Services
The Garden Makeover Company offers many types of services, ranging from garden design to hands-on landscape services, tailored to each client’s need, interest, and budget. Small jobs are welcome. Services include the following:
- Consultation
- Consultations are offered on a one-time or on-going basis, or as the first step in long-range or more formal design work. A consultation is typically an evaluation of the landscape and opportunity to respond to specific questions and concerns of the owner. A consultation session is predicated on sharing knowledge and expertise. If follow-up or hands-on work is desired, we can discuss that, but the purpose of a consultation is not to provide an estimate for services. Clients often provide, in advance, an overview of their property conditions and issues to address, so that specific recommendations can be made and examples presented during the meeting.
- Garden Coaching
- Coaching sessions consist of teaching the client about gardening or how to accomplish specific tasks. Sometimes we actually work in the garden together. Among the topics we coach on are:
- how to cultivate a garden – e.g., establish a new garden bed from turf grass or weedy, non-productive areas, including proper soil evaluation and preparation (Note: we also can do on-site checks to identify problems with the soil, and appropriately take samples of the soil to submit for laboratory testing);
- how to properly install or transplant perennials, annuals, bulbs, shrubs, and trees;
- care of existing plant material, including the proper time and method to prune and divide plants and treat plants that are underperforming or suffering;
- optimal practices to appropriately and efficiently water different parts of the landscape;
- rearranging, or adding to, existing plant material to resolve performance or aesthetic issues. Sometimes it is necessary to have someone advise of the need to donate some existing plant material to a friend or compost pile, or appropriate disposal in the case of infected specimens.
- Learn more about Garden Coaching:
- Coaching sessions consist of teaching the client about gardening or how to accomplish specific tasks. Sometimes we actually work in the garden together. Among the topics we coach on are:
- Landscape Design
- Design services range from simple to formal architectural renderings. We show you our design portfolio to demonstrate the types of products we can provide, depending on complexity, budget, and other needs. A master plan can be prepared for the property or a portion of it. This begins with a working meeting to assess your goals for design, interests, preferences in style and color, uses of the landscape, and special needs. We then conduct a site analysis to evaluate the property conditions and contours. We carefully measure the site to develop a base plan to accurately diagram what is there and decide on what will be added and removed. We study the viability of existing plant material, soil, drainage, light, and other conditions. After follow-up discussion, a plan is hand-drawn and presented, along with a package of material including “plant fact sheets” that display photos of suggested plants in different seasons along with descriptions and care requirements. Please take a look at an example Plant Fact Sheet. If a formal rendering is not needed, the product can be quite simple – but still prepared to scale with plant suggestions specified, so that it can be implemented by the client or anyone else. Sometimes design work is on an ad hoc basis—with a series of informal consultations to make recommendations for various garden areas.
- Installation
- We expertly provide installation of plant material selected pursuant to a plan or consultation we have done, or that the client has chosen. This includes:
- selection, procurement, and expert installation of shrubs, small trees, perennials, annuals, bulbs and container gardens. Selection and siting of larger trees;
- establishment of new garden beds, including testing and amending soil with appropriate organic matter to ensure new plants thrive, and carefully creating the aesthetically and functionally appropriate shape and form;
- installation of river rock and other stone to create drainage swales or extend walkways, driveways, and garden beds.
- We emphasize selection of plant material that is well tested, and we seek out special cultivars and varieties to make each garden unique. We procure material from reputable nurseries that demonstrate proper plant care to help ensure that our plant selections are healthy and vital. We develop and install specialized gardens such as:
- native gardens – indigenous plants and sustainable gardens designed to attract and protect wildlife;
- butterfly gardens;
- colorful gardens for shade;
- deer resistant gardens – combining reliable plant material with targeted protective measures;
- very moist/bog gardens
- We expertly provide installation of plant material selected pursuant to a plan or consultation we have done, or that the client has chosen. This includes:
- Landscape Maintenance
- seasonal cleanup and garden preparation (weeding; nutritional management; removing decaying plant matter, leaves, and small trees) – done on an as-needed basis, or through our regular maintenance plans;
- reshaping and edging of garden beds;
- pruning, mulching, soil amending;
- installation of soaker hoses and other hand watering aids;
- vacation watering (and adjunct services)
- Sourcing
- If you are a hands-on gardener who lacks the time or inclination to locate optimal plant material, we can help procure the right plants for your landscape. Connie will lend her horticulture training and expertise in plant material – woody and herbaceous plants – and do the leg-work to find the best plants for you – particularly unique cultivars and varieties to help make your landscape stand out. Her ‘you’ve got to grow it to know it’ philosophy means that she recommends plants that are tried and true to this area. Connie maintains extensive demonstration gardens to test a variety of plant material and to showcase how plants perform in real life conditions (e.g., high summer humidity, deer or rabbit browsing, heavy snow). We procure plants from a network of nurseries throughout Maryland that have excellent products and values, and professional staff who take good care of their plant material.
- Newsletters
- We publish a seasonal Newsletter for our clients. Please take a look at an example Newsletter.
- We also send out email newsletters with timely gardening information monthly, or more often if there is something newsworthy to convey. View a sample here: Email Newsletter
- Gift Certificates
- We offer the convenience of gift certificates. These make great gifts for occasions such as Mother’s or Father’s Day, birthdays, and holidays. They can be personally tailored for the occasion and by various amounts and ways to use them – consultation, garden maintenance, etc. We can send them directly to the recipient.
-
