Services

Landscape design using native plants for whole properties, perennial beds, pollinator gardens, rain gardens, natural plantings, lawn alternatives.

Utilizing ecological principles, I design in layers. First, I try to incorporate canopy, shrub, and herbaceous layers to mimic natural areas to allow wildlife to move up and down.

The other place I incorporate layers is in herbaceous plantings. Accent plants that draw the eye, perennials in masses and drifts for legibility, and a grass or sedge layer (matrix) underneath the perennials to fill space and suppress weeds.

Some other principles I employ in my designs are dense plantings for easier management, color across the growing season to support pollinators and for the human eye, repeating species in different locations for familiarity, design for leaf texture since that is what you see most of the time, and fewer rather than many plant species for a calming effect.

Before starting, I will visit and talk with you about your objectives, aesthetic preferences, and budget. I will conduct a site assessment noting  where it is sunny and shady, hot, wet or dry, and windy. We will discuss  how you want to use various places of your property - play spaces, walking paths, dining areas, entertainment spaces, privacy concerns, etc.

Then I will draw a conceptual plan taking into account our conversations - placement of shrubs for screening, perennial beds, rain gardens, paths, patios for seating or entertainment.

After your approval, I will then start to specify specific plant species.

All my work is done collaboratively with your input during the process, so the end design meets your needs and there are no surprises.