Project Dossier · Landscape Design

The Native-Forward
Front Garden

An ornamental native front garden, replacing overgrowth with intention and a year of overlapping bloom.

10,866 sq ftZone 7bCfa humid subtropicalMar–Oct overlapping

10,866 sq ft

Front garden, redesigned from overgrowth.

Mar–Oct

Overlapping bloom, for constant color and pollinators.

36,000 gal / yr

Rainwater capturable off the roof at a 90% capture rate.

Site Profile

The land, at a glance.

Land area

10,866 sq ft

Hardiness

Zone 7b

Climate

Cfa humid subtropical

Bloom

Mar–Oct overlapping

Plans and Goals

What the design achieves.

Grow beautiful, low-maintenance natives across the front garden.

Replace overgrowth with intentional, structured plantings.

Deliver overlapping bloom from March through October for constant color and pollinator support.

Audit

Sustainability

The 14 garden-relevant measures from our site audit, each scored out of 20: where the garden stood before the design, and where it can reach once established.

68%→100%

Current baseline

Potential at full build-out

Water retention20 → 20

Water capture Plant deep taproots20 → 20

Flower schedule19 → 20

Rainwater volume18 → 20

Native landscaping Increase natives, weed out invasives15 → 20

Nutrient cycling Streamline biomass transition15 → 20

Pollinator friendliness Add a water source15 → 20

Compost Increase utility14 → 20

Fertilizer need Increase biodiversity14 → 20

Food production Increase ratio grown at home12 → 20

Denudation Replant foliage in tandem with county grant10 → 20

Vegetative temp management10 → 20

Plant guilds Increase biodiversity7 → 20

Consumable nutrient range Add superfood berry plants1 → 20

Plant Palette

Species going in.

Golden Euonymus · 4 · 5 galBlue Hydrangea · 5 · 3 galSalvia · 2 · nativeCreeping Thyme · 10 · ground coverBlack-Eyed Susan · native driftConeflower · native driftButterfly Weed · 4 · nativeBearded Iris · 3 varieties

The Problem We Solved

Constraints turned into design decisions.

Persistent poison ivy and weeds

Replace the overgrowth with dense native plantings and a clover ground-cover layer that crowds weeds out over the first two to three seasons.

Low soil fertility

Rebuild fertility from the ground up with compost and a vermiculture system feeding the beds, rather than synthetic inputs.

Growth Stages

From install to mature system.

1–3 yrs
Pioneer
Everything is planted and begins to fill empty space while we rebuild soil health. The most intense and important stage: get the install right and the system can run on autopilot. Irrigation, mulch, and routine care go in now.
2–8 yrs
Early growth
Plants and trees integrate into the ecosystem and near production of fruits and nuts. Maintenance matters most here, monitoring growth for the good signs and the bad.
5–15 yrs
Adolescent forest
Everything grows into its final form, filling remaining space and beginning to reach full production.
8–20+ yrs
Mature forest
Fully grown in, occupying all planned space. Harvesting becomes the primary function and maintenance is light.

Investment and Returns

What the design gives back.

36,000 gal

Rainwater capturable off the roof each year, for the beds instead of the storm drain.

Up to 75%

VCAP cost-share of eligible costs in Fairfax County, where the conservation plantings qualify.

+$5,000

Property value delta projected over five to ten years.

Next step

Ready to move forward?

Schedule a 15-minute call to discuss phasing, timing, and what comes next for the property.

Book a discovery call →

Start a garden like thisSmaller yards: where to begin See more workFive projects, photographed and in progress Grow these plantsFruit trees, berries and natives from our Great Falls nursery