Services
Maintenance
I make weekly, biweekly, or monthly visits to manage upkeep in your yard, including: clean-up, weeding, shaping, seasonal pruning, and irrigation checks, as well as feeding, planting, pest-management, and soil health-management, as needed. The goal is to stave off any issues before they start, while shaping the landscape over time and through each season. I am detailed and conscientious, and personally do, or directly manage, all work. I use no gas-powered tools (sometimes electric power tools, but many tasks performed by hand). I aim to have a soft presence on-site, and to communicate steadily. If you’re interested, contact me and we’ll start with a chat!
Skilled pruning
I provide skilled, aesthetic pruning for all kinds of shrubs and small trees, including roses. I make it my job to know the seasonal rhythms of different species (when timing of a prune matters), to know how they are likely to respond to cuts, and to tailor my work to a client’s goals for a particular pruning job. Sometimes the goal is to make it look like I was never there, retaining the plant’s natural shape and strategically hiding cuts. Other prunes are for rejuvenation or disease prevention. In any case, I aim to balance horticultural and aesthetic goals, and encourage clear communication about what is desired and what can be expected through pruning.
Design
Want to transform your space, but not sure what to do? I provide options that work for your site, and are tailored to your tastes and goals. I aim to provide a balance of colors and textures, incorporate graceful shapes, and work with the environment rather than against it. I’m oriented to consider the longer-term outcome: what is truly likely to succeed, what will be the necessary upkeep, and how will things evolve over time. (See some examples in the gallery.) My design service can include any of the following:
Consultation & generating a custom plant list
Creation of photo mock-ups to help you visualize options (see examples here)
Creation of plans that can be handed off to a landscape contractor for installation
Over time, making incremental changes while working in the space.
Container service
Do you have an entryway or patio that could use more life? I design and maintain containers that create mood and activate any space. Service can include ongoing care and swapping plants out as needed to ensure a continued display.
Gopher management
Even one gopher can wreak a surprising amount of havoc, and they love landscaped areas — gophers proliferate where the eating is good! To help manage gophers without harming other wildlife, I use kill traps that target only the gophers. With informed knowledge of gopher behavior and patterns, I know how to read above-ground signs to find active burrows, for successful underground trapping. Fees start at $75 (and up) for any service, plus $25 per gopher caught. Contact me to discuss your situation or set up a visit.