Anonymous wrote:What are you trying to do? Improve drainage? Hardscape? Create new beds? Or just add different plants?
I would point out that landscape design is a profession - you may not mean to be insulting but this is kind of like saying, I want to build a house - is there an “architecture for dummies?”
If you just want to plant new plants, you still need someone with knowledge of soil types, drainage and what plants do well with what exposure.
I love gardening and the process of experimenting and learning, but if you just want to fully transform your yard in one year you should hire a professional. That’s why it’s a profession!
Hit to soon - if you are into native plants and wildlife, there are nonprofits like Audubon that will provide guidance for free. But native and wildlife gardens tend to look, well, wild. You have to be down for a lot of relatively messy periods in order to make the garden useful for creatures. If that is your jam, there are more free resources.