Services
Native gardens and the ground under them
Five things we do, in the order most jobs need them. A small yard may need only one or two.
Native planting design
A plan for sun, soil and slope, with plant groups spaced for their grown size, and a walk-through of the list with you.
Plant list with sizes
Rock and edging
Paths and stepping stones
Rainwater basins and swales
We shape the yard to catch roof and paving runoff, slow it down, and let it soak in beside trees and shrubs, with an overflow planned.
Downspout and roof-drain connections
Swales and basins
Rock-lined overflows
Drip for new plants
Drip lines sized to each plant, on a clock you can read, so roots settle in and then need less.
Valves, filter and clock
A written watering schedule by season
Monsoon check-ups
A visit before or after the storm season to clear inlets, re-cut swales and see what the water did.
Basin and overflow check
Gravel top-up
Seasonal care
Pruning, dead-wood removal and a look at the drip, once or twice a year, for gardens we planted or others'.
Pruning native shrubs
Drip check
How a job runs
From the first rain to the last plant
Water decides the plan, so we start by watching it. Most jobs follow the same four steps.
Site visit: we walk the yard and mark where water enters and leaves
Written estimate: the plan, plant list, rock and start window
Build: basins and swales first, then rock, plants and drip
Walk-through and a check-up after the first big storm
How pricing works
We don't price from a photo. Here is what the number depends on, in the order people ask.
What decides the price
Mostly how much ground we shape and how many plants go in.
Area to be planted or regraded
Slope, and how water crosses the yard
Digging: open soil, rock or caliche
Plant sizes and counts
Rock, boulders and edging
Truck and wheelbarrow access
What the estimate includes, and what it doesn't
A written scope you can read line by line. It arrives after the site visit, with the price and a start window.
Included: site map, plant list with sizes, basin and swale layout, drip, rock, haul-off, cleanup
Not included: city or HOA permits and fees unless the estimate lists them
Not included: a utility rebate, which only the program grants
What happens at the visit
Kristen or Julio walks the yard with you, ideally in daylight. We measure, mark where water comes in and leaves, test how deep we can dig and write down what you want to keep.
How and when you pay
A deposit holds the start date and covers the plants and rock ordered for you. The rest is billed in stages as the basins, planting and drip go in, with a last payment after the walk-through. Check, card or bank transfer.
If the job changes
Caliche, a buried line or a change of plan happens. We stop, show you, and write down the change and its cost before we dig further.
Materials and who buys them
We buy the plants and rock so they arrive healthy and on time. You choose from a short list. If you want a particular boulder or plant, tell us at the visit.
Prices, deposits and stages are written on your estimate, so you can read them before you say yes.
Walk the yard with us
Tell us where the water goes. We write back to set up a site visit.