Service · Virginia Beach, Chesapeake & Norfolk

Landscape design & planting

New planting beds, trees and shrubs, palms, river rock beds and low-water xeriscapes for homes and businesses.

We plan the layout with you on site and install it ourselves, supervised by the owner.

  • Side bed with a young tree, a boulder and new plants
    Tree & boulder
  • Shrub bed with river rock and a stone edge
    River rock
  • Round mulch bed with salvia around a tree
    Round bed
  • Front bed with flowering shrubs along a walkway
    Flowering bed

What’s included

One company from the first sketch to the final cleanup, so the finished yard matches the plan.

Crew planting a front bed with river rock edging
  1. 01

    Landscape design

    The layout of beds, plants, paths and focal points, planned around how you use your yard.

  2. 02

    New planting beds

    Clean, curved bed lines with edging, boulders and accents.

  3. 03

    Tree & shrub planting

    From foundation plantings to privacy screens and shade trees.

  4. 04

    Palms & ornamental trees

    Cold-hardy palms, Japanese maples and crape myrtles as focal points.

  5. 05

    Mulch, river rock & gravel beds

    To finish beds, hold moisture, keep weeds down and handle runoff, including low-water xeriscaping.

  6. 06

    Bed makeovers

    Removing overgrown plants and weeds, reshaping the beds and replanting.

Often built together

We can plan and build them as one project.

Mulch, rock or both?

Foundation bed with flowering shrubs along a walkway
MulchMulch keeps the soil cool and moist, feeds it as it breaks down and suits most planting beds, but it needs topping up about once a year.
River rock bed with a stone edge
Decorative rockDecorative rock lasts for years and works well where mulch washes out, along foundations and around AC units, but it holds more heat.
Mulch bed with a river rock border beside a paver walk
BothMany yards use both.

Zone 8a

Virginia Beach, Chesapeake and Norfolk are in USDA hardiness zone 8a. We choose plants for these conditions and for the sun and shade in each part of your yard, and recommend specific plants after seeing it.

Plants that thrive in coastal Virginia

  • Heat and humidity. Hot, humid summers and mild winters, often on sandy soil that drains fast and dries out.
  • Salt and wind. Close to the water, plants also face salt spray and wind, so we pick ones that tolerate them.
  • Wet low lots. On low lots the ground can stay wet after storms, so beds and plants are planned with the drainage in mind.

What does well

  • Hollies
  • Wax myrtle
  • Crape myrtle
  • Southern magnolia
  • Boxwood
  • Azaleas for shady spots
  • Hydrangeas
  • Ornamental grasses
  • Liriope

What landscaping costs

It depends on the size of the area, the number and size of the plants, and how much preparation the beds need. Refreshing a bed with new mulch and a few shrubs is a small job; a full front-yard design with new beds, trees and rock is a larger project, so we do not quote over the phone. Every estimate is free and done on site.

  • The size of the area and the number of beds
  • The number, type and size of plants and trees
  • Removing old plants, roots and weeds
  • Soil preparation and grading
  • Mulch, decorative rock, edging and boulders
  • Related work: sod, pavers, lighting or drainage

From sketch to planted bed

Fall, from September to November, is the best time to plant trees and shrubs here: the soil is still warm and roots grow through the winter. Spring is second best; summer planting works too, with more watering.

  1. FallSeptember to November · best
  2. SpringSecond best
  3. SummerWorks, with more watering
  1. 1

    Walk and design

    We walk the yard with you and look at sun, shade, soil, drainage and how you use the space, then lay out the beds and plants we recommend, with a clear written price.

  2. 2

    Prepare and plant

    We remove old plants and weeds, shape the beds, prepare the soil, then plant the trees and shrubs and set edging, boulders and rock.

  3. 3

    Mulch and hand over

    We spread mulch or rock, leave the site clean and give you watering instructions for the new plants.

Common questions

How should I water new trees and shrubs?

Water deeply rather than often: soak the root ball two to three times a week for the first few weeks, then gradually less, adjusting for rain and heat. New plants need regular water through their first summer.

Do you plant palm trees in Virginia Beach?

Yes. Cold-hardy palms such as windmill, needle and sabal palms survive coastal Virginia winters. Palms root best when planted in late spring or early summer, once the soil is warm, and need regular water through their first season.

What is xeriscaping, and does it work here?

Xeriscaping is landscaping that needs little watering: decorative rock and gravel combined with drought-tolerant plants. It works well in sandy soil, in hot, sunny spots and where irrigation is hard to reach, and the rock handles heavy rain better than mulch.

Free on-site estimate

Get a free landscaping estimate

Tell us what you would like to change in your yard and we will come walk it with you. Open Monday to Friday 7 AM–5 PM and Saturday 7 AM–1 PM.

Prefer to talk?Call 757-201-8300