Tips

Landscape Design, Landscaping, Landscape Installation, Design and Install, Landscaper, Marin, CA, San Rafael, CA, Marin County

Tips for Clients

Over the years I have found the following to be helpful guidelines for creating a relaxing, efficient and pleasing project for all concerned.

Start by picking the best designer your can find. A good design will insure that your money is spent well, gaining you more resale value, beauty, functionality and ease of maintenance for each dollar spent. It may be the most important decision you make.

Check references of contractors you consider hiring. Check for warranty, cost accountability, schedule accountability and good relationship building.

Think carefully about what is most important to you before you begin. Changes can be expensive and frustrating - best to avoid them when possible. Our questionnaire will help you clarify what you want up front when changes are free.

The most pleasing and functional gardens begin with an overall plan. Before spending thousands on little pieces that may need to get re-done later, invest a few hundred dollars to begin with an overall plan that you can implement in stages if you cannot do it all at once.

Spend time cutting out pictures from magazines and noticing what exactly you like about other gardens in the neighborhood. Self awareness is often the best preparation for getting what you want.

If you like another garden and wish to copy it, let go of your attachment to the exact form. What is perfect for that garden will need to be adapted to be perfect for yours.

Consider using smart irrigation timer, with an on-site weather station. This can save an average of 30% of irrigation water costs every year and earn you rebates on your water bill. The best part is that you can then walk away from your timer, not worrying when to turn it on or off or adjust zone times ever again!

Mulching your soil with 2-3 inches of bark or other soil coverings will cut back on weeds by over 50%, hide irrigation lines and conserve 30% of water by insulating the soil from the sun. It also provides food for worms and erosion control - one of your best soil investments.

If you can, do the whole project at one time. There can often be savings for doing so due to efficiencies of scale as well as avoiding the approximately 7% per year inflation in landscape materials. If you do break it up, ask how to do so to save money.

If money is an issue, buying smaller plants is one of the best areas to save without compromising the overall design. A four inch plant costs two dollars and another to install. A one gallon plant costs eight dollars and two dollars to install. That's a 300% increase for just six months of waiting.

"Dane seems to love creating a beautiful world and sharing his knowledge. He has a special talent for listening, and his commitment and reliability are outstanding."

S. Worsley and B. Fitzgerald