It’s time to make your garden water-wise
Landscapes account for 50% of the domestic water used in California.
Our mission is to design beautiful, water-wise gardens using low-maintenance, sustainable techniques.
We’re going to help you do the same
As a company, our focus is on sustainable landscape design - selecting plants that use the least water possible, and materials and hardscape features that maximize the water we do get via rain. We believe in native plants, promoting wildlife, and avoiding the use of plastics wherever possible.
Low water gardens don’t have to look hard and sparse: In our designs you can expect to see the bold forms of agaves, aloes and succulents, as well as the softness of salvias, cistus, and native California plants. The bright colors of many drought tolerant flowering plants are key elements to our designs. You can have a lush garden without much water - a Xeric Oasis!
OUR PROCESS
It starts with a feeling
Whether it’s a sanctuary, a celebration or a showstopper, your garden should inspire emotion.
Here’s what to expect when you work with us.
First, we get to know you
Each client has unique needs, and their garden space is unlike any other. What do you want your garden to bring to your life? You might want a quiet place of reflection. A place to gather family and friends to eat, to talk, to celebrate. You might want your front yard to add curb appeal to your home and your back yard to provide a place for nature and wildlife to thrive.
In order to do this, we’ll meet with you, spend some time in the space, and talk through your hopes and desires for your garden. Our initial consultation is a $150 flat fee, and that’s credited back to your account if you sign a design or design and installation contract with us.
Developing a plan
The next step is to develop a plan for your garden’s transformation. A Project Brief will be submitted to you that outlines our plan. It will detail what we will do and a cost estimate for our services.
Each step of the project is identified and itemized so a budget can be established: From design to area preparation, through every step of construction and materials, we’re transparent with our pricing so you know where your investment in a new garden could be spent.
If you already have a realistic budget in mind, we will stick to it. Through material selection or via new design ideas, we can help keep your project on track without overspend.
We bill our design and consultation time by the hour at $100.
Design, refine
Once we have established a plan we will develop one or more sketches. These plan-view sketches are drawn to scale and we can also develop a rendering that shows the human view of various aspects to help you understand the layout and scale of the garden and its elements.
After a design review with you, we’ll adjust the sketches and renderings for final approval. This final plan includes the type of materials to be used, the locations and sizes of the planting areas and other details that have been discussed.
We will also create a Plant List for your design that gives you lots of detail about the proposed plants and how to care for them. This is an opportunity to think about how plants behave through the seasons - whether they’re evergreen or deciduous, bear fruit or flowers, and how much maintenance - or how little - they might need.
Installation
From the first day of on site preparation through to the final lighting installation, our goal is to complete the project carefully and efficiently.
A design reaches its full potential only through meticulous construction. Careful selection and placement of plants ensures that your garden will thrive and will bring enjoyment to your life and value to your property for years to come.
Growth is inevitable
Your garden is a living, breathing ecosystem, with complex inter-dependencies. As time goes by, your plants will grow and change with the seasons, and maintenance is essential.
We will inspect the garden after installation at two points: one week post installation, and one month post installation. This allows us to adjust irrigation and monitor plant health while they’re establishing a new root system, but if you’d like help to maintain it after that we’re happy to be there to keep it looking outstanding.
Other Services
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Consultations
Just not sure if your garden needs a total revamp? We can come by and spend some time with your space, finding out how it does or doesn’t work for you. We’ll provide our recommendation for new plants or features that can give it a mini face lift.
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Composting and Rain Water Collection
Interested in recycling your green waste on site to create usable compost, or collecting rain water to get your plants through the heat of summer? We can show you how, and set up the system you need to get better connected to your environment.
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Garden Tours
The Bay Area has some of the most beautiful drought tolerant gardens and vendors in the nation. We’ll take you to visit the ones that interest you and gain design inspiration from the trip. A great way to learn what you want from your space!
