OUR PLANTING WORK

We’re on a mission to change our relationship with our landscapes, and our work is centered on replacing conventional high-input lawns with something better. We’re here to help you make the switch to a better landscape and aim to empower you to be an active and joyful participant in your own outdoors through the process.

Our plantings reward thoughtful, purposeful intervention guided and informed by nature as we aim to help you cultivate and enjoy a net-positive landscape that is more than the sum of its plants. These landscapes foster critical habitat for wildlife like insects and songbirds, they’re beautiful year-round, they help capture and store carbon, they require fewer inputs like irrigation or fertilizers, and they help to build strong relationships among neighbors.

Ultimately, our planting work is like a quilt. With each lawn we convert, we’re helping to knit our community together, creating city-spanning landscapes with exponential impact.

We’ve compiled a list of frequently asked questions below, and we encourage you to review this section before you reach out. When you’re ready to begin, click the Let’s Get Started button below.

Pricing

Generally, you can plan to spend between $4-$7/square foot on a lawn conversion, and we’ll be able to dial this in once we visit your site. Our planting process allows us to easily scale to different site sizes, and we’re able to tackle everything from a few hundred square feet to full lawn conversions covering several thousand square feet. A 50% deposit is required to confirm a project.

Regarding our first visit with you on-site, there is a $125/hour fee which will be billed within a few days of our meeting. We cover a lot of ground in this first meeting, including sharing any relevant resources and discussing preliminary ideas. Should we move forward on a project together, this fee is applied as a credit toward your final balance due once a project is complete.

We suggest a minimum project budget of $1,000 for a lawn conversion, and we speak to how far your budget might go in the FAQ section below. If this feels beyond your means at the moment, our coaching service is a great way to empower you to DIY some landscape changes over time and as your budget permits.

scope of services offered

We are a plant-driven practice specializing in lawn conversion, and our pricing is all-inclusive to do this work. We do not have the capacity to assist with hardscaping like patios, decks, walkways, or outdoor lighting. We’re happy to recommend several local companies that could assist you with these projects.

OUR PROCESS

From the moment a project is confirmed upon receipt of deposit, the process to convert a lawn takes between 3-6 months. Most of this time is spent preparing the site including killing off the existing lawn and applying a layer of mulch to assist with weed prevention and moisture retention. We’ve found projects are more successful when the site has time to “cook” and sit quietly for a month or two after the mulch is applied. This also allows time to source the necessary plants.

When it comes time to plant, it happens fast! Plants are installed directly in to the mulched area and provided they receive consistent irrigation, will begin to grow and thrive quickly. Typically, most projects can be planted within a half to a full day, with larger projects (usually budgets over $15,000) requiring a bit more time.

We do not produce a “dots and circles” landscape plan because when we’re planting, we’re also painting, as we allow the site to inform where and how we arrange plants. We are able to provide a complimentary high-level site master plan which maps out various planting zones and phases as part of an initial proposal upon request. Any revisions to this site plan are billed at an hourly rate of $150/hr.

post-planting

As soon as plants are in the ground, care and management of your new landscape becomes your responsibility. Every project includes a care and management guide tailored to your project including detailed instructions for the first three years of management. It also includes a plant list with photos so you’re able to identify what’s growing in your new space.

Every project also includes a complimentary one-hour follow-up visit, typically within 2-4 months after initial planting, to check in on progress and answer any questions you might have as your plantings begin to mature. We’re always available for additional on-site coaching sessions beyond this first visit, too,

Watering is the most critical activity for the first few months following planting. Once we enter the second and third year, watering needs and weed pressure will diminish significantly. Guidance on when and how to water will be included in your personalized management guide.

If you’re curious to learn more about our process, check out the short video below.

Frequently asked questions

What kind of plants do we use?

We tend to favor using native plants to maximize a landscape’s benefit for pollinators and wildlife like songbirds and insects, and typically aim for a ratio of at least 70/30 native/non-native plants. Most plants used are what we call plugs, and plugs are tiny starter plants with tons of pent up energy. As soon as they hit the ground they’ll begin to grow rapidly. Using plugs keeps our costs down tremendously: the trade off is they do require a bit of patience.

Can I request specific plants in my new planting?

To a point, yes. We will not install plants that are considered aggressive or invasive, and tend to prefer plants which maximize ecological value and long-term resiliency. Our ability to include specific plants is also beholden to availability from our suppliers and seasonal limitations as some plants are only available at certain times of the year.

How Far will my budget go?

We have a $1,000 minimum project budget for a lawn conversion, which typically is enough to tackle a tree lawn - the strip between the sidewalk and street. A budget of $3,000-$5,000 should cover an average urban front lawn.

What if I can’t do everything all at once?

That’s totally fine! We often suggest phasing projects to help you get comfortable with this new style of landscape in addition to being budget friendly.

What happens after I submit a new project inquiry form?

Our Lead Designer, Lindsey, will follow up with you to schedule an on-site visit, and we respond to inquiries in the order in which they’re received.

Does Botany offer a guarantee?

As soon as your new plants are in the ground, they become your responsibility to maintain. The main reason a new planting would fail is a lack of water during this critical “establishment” phase which typically takes 3-6 months, depending on when they’re planted, and we provide guidance on when and how to water in your personal management guide. As such, Botany does not offer a guarantee because we’re confident in the quality of the plants we source and their ultimate success given proper care. In the event of significant plant failure for a reason not related to water like disease or pests issues, which are also highly unlikely, then we can discuss other options.

Do I need to convert my entire lawn?

It’s up to you! We typically advocate for converting “purposeless” lawns - that is, lawns that only exist for curb appeal and don’t serve a function beyond that. If you use your lawn for recreation or for pets, it’s fully acceptable to convert only a portion of your lawn. That said, we do suggest managing your remaining lawn organically, both for the health of those using the space and the surrounding environment.

What can I expect in terms of ongoing management?

We plant in a way that honors how plants evolved to grow naturally. Plants are social, like us, and none of them evolved to grow in a perpetual layer of bark mulch. Our plantings will completely fill in and cover the ground within 2-3 seasons, and the plants themselves will create their own “green mulch” to reduce weeds and long-term watering needs. We use bark mulch as an establishment tool only, and it should not be reapplied after the first year.

That said, weed pressure and watering needs will be the most urgent during the first 1-2 seasons until the plants knit together. Once this happens, the main task you’ll need to worry about is a spring cut back sometime in March or early April, in addition to selective weeding in spring.