Frequently asked questions

Gardenflow Designs offers professional design and horticultural advice and guidance through the process of consultations, design work, and plant procurement. 

Gardenflow Designs is a design-only company, and does not provide any construction or installation services.  Contractor referrals may be offered based on your project needs.

The features and details in most landscape plans exceed the capabilities of most gardeners. To help ensure higher quality work, experience levels, and a smoother process, it's strongly recommend that you choose an experienced and licensed (C-27) landscape contractor. Having an experienced supervisor frequently on-site to oversee and coordinate your project will greatly reduce costly mistakes and oversights, which are  typically not noticeable when the project is first completed.  In time they often reveal themselves with repairs, unnecessary maintenance, and costly inefficiencies.  While your gardener may be familiar with some plants and irrigation, their expertise will be in the maintenance of the new landscape rather than its installation. 

Summary Reports and Design Drafts are typically emailed between 3 - 10 days after initial consultation, depending on seasonal work load.

 Xeriscape is an attractive, sustainable landscape that conserves water and is based on sound horticultural practices.  (USU Extension) 

A Xeriscape:

• utilizes design and planning to create a naturally healthy, balanced landscape
• uses water-wise and drought tolerant plants that require little supplemental irrigation
• may include turf! With proper design, turf can be an important Xeriscape element
• is attractive, eco-friendly, and requires lower maintenance than traditional landscapes

A "Zeroscape":

• doesn't use design principles, is not planned out, and usually looks unattractive
• includes excessive use of rock
• contains few or no plants, creating an uninviting and sterile environment
• contributes to further heat problems

 Zeroscapes imitate landscapes found in arid desert regions such as Arizona and Las Vegas, where precipitation is extremely low and very few plants are able to grow.  Our Salt Lake Valley region is composed of grasslands, sagebrush basins, rocky woodlands, and shrub covered foothills. With higher precipitation rates than our neighboring arid regions, our valley can naturally support these diverse ecoregions.

Xeriscapes relate closely to our local natural environment. With no end to the rapid urbanization the Salt Lake region is experiencing, our need to stay connected to nature is becoming more critical than ever.   Rather than imposing a foreign landscape into our environment, working parallel with nature has the potential to improve our quality of life, maintain the health and beauty of our communities, and strengthen our "sense of place".

Horticulture is a field of plant agriculture that focuses on garden crops. It includes the cultivation and use of plants for food, comfort, and beauty.  Landscape Horticulture specializes in the cultivation and use of plants to beautify the outdoor environment. It integrates landscape design elements with the cultivation of ornamental gardens.

A Landscape Designer typically works on residential projects. They may have earned a degree and/or professional certifications within the industry. Designers focus on the overall aesthetics and function of the landscape project, and usually have specialized plant knowledge and gardening experience.  They can illustrate conceptual plans and images to support better communication with visual tools.

A Landscape Architect is licensed by the state to create construction plans and documentation for a wide range of clients, from residential, to large corporate, or even government projects. They have knowledge of laws and regulations related to grading and drainage, building construction, and energy usage.  An architect will be able to provide certified construction documents.

A Landscape Contractor coordinates, installs, and builds all of the elements that create your landscape.  It's strongly recommended that the contractor you select is licensed, insured, and experienced with the type of work your project involves. 

"Design-Build" contractors offer both design and installation services.  They can offer great "One-Stop-Shop" services.  Ask about their designer's qualifications. Occasionally, you may come across a "designer" contractor who has limited knowledge of design principles. Or they may base designs on their profit line instead of what's in the best interest of the client.  

For informal concepts, the initial consultation starts at $275 and includes a sketched diagram of the design.  Extensive/detailed diagrams are available for an additional fee. 

Formal design work starts at $500.