Every project begins with listening to the land.
A landscape is not decoration applied to a site — it is a living system that either works with the land or fights it. Our process is built around understanding your situation, your locale, your home and the wider landscape before we propose anything.
The result is a design that could only belong to your property — and that gets better with time.
Five steps. One continuous conversation.
We begin with a conversation. Before any site visit, we want to understand your goals, your aesthetic instincts, and the practical constraints of your project. Come with images, rough ideas, or just a sense of what isn't working — all of it is useful. For clients outside the Durango area, this happens by video call.
For local projects, one of our designers meets you on-site. We are reading the land: sun and shade through the seasons, drainage patterns, soil, microclimates, existing vegetation, views, and how your home sits within the broader landform. A property survey or plat map, if you have one, saves time at this stage.
We develop the landscape concept in response to everything the site tells us. Plant selection is guided by altitude, aspect, and soil. Hardscape is integrated from the start, not added as an afterthought. Where rainwater harvesting is applicable, it is woven into the site logic rather than bolted on.
We present the design on-site — or by video call for remote clients — with full-colour CAD drawings, plant schedules, and material direction. We walk through the logic behind each decision so you understand not just what we are proposing, but why. This is a conversation, not a delivery. We expect discussion, questions, and refinements.
Once the design is approved, we develop a detailed cost estimate and work with you on phasing if the project is best approached in stages. A phased approach spreads cost, allows the landscape to establish between phases, and lets you learn from the first plantings before committing to the rest.
A clear and straightforward fee structure.
The design fee is paid in two parts: a deposit at the start of the design phase, and the balance on presentation of the completed design. The design fee is separate from installation costs. We provide a detailed estimate once the design is approved.
Designing for the Mountain West.
For clients outside the Durango area, we offer the same rigorous site-responsive design process delivered remotely — a structured virtual walkthrough, site analysis from survey and satellite data, and full design presentation by video call.
Learn about our Mountain West service →Thinking before digging.
Our design process is built around understanding your situation, your locale, your home and the wider landscape before we propose anything. Installation is where that thinking becomes real.
To see how this process has played out across different sites and conditions, visit our portfolio. To understand who you would be working with, meet the team.
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Every garden begins a conversation.
Tell us about your project. We read every enquiry personally and reply within one working day.
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