Planning any project is essential to avoid unforeseen problems. Planning does several good things for you:

1. It forces you to think through the job start-to-finish. 

2. A good layout drawing will help estimating, either Pro or DIY

3. Generate a bill of materials that shows material, supplier, quantity and cost

4. Make the decision to go Pro or Do-It-Yourself 

5. A blank grid template and a submitted example are included below

6. A bill of materials is easy to do in Excel and it can auto sum the costs, also attached below

TIPS:

• Know your soil: Test with a spade or shovel to check relative hardness
• Consult a botanist if desired. Cactus and Agave do well; some others- not so much
• Have a good idea of the square footage involved

The Queen Victoria Agave and my wife's favorite, the Blue Beyond Midnight Bluebeard (Caryopteris)  and the Artichoke Agave

Please find below various planning tools that you may find useful in planning your project. A little planning goes a long way. Your layout drawing does not need to be formal or fancy; just accurate! You can free hand a sketch and capture with phone or scanner. Try to calculate the square footage, if needed for mulch or gravel beds.