EcoScapes: Design Process

Landscaping is different than remodeling any other part of your home. Plants are alive, each with different requirements—sun or shade, a lot of water or a little, different blooming seasons—and they grow and change over time. In order to weave all these factors together into an aesthetic design, a professional is needed to comfortably guide you through the process.

Initial meeting: about 1 to 2 hours. This allows the designer to see your site, assess its’ strengths and liabilities, discuss your expectations and desires, as well as potential costs. In addition, it provides an opportunity for you to evaluate the designer’s ability to meet your needs. The relationship between the owner and the designer is an important one, requiring an ease of communication that allows for the free flow of ideas and information.

Site survey: A site survey, inventory and analysis are completed. This records specific measurements of the proposed area to be designed, as well as other pertinent information such as drainage, irrigation needs, etc. These measurements are then drawn up into a site plan.

Preliminary Design: This is the most important stage. Before exact specifications are determined, a preliminary design is presented based on client feedback. This is a concept plan about halfway through the process, allowing the client to make changes before the final design is drafted. By this point, the designer will have hardscape design and materials chosen, but the exact plant material will not yet be in place.

Final Design: The client receives a final drawing that can be taken out to bid. Design includes all hardscape and details, plant names and quantities as well as exact placement. Irrigation and/or drainage plans can be supplied for an extra fee if the client so desires, but usually these are planned on site with the contractor in order to save the client money.

Installation, Job Management: EcoScapes works with a variety of skilled, licensed and bonded contractors, carpenters, metal workers, electricians, and horticulturists. We make every effort to match the installer to the budget needs of the client and the scope of the job. Once a final design is in place, an estimate is given in conjunction with the contractor and the designer. It is highly recommended that the client use the resources provided by EcoScapes, though it is not necessary for the completion of the job. EcoScapes will job manage and personally select the highest quality plants available at the time.


Before: This is the front yard when I first arrived.		After: Viewing area displayed on lower left of drawing. A natural bridge was built to cross the pond which wasn't included in the preliminary designs.

After: We redesigned the fence for more privacy and a cleaner look. The doors are a custom design with a 'moon' window for peeks from the street		After: Notice the finished brickwork is laid out in a curve with river rock as suggested on the hand drawing.

After: Silver Dichrondra groundcover and Berberis provide contrast for Princess flower petals.		After: The boulders form the edge of a small pond with a waterfall at the deck’s edge. Low plantings of grasses and daylilies give an appearance of a meadow.
		After: The deck and pond were integrated to make a smooth transition.

Maintenance: Just as a house must be regularly cleaned in order to shine and be a healthy environment, landscapes must be regularly maintained. Clients should think of their gardens as an investment, and the maintenance as "investment protection". Not all gardeners are created equal. EcoScapes has strived to select and train highly competent horticulturists to maintain our installations. Designs can take up to seven years to reach their full beauty. Maintenance personnel must not only be familiar with plant material, but also share the designer's vision. Towards that end, EcoScapes offers three free consultations over the course of the first two years with the maintenance personnel and/or homeowner. In addition, it is imperative that all our jobs are professionally maintained, either by one of our recommended gardeners, or by a trained professional selected by the homeowner and approved by the designer.


Before: The before photo shows an overgrown front yard, with little useable plant material. Two mature Manzanitas and a Yucca are saved. The design will highlight the Spanish style house with a drought tolerant landscape.		During: Since we were planting a variety of natives and succulents, good drainage was essential. We cleared 12" of native clay/serpentine from the surface.

During: A special mix for succulents was brought in and mixed with the native soil. Then mounds or berms were formed of just the special mix.		During: The mounds are exclusively for the succulents, while the valleys' will house native Ceanothus, which needs some native soil.

After: A pebble mulch is applied to finish off the job. This keeps the rain from splashing on the leaves and creating a surface for fungus. It also adds to the drainage.		After: After the plants are installed, the concrete drive and walkways will be replaced with interlocking pavers. Usually hardscape is done before all planting is complete, but in this case it will be done at the end of the job.
		Summary Within a few years the groundcover Ceanothus will need no additional water, and the mounds will be watered about once every 10 days to 2 weeks. The succulents will form tight rosettes of different low shapes and colors, carpeting the mounds. Inside the gate, a small courtyard is heavily planted in a lush tropical fashion. This is an average water use area and helps highlight the entrance to the house.
After: Two Arbutus 'Marina's' were planted in front of the house. Their bark is reddish and peeling, which matches the existing mature Manzanitas. As the shrubs grow they will be pruned open as small trees to expose their bark and highlight the house.