BILL WILLIAMS
Finding what makes your eyes light up
The best way to calibrate how you might feel about different garden elements is to see them in different landscapes. For inspiration, we may visit sites that hold elements of interest or suppliers that have unique and interesting pieces that we may want to include. Together we can visit purveyors of fountains, pots, sources of natural rock, pools, special concrete finishes or tile, architectural elements. I’ll be watching for your eyes to light up when we see things that feel just right for the spot or the application!
The landscape architectural plan;
do you really need one?
No two designs are ever the same! You might wish to create a full plan for HOA committee approval, inclusion of serious hardscape elements, or just for your own personal comfort level. The written plan may include grading and rock, drainage, planting, irrigation, and lighting details. Alternatively, we may elect to skip the paper documentation and proceed "from the hip" - painting lines on the ground for installers, placing the rocks and plants in the landscape when they arrive on the job, and giving verbal instructions on irrigation and grading. It really depends on you and the project, but experience has shown that the cost of executing a paper plan is usually better spent on the project itself.
Managing the project
I am your agent on the job to make sure each piece is done right and that it flows efficiently from beginning to end. I make sure that all the parts of the project are coordinated smoothly and correctly, and each component is executed appropriately. I solicit your input at each step where your tastes need to come into play. At the conclusion of the project, we will walk through the entire composition to savor and consider every final detail.
As far as long term care is concerned, we will provide you with as much information as you wish to identify, manage and maintain your garden. We can even give a "shoulder to shoulder" training where we can show you exactly how to prune and care for the garden. We can also identify trained people who can provide appropriate long term horticultural care and a caring touch for your maintenance needs.
Visit the Gallery for inspiration and to see other projects we have completed.
The vision conversation
To build a mental image of how the landscape looks and feels and works, we first meet in your landscape space and home to talk through your ideas, dreams, needs and tastes. How you will use the space? From in the house, where do you look into the yard? How much time do you like to garden? What do you cherish of memories from your childhood in gardens or nature? What plants or flowers are important to you? How do you think about color? What feels like you around your home?
A trip to the nursery
This is perhaps the most fun part of the process! Armed with our vision and with pictures of the space, I lead you through a tour of a nursery to make suggestions and get your reactions. What plants do you love, which do you hate, how do you like the way plant combinations look together? I also seek to understand your tastes in colors, textures, architectural form, and the ways in which they can be made to work with plants. With your input, I create a scorecard that will form the pallete of plants we will choose together and use in our project.
Introducing you to reliable
experienced and local talent
As the vision matures and becomes clearer, so will any requirements for labor. A contractor with large crews; a landscaper with skilled foreman; a team of seasoned workers whose english may be limited; all options carry different price tags, benefits and availability. After more than a decade in the business, I've worked with them all.
I can also draw from my expertise in areas such as stone and brick, concrete and tile, water features, woodworks, electrical, plumbing and lighting needs. Once we have settled on the right crew for the task, we can fix a date to begin.
