Services & Gallery

This service is most appropriate for DIY customers or Contractors. While you may be willing and able to do the installation, you may not have the expertise or time to respond effectively to the myriad issues that exist on every property.

Often, all that is needed is a little advice. If you are looking for the best and most cost effective way to solve a problem or tweak or repair an existing part of the landscape, an hour or two of consulting can answer a lot of questions and can save you time and money by avoiding costly mistakes.

I regularly see good money thrown after a bad design or well intentioned, albeit ineffectual solutions. Once that money is spent, it can’t be “un-spent”. In fact, it often costs as much to undo a bad idea in the landscape as it did to install it; then you find you have to spend, often that same amount again, just to get to the solution you desired in the first place.

I’m not trying to sell you anything. I’m offering you the benefit of my years of experience and expertise. I’ve seen what works and what doesn’t work, and I can explain to you which solution works best and why. I’ll spend as much time with you as you wish and answer most any question you have about your property or your plans for your property.

These are plans that I will do at your property, at the time of the appointment and are billed by the hour at an industry competitive rate. These plans are appropriate for smaller properties or for specific areas of a larger property. These appointments generally take between two and four hours, depending on the size and complexity of the design.

I will meet with you and we’ll spend as much time as you would like, discussing the area in question. I will then draw a plan, and while not a scaled drawing, it will show the area in context and communicate a solution to a problem or the design that we discussed. The plan contains enough information for either you or a contractor to implement all or a portion of the plan.

These are plans that either establish a new home’s initial landscape components or renovate an existing property’s landscape.

If it’s new construction, often you are just looking for the basics to establish a good foundation for the future. Often there’s a budget that governs how much can be done, but you’ll want to be sure that whatever is done initially is based on sound choices that won’t have to be undone or redone later.

If it’s an existing property, it may be in need of renovation or you may just be interested in a new look. Together, we will look at what’s working and what’s not working and build on the positive. I generally find that not everything is in need of replacing, but I have had many customers that tell me, “I just don’t like those plants” for whatever reason, in which case…they’re out ‘a here! Often, existing plants can be relocated to better advantage and satisfy a need in the new design and wherever possible, I’ll offer that as an option. But, you are in control of what stays and what goes and based on that, I’ll develop a plan for you.

These plans will communicate type, variety, size and spacing for the landscape recommendations. The plan is sufficient to allow you to get competitive estimates to implement all, or just a portion of the plan.

If you are not familiar with design jargon, “hardscapes” are …basically anything that’s not landscape. More to the point, hardscapes include decks, walks, patios, fire pits, walls, fences, swimming pools or ponds, arbors and pergolas (yes, there is a difference), gazebos and pavilions, recreational amenities such as tennis courts, shuffleboard courts, bocce courts, synthetic putting greens and more.

These are plans that primarily focus on hardscape renovations or additions. These plans are drawn to scale and generally create or expand the functional areas of a property. Often this is the transition from the home to the landscape. This is where you will relax and “hang out” or entertain according to your lifestyle and individual or family needs or desires.

The spaces created must be located correctly, sized correctly for the intended use, and material choices must complement the existing construction materials as much as possible. There’s a lot to consider and I can help guide you through the many decisions necessary to develop a truly successful design.

This is a very comprehensive plan. The plan is drawn to scale and shows the entirety of the property in detail. These plans are appropriate for the initial landscape installation of new homes or for renovations or make-overs of existing properties. They can be solely landscape design oriented, but they may also contain hardscape additions or renovations, such as decks, patios, pools, or accessory structures.

The fee for Master Plans varies with the size and complexity of the project. I will provide an estimate of time and fee schedule for your approval once a scope of work has been established.

The process for developing a Master Plan begins with a meeting on-site to discuss your ideas. We’ll walk around together and discuss every part of your property and your ideas or plans. This is the beginning of a dialogue between you, your property and me …as a sort of mediator. I need to know what your goals are so I can develop those goals into a plan that fits your property’s unique character. That is to say, I try to see what you’re seeing. I’m not there to force my design ideas on you. I’m there to help you develop your ideas into a workable plan for your property.

I’ll develop a plan showing the existing conditions. This plan will show and identify all structures (with windows and doors), walks, drives, decks, patios, steps and all existing trees and landscape. Then I will use that plan to develop a concept based on our initial discussion and meet with you midway through the process to get your feedback and make any necessary changes or additions to the plan.
Based on your approval of the preliminary plan, I’ll finalize the drawing and communicate the elements of the plan with recommendations for materials and finishes for those elements. Additionally, the plan will communicate type, variety, size and spacing for the landscape recommendations.

The plan is suitable for identifying phases of construction that the project may require. Or, it will allow you to get competitive estimates to implement all, or just a portion of the plan. You are able to see the “big picture” and develop a plan of attack that meets near and long term goals according to a budget with which you are comfortable.