A few weeks before we closed on our new build here in Madison, we made the last-minute decision to leave out the side-yard landscaping to save a bit of money (everything is always a bit more money when going through a builder). We assumed the side yard would be sodded and that if we wanted to plant some shrubs and trees down the road, we would!
Indian Creek Landscaping in Madison: Part One
Fast forward a couple of weeks later to when the landscaping was completed, and we discovered that even though the shrubs had been eliminated from our landscape plan, the mulched beds had not. We were now left with bare beds that looked less than appealing, and we immediately knew that we’d want to spruce up these empty beds as soon as possible.
Combine our desire for a new landscaping plan with my knowledge of Indian Creek‘s landscape design options (Do you remember the article I wrote about them a few months ago?) and we knew we had our solution: we’d hire Indian Creek to give us direction for our side yard for a fraction of what we would have paid originally.
So last week, we got to work!
I talked with Ashleigh McMullen, co-owner of Indian Creek Nursery, and shared our general project space overview. She confirmed that it was absolutely within the realm of what Indian Creek Nursery offers as far as design services go. She then explained that the process from here would be simple.
Step One
Chris, the landscape design lead, would come out to our home on a scheduled day and time to survey the property, discuss our likes and dislikes, briefly chat about our budget, and share his initial ideas. During this appointment, we would also put a day on the calendar the following week to review his design plans.
Step Two
Attend a scheduled Zoom or in-person meeting to review the designer’s plans for the area. We will swap out plants here and there if necessary to fit our preferences and budget.
Step Three
Visit Indian Creek Nursery in person to view plants and solidify the design plan.
Step Four
Receive the plants to our home (a complimentary service) with a plan for where to plant them.
Step Five
Plant the plants ourselves and marvel at the overhaul. We love that we have the option to plant the plants ourselves because that will save us significant money. The manual labor isn’t the part we need help with after all; It’s the design!
Indian Creek Nursery Landscape Design in Madison, Alabama
A few days ago Chris came out to our home for step one, and we were very impressed with his visit. He was extremely thorough in reiterating what working with Indian Creek’s design process would look like. We discussed budget, timeline, likes and dislikes, and more. I signed some paperwork to move forward and we scheduled our Zoom call for the following week to review the plans that he’s currently designing.
Our side yard is important to us because it’s the only side yard that we own (our other side belongs to our neighbors since our homes are fairly close together). If any of our guests want to walk directly to our backyard, this is the path they’ll take. When we play and hang in our driveway, this side yard area is highly visible and currently looks so bare. It also borders our motor court-style driveway, so we’re looking forward to this highly visible area being a bit more attractive.
Why hire a designer and not simply go buy some plants ourselves? There are several reasons.
First, we want the right plants for the right space. We know that a professional landscape designer is going to take into account sun exposure, elevation, durability, and much more. We also want landscaping that is contrasting in color, style, height, texture, and more, and my husband and I knew that hiring a professional would ensure that our money was spent well.
The last thing we wanted was to purchase a variety of random plants ourselves that would have a short lifespan, would grow too tall or wide, or that simply didn’t add overall visual appeal to the space.
McMullen shared that Indian Creek will use their horticulture knowledge to create a plan that is:
- balanced
- colorful throughout the year
- low maintenance
- highly interesting
- that overall dresses up the centerpiece (the home itself)
Stay tuned for part two next week where I break down our Zoom meeting with McMullen where he shares with us his design plan, budget, and more. We have the highest hopes for an incredible transformation and can’t wait to see it pan out.
Are you already interested in chatting with Indian Creek Wholesale Nursery about your design dilemma/project? Fill out this form here and a landscape designer will contact you to schedule a time to come out for a consultation!
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