Kim made an AMAZING landscape design for us! We are so excited to implement it once the builder is finished with the house. I was impressed with how quickly Kim got a feel for the style, feel, and functionality we were hoping for in our yard. She tastefully combined all our ideas into a seamless flow from one area of the yard to another.
At the beginning we met at the lot and talked about some of the problem areas that we didn't know how to address, such as walkway placement and style, stairway issues, vehicle access needs etc. She gave us a survey to learn about our goals and tastes and had us send pictures of elements that we liked. We let her know that we wanted fruit trees, a garden, liked conifers and plant variety, and natural flowing contours for plant beds and such. We also told her that there were a lot of gaps in our vision and that she could surprise us with plants that she thought would combine well with our tastes. And then... the concept plan that she first presented blew our minds! The plants and descriptions and beauty of it all was so fun to go through. We soaked it in a few days and then met again to go over little tweaks.
The final design was STUNNING. Hundreds of plants and features mapped with dimensions and specifications for each element in the yard. She provided us with tips to implement, and in what order, and gave us an idea of what it would take to maintain these plants. One good thing - aside from a yard designed for beauty and utility, she also designed it to be relatively low maintenance. In addition to Kim's excellent eye for design and utility, she is knowledgeable about which plants will thrive and where. She is well versed in permaculture, and she places plants together that not only look great together, but actually support each other symbiotically. For example she placed flowers that attract the right kind of pollinators for our fruiting plants, and other plants that attract insects that eat pests that are common for those flowering plants, etc. The design came with a list of the plants and quantity of each called for and helped us develop a strategy for budgeting the process out for two or three years. She provided names of contractors that she liked and told us what we would need to tell them to make sure the job is done correctly. She is also willing to get competing bids for you if you're ready for that.
One thing I like about working with Kim is that, even though she's an expert and bounds with great ideas, she helped us sort through our own ideas in a validating way and helped us consider the pros and cons of different options. She was good at prioritizing our goals. She encouraged us to have things the way we wanted them and then showed us how to do it in a nice looking way, considerate of cost and maintenance, and making sure our other priorities weren't compromised.
From start to finish, my expectations were surpassed, and I'm so glad we were referred to Kim at Eden's Garden Design. -Taylor read more
