Common questions
Frequently asked
The questions we hear most often, answered plainly. If your question is not here, call us and we will answer it the same way.
Why does drainage come before planting?
Because water decides what lives and what fails, including your foundation. Ground sloping toward the house, downspouts dumping at the wall, and beds that hold water are the causes behind most landscape and foundation problems. Planting a yard before fixing the water is spending money on something that is going to be dug back up.
How much should the ground slope away from my house?
The common standard is a fall of about six inches within the first ten feet measured out from the foundation. Where the lot will not allow it, drainage has to do the work grading cannot, with area drains, swales, or a French drain carrying water to a safe discharge point.
What is a French drain and do I need one?
It is a gravel filled trench with a perforated pipe that collects water in the soil and carries it somewhere safe. You need one where water collects and will not move on its own, where a slope sends runoff toward the house, or where a bed or lawn stays soggy days after it rains.
Do you install irrigation?
Yes. Drip for beds and shrubs, spray or rotor zones for lawn, and a controller to run them. We group plants with similar water needs onto the same zone, because a zone that mixes thirsty and drought tolerant plants can never be set correctly for either.
Do you do drought tolerant and native planting?
Yes, and in this climate it is usually what we recommend. Drought tolerant and California native planting uses far less water, handles a long dry summer without stress, and looks appropriate to the region rather than transplanted from somewhere wetter.
Can you replace my lawn with something lower maintenance?
Yes. Lawn replacement with drought tolerant planting, decomposed granite, gravel, or hardscape is one of the more common requests. We design it so the result looks deliberate rather than like a lawn that was removed.
Do you install landscape lighting?
Yes. Low voltage path lighting, uplighting on trees and architecture, and step lighting for safety. Running the wire during installation rather than after is what keeps it hidden and keeps the yard from being dug up twice.
Do you handle hardscape and landscape together?
Yes, and planning them together is much better than sequencing them separately. Patios, walkways, and retaining walls change where water goes and where sun falls, so designing planting and drainage around them at the same time avoids tearing out finished work.
How long does a landscape project take?
A modest front yard can be a week. A full property with drainage, hardscape, irrigation, and planting runs several weeks. Drainage and grading happen first, which is the least visible phase and often the one that takes longest.
How much does landscaping cost?
Cost is driven by the area, how much grading and drainage the site needs, irrigation, the size of the plants at install, and any hardscape involved. Larger plants cost more but look finished sooner, and that trade off is one of the bigger levers on the number. We price against a written scope and a plan.
