The work
What this covers
The look is big leaves, dense layers and the sound of water — a garden that feels enclosed and a long way from the street. Getting it to survive a western Pennsylvania winter is the trick, and that comes down to plant choice and where we put the tender material.
We build the structure from hardy plants that read as tropical — rodgersia, fatsia, hardy banana, large-leaved magnolia — and use genuinely tender specimens in containers that overwinter inside. The effect holds all summer without replanting the whole garden every May.
- Layered planting design Canopy, mid-storey and ground cover for real density
- Hardy-first plant selection Tropical effect from plants that survive zone 6 winters
- Water feature Pondless basins or a formal spill, plumbed and powered
- Screening Fast structural planting for privacy from neighbours
Want a price for this?
Free on-site estimate and a fixed-price proposal — usually back with you within one business day.
Why people keep calling us back
- 2009
- Working here since
- 1,400+
- Projects completed
- 6 in 10
- Jobs from referrals
- 2 yr
- Workmanship guarantee
Why us
What you actually get for the money
Every quote covers the same standards, whichever service you are booking.
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A fixed price
Quoted against a drawing or a measured scope, not an hourly estimate that drifts.
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Licensed and insured
Certificates go out with the proposal without being asked for.
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Built to depth
Bases excavated and compacted in layers — the part nobody sees and everything depends on.
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Our own crew
No subcontracting the parts that matter, so there is nobody to pass blame to.
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A real schedule
Start and finish dates in writing, and a call if either moves.
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Site left clean
Swept, tools away and debris gone at the end of every working day.
The process
How the job runs
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01
Site visit
We come out, measure up and talk through what you actually want.
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02
Fixed proposal
A written price against a defined scope, usually within one business day.
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03
Scheduled
A start date and a realistic finish date, both in writing.
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04
Walkthrough
We hand over on site, and the two-year guarantee starts.
Our guarantee
If it moves, we come back
Everything we build carries a two-year workmanship guarantee on top of whatever the material manufacturer offers. That is not a marketing line — it is why we spend the money on base depth and drainage that a cheaper quote skips.
The crew that built it is the crew that comes back. There is no warranty department to argue with.
- Two-year workmanship guarantee in writing
- Material warranties registered in your name
- The original crew handles any callback
- No charge for anything that is our workmanship
Good to know
Common questions
Will it survive the winter?
The structural planting will. Genuinely tender specimens go in pots that come inside.
How much maintenance is it?
A hard cut-back in spring and a mulch. Less than a mixed border.
Can you do it in a small yard?
Small yards suit it best. Enclosure is the whole point of the look.
What gives the tropical effect?
Leaf size and layering, not tenderness. Plenty of hardy plants read as tropical.
Do I need a water feature?
No, but sound does a lot of the work of making a space feel separate.
How fast does it fill in?
Most of the effect is there in the second season.
Is it expensive to run?
A pondless water feature uses a small pump. Otherwise nothing.
Will it attract mosquitoes?
Moving water does not breed them. Standing water does, so we avoid it.
Can you screen a neighbour's window?
Yes, that is usually the first thing we plan around.
What about pets and children?
We can keep the planting non-toxic and skip open water entirely.