FAQs

What are native plants?

Native plants are those species that have co-evolved within a region to bring balance and diversity to that ecosystem. “Invasive exotic” species are those imported from outside of North America that outcompete all neighboring species and create monocultures. Virginia currently lists about 90 such species that threaten the local ecology and economy.

We remove invasive species to encourage the growth of native plant species as well as to build thriving habitats for the insects, bacteria, fungi, birds, and other wildlife that depend on a biodiverse and balanced ecosystem in order to survive.

How does the design process work?

We start by listening to your goals and discussing the vision for your landscape during our one-on-one site visit. We will walk the land together, paying attention to existing natural features as we explore your site’s opportunities and challenges.

Native plants and artisan stonework are the heart of most of our designs. The Natural Garden does include some introduced species in our landscape design (such as edible or medicinal plants), but we never use invasive exotic plants in our plans. If you have written notes, brochures, or pictures, we encourage you to share them during our meeting.

We typically follow these steps during our first consultation:

  1. Visit your site in person

  2. Conduct a site analysis and survey

  3. Design concepts that work within a range of installation budgets

  4. Review designs and budgets with your feedback

  5. Revise design and budget

  6. Present completed landscape design and budget

  7. Schedule Phase One installation

  8. Build additional phases as needed

What is the timeline for a typical residential landscaping project?

Timelines vary according to the season, weather, plant availability, and the scope of the project. Our projects have ranged from simple one-day installations to multi-year projects. Most projects will require some patience as the landscape establishes over time. We encourage clients to stay in communication during this establishment process. If time is of essence, please discuss this with your designer in the early stages of the process so we can determine what is feasible.

What size projects will The Natural Garden build?

During more than two decades in business, we have built landscapes for very small suburban front yards to projects covering large acreage. We stay nimble so that we can respond to virtually any size of project.

What if the project I want is too expensive to implement all at once? Can it be divided into stages? Do you accept payment plans?

We have a few ways to work with you. One option is to create a phased plan so that a large project is divided into smaller increments over several months or years. For example, you might install phase one the first year, phase two the second year, and so on. A large project is paid for in installments (called “draws”), with the first draw taking place before installation and the last draw after the final walk-through. Additional draws are distributed at intervals throughout the installation process. Your initial estimate or job quote will detail the payment schedule.

How long does it take to grow a meadow?

The first year, the pre-existing non-native vegetation must be killed off and then the new meadow seed mix can be planted. The first two to five years are the most dynamic and require the most maintenance. Our meadow plans include several maintenance visits for the first two to five years to remove invasive weeds, to mow, and to monitor the health of the new plants. Meadows can take about five years to become well-established. We can work with you to provide maintenance and monitoring during that time.