Five steps in my design process
Hi all! Here are the five steps in my design process. If you’re doing the installation yourself, and you need a design to guide you, then steps 1 through 5 are for you!
If we’re working together on a project that is on the smaller scale, and you’re hiring me to do the (local) installation myself, where I will be laying out the plants in the field and therefore don’t need a drawn design, (I’ll still do a rough sketch for myself) then steps 1, 2 and 5 are for you!
Step one: Site dialogue, gathering information
Sometimes it’s obvious what type of ecosystem you’re situated in. Maybe you’re not too far removed from the wilder surrounding edge that give clues to what the landscape was before. Or maybe you’re like me, in a home that was built on a former orange grove and the clues are less obvious. Either way let’s have a conversation about what we feel the land and the local wildlife needs and what your needs are too. We will talk about management and overall height preferences for the planting as well as gathering necessary measurements and a property survey.
Step two: Plant suggestion list
Next I’ll put together a plant list based on our conversation, tailored to your conditions. Once we’ve got the plant list all set and you’re happy with it, I’ll move on to the design.
Step three: Design
When I was in school for landscape design, I used computer assisted drawing programs to produce my designs. I have since switched to hand drawing and I really prefer this method. Everybody is different and for me, the design just flows coming out the end of a pencil. Drawings are from a bird’s eye or over head perspective and to scale. My drawing style is a bit of a hybrid, a combination of a concept plan and planting plan in one drawing. 
Step four: Plant schedule
A plant schedule accompanies the design, listing the plants both by common name and scientific name. The approximate number of plants needed are included as well as spacing guidelines and additional notes as needed.
Step five: Plant bloom time spreadsheet
A plant bloom time spreadsheet is a great tool to use to get a feel for how the garden will evolve visually throughout the season, taking the plants from January through December, you can be sure your garden is providing resources for pollinators throughout the seasons.
Photo above: A plant bloom time spreadsheet for a recent pollinator garden in sandhill with varying levels of moisture in the ground.
And finally, I offer grow services for my design clients. So if you’re working with me and you would like to place an order for a plant/s, that I have specified in your design, that is an option! I grow a handful of my favorite species, others can be sourced from local nurseries that specialize in native plants. Most species germinate best, here in central Florida, from December through January. This is a general guideline and some plants for example, Rudbeckia and Asclepias I can start a little later.
So I hope this gives you a feel for my design process. Please reach out with any questions!