Ecological Landscaping

Our approach to landscaping recognizes that we are part of nature. It requires a deep knowledge of plants, patience, and an understanding that transforming a landscape is a process.

The choices we make as gardeners can profoundly affect the diversity of life in our yards and communities. Homeowners everywhere can transform their yards into conservation corridors that provide valuable wildlife habitat.

For $120 per hour, landscape designers Seth Dunaway or Ben Wiggins will consult with you at your home. They will offer expert advice and create to-scale drawings that you can implement on your own. If you would like us to install your new landscape, we will provide a free cost estimate.

A thoughtful landscape design can save you money, labor, and time in the long run. Expert guidance helps you choose the right plant for the right place from the beginning, avoiding the cost of replacing dead plants. It can also save you the labor and time lost when ten-foot plants are placed in four-foot spaces.

Why native plants?

Creating a sustainable habitat for wildlife begins with your plants. When you plant native species that wildlife depend on, you create habitat and help restore your local environment. Native plants, when placed in the proper conditions, are well adapted to our climate and soils and have long-established ecological relationships with native insects. Those insects provide abundant food for birds, spiders, lizards, and other wildlife throughout the food web.

Adding water sources, nesting boxes, and other habitat features increases the value of your garden's habitat. By adopting natural gardening practices, you create a safer, more supportive environment for wildlife in your yard.

We also recommend carefully selected non-native plants, provided they are non-invasive and serve specific beneficial functions.

Take a moment to watch this video of Professor Douglas Tallamy on bringing nature home to your backyard with native plants.

You can make a difference. You can invite wildlife back to your own yard and neighborhood by planting a simple habitat-providing garden. Imagine your garden filled with singing songbirds, colorful butterflies, flitting hummingbirds, and other small wildlife.

Find more information on gardening for wildlife by clicking on the photos below:

Grace Miller's Thoughts on Native Plantings for Wildlife
This is a letter from customer, friend and former employee Grace Miller to Donna on 6/20/16. It was written after reading a garden section from Tallahassee Democrat (June 17, 2015) which included 2 articles by Donna "Bring on the Birds: Native shrubs harbor bugs that provide primo protein for our feathered friends" and "Make a Splash with a Well-placed Birdbath". It also included an article entitled, "Coastal properties offer haven for birds" by Sheftall and Lovestrand.