how it works

 philosophy, services, and the typical work process

philosophy

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our work's purpose is to create beautiful and inspiring places that awaken the senses, celebrate life on this planet, and reflect our clients' wants, needs, styles, memories, passions and budgets; close attention is paid to design detail

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at the same time, we focus on ideas and practices that help rebuild local ecosystems, support and protect wildlife, re-purpose plant and building materials whenever possible, pay close attention to water use and soil health, and generally represent an improvement over so-called conventional methods

There are some things we stay away from, roundup application and artificial turf installation being two of those

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Design work

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full scale landscape design

all architectural styles

ecologically sound solutions

creative concepts

site specific design

masonry

outdoor rooms

lighting

planting design

natives

wildlife habitat

pollinator-supporting landscapes

edible gardens

rain gardens & bio-retention

permaculture design

urban farming

coaching & consultation

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installation work

natural style stonework

architectural stonework

creative retaining walls

permeable hardscape surfaces

dry set flagstone

creative carpentry

repurposed materials

water-smart drainage systems

bio-retention concepts

efficient irrigation

site specific planting

outdoor lighting

sheet mulching

container planting

winter maintenance

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some of the above installation work may be done in collaboration with our local contractor colleagues

steps a typical project  may take 

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--first site visit & discussion, generally non-obligatory

--design proposal,  consultation fee proposal, or other appropriate  planning stage agreement

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--first  design draft, discussion, draft revisions as needed

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--materials suggestions, samples, stone yard visit, etc.

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--plant suggestions via emailed photos and information; nursery visits if/as needed

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--project installation estimate

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--site preparation, unwanted plant removal

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--installation stage, sheet mulching, grading, drainage,        carpentry,  hardscape,  irrigation  and  lighting  setup,  soil   preparation

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--plant placement, discussion

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--planting

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--plant training, staking

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--drip irrigation

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--lighting

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--mulching

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every plant brought to the project site has been hand selected for best available form and health condition