First, Find Out What You Need and what you like….

Phone Consultation
It is often hard to know if you need landscape design services or just a good consultation. I will consult with you at no charge to talk about your project needs and help to determine the scope. This is free of charge. Contact me to book your free call.

Questionnaire
To help guide you to your priorities and flesh out your ideas, you can fill out my questionnaire which is invaluable in pinpointing your goals. The more information I have about your needs the better able I am to create good solutions. This most often leads to a site consultation.

On Site Consultation
This can be very productive and typically spans 2 hours. We will walk your property, determine positive aspects, problem solve difficult areas, talk about hardscape layout and space planning, plant choices, and the style and maintenance level you desire. I will show you some landscape plans and I would like to see any photos or images that inspire you. The fee for this is $200.

Garden Coaching
Some people need an expert to show them how to prune well, what plants to choose for specific areas of their yard, screening ideas for difficult areas, how to cultivate healthy soil and how to create beautiful pots. There is a 2 hour minimum and the fee is $200.

Second, Let’s design a Garden to fit your life, budget and preferences

Landscape Design Proposal
After you have had an on site consultation and you would like me to do a landscape plan for your yard, I will create a Design Proposal, customized for your specific project. I will put you on my design schedule, after I receive a signed contract and a deposit of 50% of the total design fee. I do not hold space for design projects, but work on them in the order in which I receive signed contracts and deposits. Plans for most landscapes start at 2,000 for a partial yard and 5,000 for a full yard, and will vary depending upon complexity. Most construction budgets for these projects range from $20,000-$150,000.

Site Survey
This will give me the information I need to create a good basemap. I will measure the house, property boundaries, existing site features to remain, note views, soil conditions and take photographs. Any surveys or site documents to help in this process can help to reduce the cost of creating your design.

Conceptual Drawings
I will create a ‘Design Program’ or list of your goals to use in creating concept drawings. One or more concept drawings will be created to visually show you the layout of your yard. This is the fun part, where we will play with how things will look and feel, talk about materials and structural plantings. This is the best time to review your goals and determine what the best design solutions are, to make sure that we are on the right path.

Master Plan & Planting plan
These will be presented together in your home. The Master Plan is the final hardscape plan that shows layout of all hardscape features, materials, lighting, rough planting areas, and site work to be done. It does not include detailed drawings of site structures.

The Planting Plan illustrates all plants chosen for your garden. Plants are labeled with scientific, and common name precisely in their location on the ground. The plants are drawn to 75% of mature size so the spacing is correct and you can see what your garden plants will look near mature size. You will receive a plant schedule with all the plant names, quantities, bloom time, special characteristics, care instructions and a plant ‘Photo Palette’ taking sections of the yard and showing the plant combinations that will be growing together. Your basic plan is now done.

Third, Let’s Build Your Garden

Construction Drawings
The Devil is in the details! Construction Drawings communicate how things are built. They are important if you have site structures like arbors, trellis, fences, gates, railings, concrete details, elevations, water features, detailed paving designs or a complex layout. Each project will vary and the contractor chosen will also determine what is needed. There are many ways to construct these different elements. Ensuring there is good communication on how it will look in the end, is invaluable. Generally most drawings for a project can be completed in 3-6 hours depending upon how many site element need to be defined. These drawings are charged at $100/hour to complete.

Project Oversight
The best results are achieved when I become ‘Owners’ Advocate’ and work with contractors from start to finish. This will ensure that the design vision is executed in in the way it was intended. I will help choose the right contractor(s) for your specific job, secure estimates, and purchase the best plants available. In overseeing the project build, I will help to ensure that details, quality and timeliness are adhered to. All my contractors are licensed, bonded, insured and come with excellent references. If the client wishes to build the garden themselves I can assist in getting you on the right path. Our final meeting will be devoted to plant care, garden maintenance and I can refer you to a qualified professional if you need assistance in maintaining your garden.

Ongoing Oversight and Development
I will visit your garden free of charge, 3-6 months after your project has been installed to make sure things are going well. The key to a successful garden is observing the plants and making adjustments if needed as the garden develops. Watering, mulching, weeding and pruning as the plants mature are critical to a garden’s long term success. I am available on a consulting basis, to further develop the garden with spring ephemerals, bulbs, seasonal groundcovers, and the hard to find specialty plants that can really make a garden extraordinary. This is like adding the perfect artwork to a room. This is always best done when the ‘soil food web’ has established itself and base plantings have grown for at least 1 year. This step can make a garden truly magic.