At Greathouse, we’re proud to offer a customized plan for your landscaping needs. We will create the best program to meet your individual plans, interests, and constraints. All of our projects begin with a meeting with you so that we can listen and try to create this plan. By the end of the meeting, you should have clear answers to these questions.

How Much Am I Willing to Spend?

This is a crucial first-step question when planning your landscape design. We will work with you to create a beautiful design within your budget, but it’s best to start with realistic expectations. Consider what you’re able and willing to budget for your landscape. Keep in mind that you’ll need to include the initial investment for the project design and installation, and then an ongoing cost for upkeep and maintenance. Once you have this number, we can tackle the more fun parts of planning.

What is My Lawn’s Use?

The use of your lawn should (along with budget) guide every step of your planning process. Do you plan to do quite a bit of entertaining? Do you enjoy outdoor activities for which you’ll need space? Do you have important factors to consider like children and pets? All of these things will matter when it comes time to decide exactly what you want in your lawn.

What Do I Want?

This seems like a simple question, but it’s time to be extra honest with yourself. Perhaps your neighbor didn’t spare any expense on his state-of -the-art outdoor kitchen, but you may know that your family is too busy to make that investment worthwhile. Maybe your best friend is obsessed with her exquisite herb garden, but your mind is on colorful, flowering plants.

They say “comparison is the thief of joy” and this is certainly true in landscaping. While you certainly don’t want your lawn to be the sore thumb of the neighborhood, you also need to be completely realistic and honest about what YOU want, not anyone else.

Are There Challenges I Might Face?

It’s good to do a thorough assessment of your lawn before ever making any final decisions on your plan. Include visual aspects (size, sun and shade, hills and slopes, etc.), as well as deeper issues like soil quality and typical rainfall. Creating an overall healthy lawn environment could likely be step one in your process.

Don’t forget to also consider area wildlife. It would be disappointing to spend time and money creating a lawn of beauty, only to have it destroyed by deer and other critters. Think if you will need fencing or other protection (there are many natural ways to do it).

What Are My Priorities?

Once you’ve established these parts of your expectations, it’s time to actually start planning. This may mean that your project needs to be broken down into smaller projects to accommodate your needs- and that’s OK! If you think big picture, it can make the process seem much more manageable.

Make a list of the things that you want to transform in your lawn. Then rank them from most important to least important. Think logically: if your grass and lawn look terrible, it may not be the wisest decision to jump straight to installing a gazebo. Beautify the area you’ll be spending time in, and then gradually enhance with special features.

Ultimately your lawn is an extension of your home, and therefore deserves to be treated as such! With this in mind, Greathouse is committed to creating a space that is uniquely you. We will work with your desires and budget to present something you’re sure to love.