Landscape Concept Plan

A concept plan begins with us walking through your property while discussing your vision and the possibilities we could achieve. We will discuss your design style, who will enjoy the site, and what activities you would like to occur. We will consider any features or structures you would like to create. Of course preserving great views and hiding adjacent eyesores will be addressed.

Before we get together, I will have researched your property records so that we have important information such as the septic system location, zoning, and any easements that will affect the landscape plan. Items such as these can limit what we can do so it is best to find these out early in the design process. You can fill out my questionnaire and get it to me before we get together and I will arrive with useful background information that will make your consultation more efficient.  Additionally, sharing any photographs of landscapes you like will significantly help me understand your preferences.

Next we will begin to discuss how these varied components fit together on your property. We will discuss ways to create pathways, planting beds, and garden structures to fill out your landscape.  We will discuss how much effort you would like to put into maintaining your landscape and things we can do to minimize maintenance.

Back at the office, I will work up some concept plan sketches based on our discussions*. This concept plan will illustrate the general landscape design and layout incorporating the main goals and features. It will illustrate areas for trees, boulders, and planting beds with general plant suggestions.  The plan may illustrate a new deck or patio configuration; areas to transplant existing plants; plant groupings; lawn areas; and any proposed pathways or hardscapes. I will suggest some colors and materials for pathways, decks, and other features. 

Once the concept plan is completed, we will review this plan together while walking through the various areas show on the plan. We will discuss the design and challenge ideas, further refining the concept plan.

The concept plan is not suitable for installation or a contractor’s bid as not all necessary information is provided. In fact, all the details are not worked out at this point. The final landscape plan will illustrate the landscape layout with all proposed features and components. These will include all plant species, plant locations, plant counts, color and materials for decks, patios, and walkways with their dimensions.  The concept plan does get you headed in the right direction.

*If you do not have a site plan** for your property, it is likely I will need to  take some measurements of landscape items and home to develop a base map. It is important that I have a site plan to scale to accurately develop a landscape plan for your property. Without a site plan based on real measurements, decks and patios or other features may not be designed to fit well on your property. 

**A site plan typically show the property dimensions, home walls and windows, existing vegetation, contours, easements, utilities, rock outcroppings, and other significant site features.