Landscape Design Services
As design/build contractors, we know that the key to a beautiful landscape is a well designed landscape plan. In this section you will find information on our approach and process. Green Valley Nursery & Landscape provides a complete menu of landscape design services. We specialize in residential garden design, from intimate small-scale spaces, to large full-scale gardens and estates.
Our Approach
Our landscape designs are client focused. We want to use your input to create a garden that meets your needs. While we try to use our experience and expertise in creating a successful landscape design, we find the best designs are those that take and enhance the client’s needs and desires for their project.
We recommend that during the process of designing, that you look at the project as a whole unit. It’s best to create a design that will take into account the entire space to be designed. This is especially true when other elements will be added at later times, or when budgeting allows. Materials, shapes and spatial arrangements should relate and complement each other well.
In our design process, we create a plan that plots all features of your new landscape. These will be used throughout the entire landscaping process.
The Process
Landscape design is an iterative process. Normally, the starting of ideas for the project are developed and revised from preliminary concepts into a finalized plan that is ready for installation. The important thing to remember is that changing and developing the design are normal and an important part of the process.
Three Phases of Landscape Design
- Conceptual – Here is where we explore your ideas and desires for the project. For example, you are looking to add an outdoor kitchen or upgrade existing elements? Maybe to retrofit materials, such as old concrete with either stains or overlays. As we explore your ideas, we draw up 2 or 3 initial conceptual designs. These are rough draft representations of spatial organizations, and ideas for elements and materials to be included. We also start to think about the style of the garden or installation that we would like to focus on; such as Mediterranean, Formal, Contemporary or Natural, or by incorporating a particular material or type of planting like Palms. The purpose behind the conceptual phase is to explore ideas and create something to match your needs. Once this is done, we move on to the next phase, Preliminary Design.
- Preliminary – Once we have a good idea of the general style and arrangement of elements we will draw up an initial landscape plan. This is the first formalized landscape design. At this point, we are starting to get a more definite idea of the materials to be used for your budget.
Of all the factors in design, budget is one of the most important. A well defined budget allows us to make informed decisions based on our experience as to the choices of materials and other elements. This is our greatest value to you, we are a design and build contractor with years of experience. We are able to design your space to maximize your budget. We strongly encourage our clients to target a budget you want to spend, and then structure our design to respect your wishes.
Also during this phase, we start to look at and narrow in on the plant design and material selections. It is often at this point that we will invite you down to our nursery to see first hand some of the selections we have in mind for your home.
As part of this phase, we will offer to mark out with marking paint the hardscape elements of our proposed design. This will help you to visualize the finished project from a spatial point of view. The last thing we want to do is to pour your new patio, only to realize that it is too small for your needs.
- Final Design – Once we have edited the preliminary design, we revise the plan to incorporate the changes and provide you with a finalized plan. This plan is important because it is often required by the Home Owner’s Associations to be submitted for pre-construction approval. This is also the plan used by our crews to install your new landscape.
At this point, we will have finalized our numbers, materials, and elements to be included in your project.
We are available for those homeowners who wish to do the work themselves to provide a design and a plan. The best advice we can give anyone, is a well designed plan will save you untold money and last minute trips.