Landscape Designer
in Fairhaven, MA

Landscape Design Plans

 

Every landscape design project starts the same way. We measure property lines, existing features, and distances from the house. We evaluate slope and drainage and track where water moves during heavy rain. We also locate buried utilities, so excavation is done safely. Just as important, we talk through what you actually need the property to do.

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Need a flat area where kids can play without rolling down a hill? Want a patio large enough for a grill and table? Need privacy screening from nearby homes? Dealing with water pooling near the foundation every spring? Have a slope that’s impossible to mow? These are common issues we see on properties in Fairhaven, Mattapoisett, and Rochester, and they drive the entire design process.

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We create detailed plans that show how everything fits together. Retaining walls to manage elevation changes and create usable terraces. Patios and walkways that connect different areas of the property. Garden beds are placed where they receive the right amount of sun. Trees positioned for long-term shade and screening. Lawn areas are graded so water drains away from the house. Where needed, drainage solutions like catch basins or French drains are built into the plan from the start.

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Each plan includes grading changes that reshape the land, so water flows in the right direction. Hardscape features are shown with exact dimensions and materials. Planting areas are mapped and specified. You see the entire layout before any work begins.

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You receive a clear proposal that breaks the project into phases with defined costs. Some clients complete everything at once. Others handle grading and hardscaping first, then return later for planting. We work either way. What matters is that you understand the scope, sequence, and cost before we move any dirt.

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Erosion Control Planning 

 

Fairhaven has plenty of sloped properties, especially in older neighborhoods built before proper grading was standard. We see the same issues in Dartmouth, New Bedford, and Marion. Yards slope toward the house instead of away. Water runs off hills and collects in low areas. Heavy rain carves erosion channels that get worse every year.

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Before installing anything permanent like patios or planting trees, we set proper elevation and plan drainage. That starts with walking the property and understanding the full water picture. Roof runoff from gutters, uphill neighbor drainage, natural flow from higher ground, and street runoff during storms all affect how a property behaves.

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Next, we determine where that water needs to go. In most cases, it should move away from the house and hardscaping toward street drains or lower areas of the property. Some sites require catch basins and piping. Others can be corrected through regrading, so water flows naturally in the right direction.

Proper slope is critical. Properties should slope away from buildings at a minimum of 2% grade, about two inches of drop per ten feet. Less than that leads to standing water. Too steep causes erosion. We measure existing elevations, calculate cut and fill, and establish grades that protect structures while keeping the landscape stable.

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Drainage planning also accounts for volume during heavy rain. A 1,000 square foot roof sheds over 600 gallons of water during a one-inch storm. That water needs a controlled path. We design drainage systems for peak flow, not ideal conditions, because undersized systems fail when they’re needed most.

 

Some properties in Dartmouth, Marion, and parts of New Bedford require retaining walls to manage elevation changes and create usable space. Hillsides become level patios, lawn areas, or terraces instead of wasted slopes. Walls also stabilize steep grades and prevent soil from washing out.

 

We use structural fill to raise low areas and loam to create proper growing conditions on top. Everything is compacted correctly to prevent settling and future failure. Getting elevation and drainage right at the start ensures that hardscaping, planting, and lawns last instead of failing a few years later due to water problems.

Plant Selection and Installation
 

After grading and hardscaping gets done and we've got proper drainage working, we create the planting areas. This means bringing in quality loam to build actual growing medium where plants can establish, creating mulch beds with defined edges, and installing whatever the design calls for (trees, shrubs, perennials, groundcovers.)

 

Plant selection isn't about what looks pretty in a catalog. It's about matching what you need with what actually thrives here. We're in Zone 6b with cold winters. Plants that thrive further south might struggle here. What works in warmer zones won't make it through our winters.

 

Need privacy screening from neighbors? We might use arborvitae or eastern red cedar where they'll thrive upright, evergreen, grows densely.

 

Got shade under existing oak trees? Hostas, ferns, and shade-tolerant shrubs like rhododendrons handle low sunlight better than trying to force sun-loving plants to survive.

 

Want color from spring through fall? We mix perennials with different bloom times so there's always something flowering. Bulbs in early spring, perennials through summer, asters and sedums into fall.

 

Installation means paying attention to details most people skip. We prepare beds with good loam and proper drainage so roots can establish instead of sitting in wet clay. We plant at correct depth.  Most people plant too deep and then wonder why their tree died three years later when the root flare rots out. We mulch correctly to retain moisture and prevent weeds but not piled up against trunks like some landscapers do. We space plants based on their mature size. A shrub that's two feet tall now will be six feet in five years. We plant it where it's got room to grow.

 

Properties with no existing landscaping start with bare ground or just builder's fill. We bring in loam, create proper planting beds with good soil, install trees for shade and screening where you'll actually need them in ten years, add foundation plantings that frame the house without covering windows. That's what landscape design means, building the entire outdoor environment from scratch so it works as a system.

Landscape Lighting
 

We plan lighting from the beginning even though it gets installed last. That way we know where to run wiring before we build patios or create beds.

 

Low voltage LED lighting makes your landscape useable after dark.

 

Path lights along walkways so you can see on winter nights.

 

Uplights on trees for depth and shadows.

 

Spotlights on your house. Step lights on stairs. Whatever the property needs.

 

We bury wiring deep, so it won't get damaged. Quality transformers and fixtures that last.

 

Position lights to illuminate what you want without glaring into windows or bothering neighbors.

 

Front entrance lighting helps guests find your door at night.

 

Patio lighting extends outdoor time.

 

Driveway lighting makes winter parking easier.

 

Security lighting keeps your property visible after dark.