Consultation & Design: your dream garden starts here.
A backyard swamp? More shade than sun? A deck that’s seen better days? There’s no garden design challenge we can’t conquer. And if your budget is part of the equation, we can solve for that, too.
Whether you want a lush pollinator garden with native plants, an edible eden, or a total outdoor makeover with a new patio and pathways to complement your landscape, our team’s expertise in sustainable landscaping and hardscaping can take your dream from concept to completion.
We’ll schedule a free 30-minute consultation at your property, where we’ll listen to your ideas and assess key factors like sunlight, drainage, and existing plants. From there, we’ll work with you to create design options that balance beauty, sustainability, and practicality. Once an option is selected, you’ll see your ideas transformed into a custom digital design, complete with a plant list and layout tailored to your space, climate, and budget.
Have questions? Contact us to learn more. You can also read the frequently asked questions about consultation and design. We look forward to meeting you!
Great landscapes start with great planning.
Pollinator Gardens & Wildlife Habitats
Edible Gardens
Eco-Lawns
Rain Gardens
Hardscapes
Water Features & Drainage
Drip Line Irrigation
Garden Installation
Consultation & Design FAQs
To learn more about our consultation and design process, explore the FAQs below.
For details about scheduling your project and the installation process, read our garden installation FAQs.
You can also contact us to discuss your project and schedule a free consultation.
Questions About Green Edens’ Consultations
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Your initial 30-minute consultation will take place at your property and is at no cost to you. This is your chance to tell us about your dream garden and note any problem areas that are not working for you, such as drainage issues, etc.
Before the consultation we ask that you think about:How you want to utilize your property—for example, do you want a colorful, low-maintenance garden with a durable lawn play space for kids and pets? Do you want a garden with a hardscape area for outdoor entertaining?
Your budget—this helps us create a design and installation plan that meets your vision while also remaining affordable. We can also install your garden in phases as your budget allows. For example, you might want to install the front garden this year and implement the backyard design the following spring.
We also request that you have your plat of survey available at the time of the consultation. (If you’re not sure what this is, see the next question.)
And while we’re there, we’ll also measure your property and take photos, so we have everything we need to start your design if you decide to move forward.
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A plat of survey is a legal document that details where your home and additional hardscape structures are located within the borders of your property. You should have received this document when you purchased your property. If you can’t find your plat of survey, you can reach out to your village or local municipality to request a copy.
We require your plat of survey before starting a design to be sure we’re designing within your legal property lines. This prevents potential delays, rework and additional costs later (not to mention upset neighbors who don’t want your garden extending on to their property!)
Questions About Green Edens’ Design Process
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Just like you wouldn’t build a house without blueprints, a formal garden design plan acts like a planning tool to help you determine how the costs align with your budget and priorities. It also ensures that your garden will be installed according to the approved design plan, avoiding costly mistakes and saving you time and money.
The design plan also helps you define your long-term goals and overall plan, so you have the flexibility to install your garden in phases based on your desired timing, budget, and priorities.
The design plan includes:
a digital design layout showing plant placement
a plant list with photos of the proposed plants that align with your creative preferences (such as color and style) and would work best for your property (considering the amount of space, sunlight, etc.)
a follow up Zoom consultation to review the digital design layout
one design revision with a second Zoom consultation to review the final layout. (If additional revisions are required, time will be billed at $100 per hour.)
an installation estimate for the project
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Paying the design fee is your commitment to participate in the design process and covers all of the labor hours involved in creating the design plan and plant list, including one round of revisions. (Additional rounds of revisions will be billed at $100 per hour.) We may also visit your property again to take additional measurements and photos.
Once you approve the final design plan with plant list, it’s yours to keep regardless of if / when you choose to install it. -
There is no such thing as a “no maintenance” landscape, but we focus on proper plant selection and spacing when designing your garden and carefully place each plant on the day of installation to ensure that when the plants reach full maturity, they will not be overgrown and crowded. This reduces future pruning needs and maintenance costs.
We also amend the soil and address other property issues (such as drainage) at the time of installation to ensure that your garden gets off to a healthy start and builds long-term resiliency to thrive for years to come.
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After the design plan and installation estimate are approved, we’ll send you our service agreement for signature via Docusign. We will also send you a deposit invoice for 50% of the installation estimate. 50% needs to be paid prior to the installation to secure your plants and materials and to reserve a date on our schedule. The remaining balance of 50% is due upon completion of the installation and a walk-through with you to answer any questions you may have.