Design Process

Now is the time to start the landscape project you have been imagining! SFLA will guide you every step of the way through their fun and interactive design process. The journey starts here with a ‘get to know you’ first meeting. Face-to-face, these meet up sessions are a casual way to determine if we are the right fit for each other – kind of like a first date…

You have signed up for design services and we are ready to roll! It is our belief that a great design starts with a great site analysis. Every detail, whether big or small, can have a design impact that is important. Setbacks shmetbacks…Who cares? –We do, that’s Who! And your permitting agencies care, too! Our projects get built because we do the research…

The magical pencil and eraser dust flies as your design begins to take shape! We factor in your investment budget and with smudges of graphite on our fingers, we visualize, fantasize and romanticize about your project until every feature is just right. Once we think you will love the design too, we present you with this concept at our first reveal…

Now that everyone is excited about the project’s direction, it is time to dive into the fun stuff! What type of paving showcases your style? How many drought tolerant plants will it take to meet the water efficiency requirement? Where do the twinkle lights go? Wine fridge or beer tap…?

There is no turning back now! Every tiny, itty bitty detail has been thought through, debated, agonized over, voted on and decided. The once upon a time thought bubble has become an oversized set of papers, large working documents that our very experienced contractors can decipher. These sacred documents, when used properly, will guide construction of a landscape that can serve you as a source of pride and joy for years to come…

If you are like most people, you are busy. And if you’re not, you probably are not doing a major landscape renovation! The journey continues, and we swoop in to help, calling our amazing contractors to bid on your project. Once we have those numbers it is time for you to choose…Will it be Door #1, 2, or 3???

Time to fasten your seatbelts and keep those dust rags handy! Here comes the Porta Potty—they don’t show that on garden shows! We are here to calm your nerves, cheer on those amazing, hardworking contractors and make sure the project goes in as planned. No need to worry when Wooly Mammoth bones are discovered. All surprises are handled in stride with the many workaround solutions we have up our sleeves. The project moves on, the brooms clean up the last mess and bye-bye Porta Potty. It is time to pop open the champagne and celebrate your much-anticipated, beautiful new landscape with all your favorite people and your landscape team!