Services
What we plant and build
Four kinds of work, all with plants native to the Mid-Atlantic. Each starts with a site visit.
Rain gardens and downspout beds
A shallow planted basin sized to the roof or pavement that drains into it, with a dry creek bed to carry overflow.
Drainage test on your soil
Drawing and plant list
Digging, soil mix, plants and mulch
Pollinator borders
Beds of perennials and grasses chosen so something is in bloom from spring to frost.
Plants picked for sun and moisture
Drifts, not rows
Clean edges that read as designed
Meadow patches in place of lawn
We remove a section of turf and plant plugs, which fill in more predictably than scattered seed.
Turf removal and soil prep
Plugs planted at set spacing
A mowed path through, if you want one
Shoreline and slope plantings
Deep-rooted natives for the strip nearest the water and for banks that wash out in storms.
Salt-tolerant plants for the edge
Planting plans that fit county review
A straight word if a bank needs an engineer
How a job goes
From the first walk to the first spring
- 01
Step 1: Site visit
Janet or Abril walks the lot, looks at the roof and downspouts, and does a drainage test with a hole and a bucket of water.
- 02
Step 2: Plan and estimate
You get a plan on paper with plant names and counts, and a written estimate to go with it.
- 03
Step 3: Dig and shape
We remove turf, shape the basin or bed and work in soil where it needs it. Miss Utility (811) is called before any digging.
- 04
Step 4: Plant and mulch
Plants go in by hand, in drifts, then mulch and an overflow path.
- 05
Step 5: First-year checkups
We leave a watering plan and come back to see how the plants are settling.
Pricing
What decides the price of a native garden
There is no price list, because every lot drains differently. Here is how the number is made.
What decides the price
Native gardens are priced by the job, not by the square foot, because these things move the number:
How much ground is planted
How much roof or pavement drains into it
Your soil and slope
Plant sizes: plugs, quarts or gallons
How far a wheelbarrow has to travel from the street
What the estimate includes, and what it doesn't
A drawing of the planting, the plants by name and count, turf and soil removal, mulch, delivery and cleanup. It leaves out county permit fees, irrigation, fencing, patios and tree work.
What happens at the visit
Janet or Abril walks the lot, measures the roof and the slope, and tests how fast your soil drains with a hole and a bucket of water. Plan on about an hour, and tell us where you want flowers.
Materials and who buys them
We choose, order and plant the plants and mulch. If you have plants of your own to move, we work them into the plan.
How and when you pay
A deposit when you accept the estimate, so plants can be ordered, and the balance when the planting is finished. Dates and amounts are written on your estimate.
When you get the number
In writing, before any digging, as one price for the work drawn on the plan. If you ask for more later, we write it down and price it before we do it.
Before we arrive
What to do before the site visit
What should I do before the site visit?
Note where the downspouts end and where water stands after a rain. A few photos taken during a storm help more than anything. Tell us about buried lines, a septic field or a well.
What if it rains or freezes on planting day?
Light rain is good planting weather. We move the day for heavy rain, standing water or frozen ground, and tell you before we load the truck.
Do you need me home?
Not for planting. We need access to the yard, a spigot if there is one and a way to reach you.
Who waters the first year?
You do, with our help. New plants need regular water through their first growing season, so we leave a written plan for your lot: how often and how much.
Next step
Walk the lot with us
A site visit is how we learn where your water goes and which plants will thrive there.