FAQ

Please call or e-mail us. We will be happy to help you. When you call, we will make an appointment to meet with you at your home and review the scope of the work you wish to have performed. We will listen and share ideas with you regarding your landscape. After our meeting, our representative will develop a proposal and possibly a landscape drawing for the work we have discussed. Once all of the information has been developed, we then schedule an appointment to once again meet with you at your home and review our recommendations. Once we have agreed on the work to be performed and finalize the details of the project, the work is scheduled and we send a crew to your home to install your landscape. Please keep in mind that no job is considered to small or to large.

No, we do not charge for our estimates. We do however charge for our landscape design consultation. Some jobs do not require designs to provide an estimate, some however do. Please remember that a landscape design is a professional service much like hiring an architect to design an addition for your home. Please review our design fee schedule on our web site.

We provide a vast array of landscape services. Here are a few:

• Design
• Plantings
• Pavers
• Stonework
• Low voltage lighting
• Water features

There are also some services we do not provide including: mowing, carpentry work, irrigation systems, tree service, or lawn maintenance. We work with a series of contractors that provide these services and would be happy to either provide you with contact information or arrange to have the services performed for you if it is part of a project you have contracted with us.

Absolutely! We understand that costs can escalate, especially on a very extensive project. We encourage our customers to stay within their budget and get what they want. If you’d like, we can also help you decide what portions of the work should be done initially, and what should be left to later phases.

It certainly is. Please keep in mind that no garden is maintenance free. We can, however, make recommendations for plantings and other elements in your landscape that require minimal maintenance. The best way to keep your garden under control is to regularly give it some attention. The key is, the less time you spend in your garden working, the more time you will spend in your garden enjoying it.

Please refer to our watering guidelines in our maintenance tips section of our web site. Every garden will vary slightly, but these are some generic rules to follow.

An irrigation system is a great convenience and can significantly decrease the amount of time one spends in the garden working. Even though an irrigation system can be extremely beneficial, it can also be a huge detriment to your garden. We recommend a drip irrigation system for your landscape with an incorporated rain gauge. Where drip is not suitable, heads that spray a finer mist for areas filled with small perennials, annuals, and/or groundcovers will work fine. A drip system works better because it concentrates the water in the root zone of the plants. This is beneficial for two reasons, the first being the conservation of water. Since water is dripped only on the plant, the beds are not over sprayed and water is not wasted. The second reason is volume of water. Spraying landscape beds has a tendency to over saturate the beds, basically drowning the plants. The answer to your question can be found by monitoring the amount of water and how often your irrigation systems cycles. If your beds are soft and squishy like a sponge, your plants are too wet. Don’t be deceived by the appearance of your plants wilting, or your evergreens starting to yellow and drop needles. Stick your fingers in the soil to test the amount of moisture in the ground. If need be, scrape back some mulch and dig a little hole near the plant. If the soil drips water, or the hole immediately fills with water, then adjust your irrigation system. It is watering too often. If you observe your plant foliage starting to change colors, or show signs of stress, the plant may be to dry. Again, stick your fingers in the soil near the root mass of the plant, or dig a small hole. The mulch or the surface of the soil may feel damp, but a few inches down it could be very dry. Adjust your irrigation system to water either more frequently or for an extended duration. The root mass of your plant is not being properly flooded. Don’t be surprised, especially with trees that you may have to occasionally water some of your plants individually with a hose. Within an irrigation zone, not all plants will require an equal amount of water. With a small investment of time monitoring your irrigation system and moisture level in the soil, you can ensure long-term health of your landscape plants.

An irrigation system can be very beneficial to your plantings if properly developed. We feel that a drip system is best for your landscapes. If an irrigation contractor is unwilling to install a drip system, or the cost of the system suddenly increases in price significantly, talk to another contractor. Although we do not install irrigation systems, we would be happy to recommend you a contractor.

Please refer to our maintenance tips section to review to pruning guidelines.

We would be pleased to. References will be provided to you upon request. If you’d like to drive by some of the properties we’ve worked on, just let us know. Our homeowners are proud to show off the work we’ve done for them.

We can provide you with samples of many of the materials we propose to use. In the case of plant material, you can visit any garden center to be able to view many, if not all of the plantings we’ve proposed. If we are unable to show you a sample of a material that you feel suits your needs, you are welcome to visit some of our vendors such as Lang Stone, Mr. Mulch, or Coffman Stone.