Benefits of Naturalistic plantings using a minimum of 80% regional native plants:

• Low maintenance. Perennial plantings can be weed-whacked or simply cut back in pieces in the late winter, leaving the debris for natural mulch. Additional bark mulch past the first year is never needed, since the tight plantings don’t allow space for weeds to thrive. By selecting plants that add value throughout the growing season as they are, this eliminates the need to tend to the garden like you do in a traditional setting.

• Minimal change to existing soil is necessary. Plants are selected to thrive in their existing conditions. This means we don’t have to bring in large amounts of compost to amend the soil, and the plantings will hold up to our ever changing climate. By limiting the materials we bring to the site, we can tread more lightly and have less disturbance to your property.

• Using naturalistic planting techniques, we create complex plant combinations that focus on texture and form, over color of blooms. The plantings become an ever-changing scene as they naturally will move themselves around for where they are best suited. The flexibility of the design allows for this natural movement.

• When native plants are grouped and repeated, this provides optimal sources of pollen and nectar for pollinators and other beneficial insects. This method also creates blankets of texture juxtaposed against each other as blocks (or groups), creating harmony and a sense of calm as you move through the landscape.

• Native plants are offered in what is called a ‘landscape plug’ from wholesale distributors. These are simply a smaller version of a potted plant you can find at a nursery. We use these whenever we can as they are cost effective and are able to establish a root system more quickly than their larger counterparts.