Design Services
Living Earth brings approximately 30 years of construction, planting, and nursery experience to landscape planning. Site measurements and scaled layouts establish how features fit. Plant selections account for growing conditions, mature size, maintenance, and availability.
Concept renderings bring those decisions into view—helping you picture a landscape grounded in your property and how you want to use it.
Tap or click the illustration to enlarge.
Tap or click the illustration to enlarge.
Site measurements and a scaled layout guide the concept. Plant selections reflect site conditions and availability, bringing practical planning into the picture.
The scaled reference grid connects the design concept to the property’s dimensions, supporting decisions about spacing, placement, and how the landscape will be built.
This planting was designed primarily to screen the street while the homeowner sat on the front porch. Standing privacy became a bonus. Shown five years after planting and maintained with annual shaping, it creates a garden edge on both sides while preserving views into the surrounding trees.
Tap or click the illustration to enlarge.
Tap or click the illustration to enlarge.
A design study reimagines the existing driveway as two connected outdoor living areas: a larger gathering space beneath a pergola and a smaller fireside nook. A cut-in planter defines the spaces, bringing natural edges into the paving while leaving room to move comfortably between them.
Tap or click the illustration to enlarge.
Tap or click the illustration to enlarge.
Following a recent renovation, the homeowner wanted a landscape that complemented the quality and character of her home. The concept builds on the existing stonework, fencing, and mature trees, introducing connected paths, layered planting, and a water feature to create a welcoming approach.
Tap or click the illustration to enlarge.
Tap or click the illustration to enlarge.
Tap or click the illustration to enlarge.
Tap or click the illustration to enlarge.
A landscape is also enjoyed through a window or from a deck. A design study pairs an established Japanese maple and an existing mound with a pond-and-waterfall concept for the house. Water, stone, and planting are arranged with those everyday viewpoints in mind.
Tap or click the illustration to enlarge.
Tap or click the illustration to enlarge.
The path curves around the pond, giving the added distance a purpose. Changing views of water and planting invite a slower approach, while blueberries along the path offer another reason to pause.
The pond can be enjoyed from inside the house and outdoors. For a busy household that may seldom spend time in the backyard, this brings the garden into the daily routine—making coming home an opportunity to enjoy it.
Tap or click the illustration to enlarge.
Tap or click the illustration to enlarge.
Tap or click the illustration to enlarge.
A planting decision can change the character of an entire view. This design study shows a tree's form, apparent size, and placement beside the pond, compared with leaving the area open. Seeing both helps guide the choice of tree and whether a tree belongs there at all.
Tap or click the illustration to enlarge.
Tap or click the illustration to enlarge.
Visual concepts helped explore the pergola’s scale and presence at the entrance, along with how gray could work across the house. The darker concept also tested gray on the chimney. The additional gray considered for the house was limited to the roof trim and garage door; the garage door is outside these views. The images made both the structure and the color options easier to consider in context.
Tap or click the photograph to enlarge.
Tap or click the illustration to enlarge.
This concept brings landscape lighting and a future deck upgrade into one view of the pond setting. It provides a direction to discuss as the project develops in phases. The deck upgrade is still to come, and its architecture can change while the image continues to communicate the intended relationship between the deck, lighting, and landscape.
Good planning takes the existing property into account, so repairs and new improvements can support each other as priorities change. The Wallace property shows the value of knowing a place over time.
Privacy, proportion, movement, and planting structure shape how an outdoor space feels and functions. The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) publishes projects exploring these ideas. The topics below are Living Earth's practical perspective on local properties; no ASLA project examples are reproduced here.
Plant choices shape a garden's character through the seasons. The next stage of this guide will introduce planting conversations with the Living Earth Receptionist—exploring suitable plants and companions, seasonal balance, texture, and maintenance needs.
Grower lists are provided for plant exploration. Current availability, sizes, and pricing are not assured and will be confirmed during project planning.
