Landscape Design, Installation & Garden Care FAQs

Perennial Gardens provides landscape design and architecture, landscape installation, garden care and maintenance, and plant sourcing. Our team can help with anything from a focused garden update to a complete outdoor living master plan.

A landscape design and build company manages both the planning and construction of an outdoor space. The designers create the plan, and the installation crews bring it to life. Keeping these services connected helps protect the design, simplify communication, and maintain quality throughout the project.

A landscape architect has formal training and professional qualifications related to site planning, grading, drainage, construction, and design. A garden or landscape designer may focus more closely on plants, outdoor layouts, and visual details.

Perennial Gardens uses a collaborative team approach that brings together design, construction, horticulture, and plant care expertise.

A landscape plan is strongly recommended for custom or complex projects. It helps organize patios, walkways, walls, plants, drainage, lighting, structures, and future additions before construction begins.

Planning these elements together can reduce changes, avoid conflicts, and prevent completed work from needing to be removed later.

Yes. We can refresh an older garden, address problem areas, update plants and materials, or redesign the entire property.

During the planning process, we can identify features worth keeping and recommend which areas should be removed, repaired, relocated, or replaced.

Yes. A well-designed landscape should feel connected to the home. Our designers consider the home’s architecture, materials, scale, colors, views, and entry points when creating the plan.

The goal is to create an outdoor space that looks like a natural extension of the property.

Projects may include:

A garden designer or landscape architect meets with you at the property to learn about your goals and review the site.

The consultation may cover how you use the yard, your preferred style, desired features, maintenance needs, budget, timeline, drainage, grading, sunlight, soil, and future plans.

No. Many homeowners begin with a general idea, a collection of inspiration photos, or a list of problems they want to solve.

Your designer can help organize your ideas, explain the available options, and turn your priorities into a practical plan.

Helpful items may include:

These details help the designer better understand your property and goals.

You should have a comfortable investment range in mind, even if you do not know the exact cost.

A general budget helps your designer recommend an appropriate project size, materials, construction methods, and features. It also helps identify which parts of the project should be completed first.

Schedule your consultation as early as possible, especially when you want the project completed during a certain season.

Custom landscape projects may require site evaluation, design development, revisions, material selection, ordering, approvals, scheduling, and construction before the space is complete.

Yes. Perennial Gardens provides professional landscape installation in addition to design services.

Our crews build patios, walkways, retaining walls, water features, planting beds, outdoor structures, and other custom features. They also complete grading, site preparation, planting, and final cleanup.

The installation process may include:

1. Laying out the design on the property
2. Removing old plants or materials
3. Preparing the site and foundation
4. Completing grading, drainage, and utility work
5. Building hardscape and outdoor features
6. Installing trees, shrubs, and other plants
7. Cleaning and completing the site

The exact process depends on the size and complexity of the project.

Yes. A complete landscape master plan can divide the work into logical phases based on your budget, timeline, and priorities.

Planning the phases before construction begins is important. For example, utility lines for a future fireplace, kitchen, lighting system, or water feature may need to be installed before a patio or planting bed is completed.

The timeline depends on the property size, project complexity, design process, material availability, weather, permitting, and construction needs.

A focused planting project may take less time than a complete outdoor living space with patios, walls, structures, drainage work, and custom features. Your team can discuss a more specific schedule after reviewing the property and project scope.

Yes. Drainage, grading, slope, and elevation are important parts of landscape planning.

Your designer will review visible site conditions and discuss problems you have noticed, such as standing water, erosion, wet garden beds, or water flowing toward the house. Be sure to mention seasonal problems that may not be visible during the consultation.

Plants are selected according to the property’s growing conditions, design style, available space, seasonal interest, mature size, and maintenance needs.

The team may consider:

Perennial Gardens also sources trees, shrubs, perennials, and specialty varieties through its Iowa nursery and relationships with other growers.

In many cases, yes. Tell your designer about mature trees, meaningful plants, stone, sculptures, walls, or other features you want to keep.

The team can evaluate their condition and determine how they may fit into the new design.

Yes. A lower-maintenance landscape may use carefully selected plants, simpler garden layouts, durable materials, proper spacing, irrigation planning, and fewer high-care features.

No living landscape is completely maintenance-free, but thoughtful planning can reduce the amount of ongoing work required.

Yes. Plant combinations can be selected to provide changing color, texture, blooms, structure, and visual interest throughout the seasons.

A four-season plan may include spring flowers, summer color, fall foliage, ornamental grasses, berries, evergreen plants, and winter structure.

Yes. Perennial Gardens provides ongoing garden care and customized garden management programs.

Available services may include weeding, pruning, edging, mulching, fertilization, seasonal cleanup, annual flowers, container planting, garden rejuvenation, and water-feature care.

Garden care can be customized according to the property, schedule, budget, and level of support needed.

Some homeowners may need seasonal cleanup or a garden consultation, while others prefer recurring visits throughout the growing season.

Yes. The garden care team can evaluate an established landscape and recommend ways to refresh it.

This may include pruning, dividing and transplanting plants, replacing struggling plants, adding new varieties, improving bed edges, applying mulch, or updating the overall garden layout.

Yes. Perennial Gardens offers personal consultations for homeowners who want professional guidance while continuing to care for their own gardens.

Perennial Gardens serves Des Moines and surrounding central Iowa communities, including West Des Moines, Clive, Urbandale, Johnston, Waukee, Ankeny, and nearby areas.

Contact the team to confirm service availability for your property.

Perennial Gardens is located at 1633 NW 84th Avenue in Ankeny, Iowa. Nursery retail sales are available by appointment.

Begin by contacting Perennial Gardens to share basic information about your property and the type of project you are considering.

The team can then explain the next steps and help schedule an on-site landscape design consultation.