Initial site visit
We start with a free site visit. Here, we are able to see the property, get an understanding of your vision, see the challenges and consult on best practices for the Santa Clara Valley in 2016.
General Landscaping Services
The Bay Maples team wants our clients to absolutely love their native gardens! That’s why we strive to preserve your style while also incorporating long-term sustainability through plant choice and water conservation. We use ecologically beneficial methods to create your garden. These methods include: soil augmentation, sheet composting with used cardboard to inhibit weed growth, garden features from reclaimed wood and other materials, and mulching to reduce evaporation. An unexpected benefit of this sustainable approach is that it allows us to price our services very competitively.
Design Bid
Next we will provide a Contract for completing the design, authorizing us to create a design for your property.
Design
In the Design, plant selection and placement, hardscape paths, and any special features will be laid out.
Bid
The Bid will include the scope of work, the cost of materials and labor, specifically laying out the work that will be performed.
Give up the Lawn
Per Columbia University, “homeowners spend billions of dollars and typically use 10 times the amount of pesticides and fertilizers per acre on their lawns as farmers do on crops; the majority of these chemicals are wasted due to inappropriate timing and application. These chemicals then runoff and become a major source of water pollution.” Studies differ, but do state that 30 to 60 percent of urban fresh water is used on lawns. There are estimates claiming that lawns are now the United States most irrigated “crop”.
There are many strong arguments to get rid of your lawn. In addition to the studies like the one done at Columbia, The Santa Clara Water District is trying gild those arguments by providing rebates for lawn removal.
Having a water efficient, drought tolerant front yard is easy and it can be aesthetically pleasing as well. There is no doubt that these new drought tolerant yards break with the traditional “white picket fence” architype, but many of them add a more interesting weft to the tapestry of our neighborhoods. The most interesting are incorporating a variety of environmentally responsible components.
Plants and more
In Santa Clara County, the fact that we have a summer-dry climate combined with the clay soil does not mean you can’t have beautiful, flowering plants throughout most of the year.
We proscribe planting a diverse mix of plants, ones that will attract beneficial insects, flower at different times throughout the year and ones that will provide food, such as fruit trees and berries.
The Master Gardeners of the Bay Area recommend the following list of plants: Apple, Citrus, Stone Fruits, Yarrow, Fescue, Needlegrass, Manzanita, Salvias, California Fusia, Hummingbird Sage, Coffeeberry, Flowering Current, Creek Dogwood.
Tips for Planting Native and Drought Tolerant Plants:
Although many of us don’t think about it, planting during the rainy season is a method for success. Plants will have ample water in a saturated soil which will lead to deeper root growth. A common mistake is planting the plant too low. Make sure that the root crown is right at or just slightly above the surface of the ground. Various problems can arise if the root crown is buried too deep which can stunt or even kill your plant.
Our soil and climate are very inviting to many invasive, non-native plants due to the lack of naturally occurring predators. Master Gardeners of the Bay area point to English ivy, ice-plant, periwinkle, scotch broom, and cotoneaster as common examples of invasive plants.
“Every green natural place we save saves a fragment of our sanity and gives us a little more hope that we have a future”
― Wallace Stegner