One of the best parts of living in San Diego is our wonderful climate. We are known for having 70 degree weather year round, so while many parts of our country are blanketed with snow and sleet, we enjoy warm days and cool nights. What you may not know is that San Diego also has very diverse micro-climate “pockets”. The marine “zone” (western garden names it zone 24) is dominated by the ocean with mild temperature changes moist air most of the year (the exception being in October when the santa ana winds bring very dry conditions). “Zone 23” is the “thermal belts” of southern California and is known as one of the best places to grow subtropical plants. Avocados and oranges grow best in this area of San Diego. “Zone 22” are still influenced heavily by the ocean, but the summers tend to be warmer, and the winters colder. Still, temperatures rarely fall below freezing in zone 22.
So, you live in one of the most idealistic climates in the world, can you plant in the winter? And what kinds of plants seem to thrive this time of year? Our account managers are some of the highest educated, and most well-rounded in plant knowledge, irrigation management, and creative design in our industry. When we work with you, you have an expert on your team for the best horticultural influence you can get!
Our design team can come up with creative plans for your community. We start with a plant palette for your property that works well with your soil, irrigation, and climate zone(s); we present this palette to you for approval. This plant palette may include minor differences for entry ways, monuments, common area parks, parkways, or driveways, and additionally, home entrances. Then we begin making design renderings based on this pre-approved plant palette. Once we have a design image (or 12) that work well for you and your community, we build a proposal based on the design.
Hopefully you have discussed the budget prior to this and have shared a range for the proposal. This helps guide us in terms of plant count and spacing, mulch depth, and other elements of your new design that are affected by the budget you have available. We may proposal a complete renovation of the space, when the budget actually only allows for a partial renovation (ie. leaving some of the plant material in place, or NOT including lighting, boulders and other fantastic elements that may not be feasible with the budget you are working with).
Once we have an approved plant palette, design(s), and proposal, then we can begin work. Our team has more than 30 years of experience and we will provide a timeline for starting a project, when we will be onsite working, and when we anticipate completing the project.
Another thing to consider is the warranty, and the maintenance of the newly installed plant material. It is typical that we will include a 90 day warranty on all newly installed landscaping. If we are also your maintenance provider, we can extend that warranty to 1 year (or longer) and will often have much better results as we transition from installation to maintenance.
If you’ve got a project you would like for us to consider, we would be happy to meet you onsite to see the project and provide you with excellent service that we have come to be known for. We are always hoping to gain your trust and earn your business, feel free to refer us maintenance opportunities as well and you could win a trip for two to Italy! Contact us today with any questions you might have about our service!