Drafting designs from the ground up takes a thorough understanding of our clients and their sites. Starting with a consult, we’ll do a general assessment of the site while conducting an in-depth interview to help direct design and programming. An estimate is crafted from this, and once it’s signed and a deposit is paid, we dive into the details.

After the consult, a site analysis helps us map the conditions and characteristics of a place: sun and shade, moisture, flow of stormwater, soil composition and drainage, existing vegetation (invasives to remove and native species that inform appropriate natural plant communities), and viewsheds (the angles from which people experience a place). Once we document this information, we can draft concepts for the design: plant palettes and visual imagery to communicate the design direction to the client. Sometimes concept approval happens during the consult, depending on the project.

(In some projects, when enough is defined and the soil requires it, this is when we start improving soil health to give it time while we design and prepare for planting.)

From all of this information, we’ll draft a design. This may mean a traditional, bird’s-eye map, or eye-level sketches, or both. Designs need a little time to iterate and develop, so altogether, from consult to design delivery, the design phase of a residential project typically takes 4-6 weeks, with less time for simpler and smaller spaces. When the design is approved, we’ll start the installation process, either bidding contractors for projects that require construction, hardscaping, or heavy machinery, or directly sourcing plants and installing them ourselves. Allow a couple weeks for sourcing plants and scheduling labor. We’ll water everything in initially after planting and provide a watering guide for establishment and future years.

Follow-up is important for managing how a site responds to installation, so we like to plan for either routine maintenance, or 6-month, 1-year, and 2-year site visits to ensure project longevity.