Concept Design
Create the Big Picture Layout
Co-create big-picture layouts and priorities so you know where to start and what to do next.
Co-create a big-picture layout for your entire yard or key areas, then use follow-up coaching sessions to focus on specific spots and bring the concept to life.
Sessions
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4–6 sessions
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75 minutes each
Price
$600–$900, depending on the size of your landscape, your desired level of detail, and how many coaching sessions you choose. We’ll talk this through and provide a clear quote after the initial visit.
Need more coaching sessions later? You can add extra sessions anytime; each additional session is $110.
Travel fees outside of the Iowa City area are estimated up front and included in your quote.
Benefits
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See the Whole Picture: Understand how patios, paths, gardens, play areas, and habitat patches can all work together.
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Explore Options: Review several different layout ideas before settling on a plan that feels right.
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Blend Beauty and Function: Balance curb appeal, food, habitat, privacy, and play in one coherent layout.
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Set Realistic Phases: Decide what to do now, next, and later, so change feels doable instead of overwhelming.
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Stay Supported: Use integrated coaching sessions to focus on specific areas and keep momentum going.
Process
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Initial Visit: We walk your space, listen to your hopes and constraints, and begin to name key zones and patterns.
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Site Assessment: We map sun, shade, slopes, water flow, access points, and existing plants.
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Concept Options: We create two or three high-level "bubble" drawings that show main areas, paths, and major features.
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Refine Together: During follow-up coaching sessions, we "walk the design," choose favorite elements, and shape a final concept plan.
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Focused Progress: Additional sessions zoom in on priority areas to start moving from concept into concrete steps.
What You Receive
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Walk-Through Recommendations: A slow walk around your space with on-the-spot ideas about your dreams, what’s working, and what’s not working.
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Hands-On Layout Help: Standing in the yard with you to mark out beds, paths, and features using flags, rope, or quick sketches.
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Publications: Research-based handouts and articles that explain concepts and practices in clear, beginner-friendly language.
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Clear Priorities: A short list of focus areas and steps, so you know what to do next and what can wait.
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Session Summary: A short follow-up email summarizing key decisions, ideas, and your next small steps.
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Plant Lists: Researched low-maintenance plants and seed mixes that fit your goals, area conditions, and maintenance level.
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Management Tips: Guidance on planting, watering, weeding, mulching, and seasonal care crafted so that fits your available time.
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Resources and Materials Tips: Recommendations for raised bed kits, containers, edging, tools, soil, mulch, and local or online sources that fit your budget.
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Scaled Base Map: A to-scale drawing of your property that shows structures, boundaries, and major existing features.
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Assessment Summary: A plain-language overview of sun, shade, slopes, soil, water flow, and key opportunities or challenges.
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Concept Layouts: Big-picture "bubble" drawings that show where main areas and features reside and how travel paths bring them together.
Find the Path that Fits You
Has your space or stress has been tugging at you?
Schedule a free 15-minute phone or Zoom call to:
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Share a bit about your space and goals.
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Learn which coaching or design options fit your budget and energy.
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Ask questions and decide, together, on a first step.
Send us a note to find times that work. We typically reply within 2–3 days, and most people have their first session within 1–2 weeks.
Upcoming Classes and Events
