Full Landscape Installation Scope

Grading and Drainage

The first step in any full landscape installation is confirming the finish grade is correct — positive drainage away from the foundation, no low spots that will collect standing water, and the overall grade creating the visual composition intended in the design. For new construction lots, the builder’s rough grade often needs refinement. We add topsoil to low areas, correct negative drainage slopes, and establish the finish grade before any irrigation or planting work begins. For yards with significant drainage problems, French drain installation is incorporated at this stage before the sod goes down — far less expensive than adding it later.

Irrigation System

An irrigation system installed before sod is the most cost-effective approach — trenching across a bare lot is straightforward and causes no damage. We design zones for the specific grass variety and bed areas, spec appropriately for Tulsa’s clay soil (cycle-and-soak programming, rotary nozzles), and install a smart WiFi controller pre-programmed with an establishment schedule for the new sod. Once sod is down, the irrigation is activated immediately — there’s no window where the sod is exposed to establishment stress without water management in place.

Planting Beds and Edging

Foundation planting beds, tree rings, and landscape border areas are established before sod is installed. Bed areas are excavated to the design depth, amended with compost and expanded shale to improve drainage and soil structure in Tulsa’s clay, and edged with steel or aluminum landscape edging that will maintain a clean border between the bed and turf areas long-term. Trees and large shrubs are installed at this stage, followed by smaller plant material. Mulch is applied at 3-inch depth over all bed areas.

Sod Installation

Sod installation is the final step — laid over the prepared and graded soil with tight seams, cut to cleanly meet the planting bed edges and hardscape borders, and rolled for good soil contact. Sod variety is selected for the sun and shade conditions of the specific lot — Bermuda Tifway 419 or Latitude 36 for full-sun lawns in Tulsa, Zoysia Zeon for partial shade or low-mow preference, Tall Fescue for heavily shaded lots. The irrigation establishment schedule begins the same day sod is installed.