The Yard Fairy: Frequently Asked Questions from Our San Diego Landscaping Clients

Are you wondering if this will be the year in which you get the yard of your dreams? Let me explain how The Yard Fairy can help by answering some common questions.

How much does it cost?

We always provide our clients with a free initial consult that usually lasts about an hour. During that time we walk around your yard and listen to what you want. At that meeting you and I will decide which of our services are best for you – a ‘Magical Makeover’ for smaller areas, or a landscape design for whole front or back yard, followed by an install by our team of professionals. Pricing varies at this point depending upon what you would like and the size of your yard but our Magical Makeover starts at $2,500 and our landscape design service starts at $1,500.

What if I don't know what I want?

During the initial consult, we help you identify the things you like and don’t like about your current yard. We give you ‘homework’ up front too in the form of a design questionnaire, so you have time to prepare your thoughts and ideas. And we encourage you to gather pictures of yards that appeal to you ready for that meeting (our landscaping portfolio might have some things that appeal to you too). During our design process we will develop ideas and present them back to you. Our experience as landscape designers helps us see things that you may miss, and we draw on a wide range of garden styles so your yard will be unique to you.

What if I don’t like what you come back with?

Our design process is fairly unique amongst landscapers, but matches the kind of service you would expect to get from a Landscape Architects office. After the initial consult, we measure and take photographs of your yard. Once we have drawn up your yard 'as is' we review the information you have given us. From that we put together 'conceptual' designs --broad themes of plants, the shapes of patios and walkways, decorative objects, water features, outdoor fireplaces and kitchens.

This information is presented in a very graphical way, with lots of pictures and drawings so that you can visualize how it's going to look in your yard. This midpoint meeting is a very collaborative process. If you don't care for something, we will change it. Once we have your feedback, we will take your design to the final stage which provides a 'blue print' of what is to be installed. From this we are able to provide you with a firm price to install it, and, again, unlike many other landscapers, we stick to our price.

How long does it take?

The Yard Fairy's design process typically takes 6-8 weeks. A Magical Makeover can be completed within a day or so. Installations can vary depending on how much work is involved but we aim to minimize the time your yard is under construction.

Is my new yard going to be hard to maintain in the long term?

Many clients of The Yard Fairy ask us for low maintenance yards, and many others will also ask for low water use, too. We have become really good at meeting both these needs in the yards that we design and install.

Many of our clients have also found that they no longer need the weekly maintenance service that they used to employ prior to us working on their yard. They will often ask us to come back to do quarterly maintenance, happy to putter around their yards on their own once or twice a month. Their water usage goes down too since we often convert wasteful sprinkler systems to efficient drip systems.

Couple that with the use of a 'smart' irrigation controller and you get even more water savings. Your new yard will have paid for itself before you know it!

About The Yard Fairy

Diane Downey is the owner of The Yard Fairy Inc, an award-winning custom residential landscape design build contractor servicing North San Diego County and specializing in low water, low maintenance landscapes. You can find out more at www.YardFairy.com.

To arrange your consultation with The Yard Fairy, please call 760 804 1661 or email info@yardfairy.com today.

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