New Leaf eco landscaping meadow installation native

Landscape Design
& Planning

We begin by getting to know the client’s needs, desires, and unique property. We pride ourselves on working collaboratively to create landscape design plans that highlight the unique features of the site, reflect our mission, and our clients’ goals.

Providing Landscape Designs and Master Plans are a helpful first step towards your eco-restorative landscape project. They provide images and drawings of what could be in your own landscape, and the steps to get there. Designs can range from smaller garden designs to bigger Landscape Designs and multi-year Master Plans.

Elevate your garden to a landscape that provides effortless beauty along with incalculable ecological benefit.

Landscape Design

Landscapes are a interconnected system consisting of varying environmental factors across a larger area. By collaborating closely with our clients, we create a balanced landscape that responds to these conditions, thoughtfully combining trees, shrubs, perennials, and meadows to achieve both beauty and long-term sustainability.

Landscape Designs typically provide the following:

Conceptual map: An overhead map including web soil survey, topographical information, water overland runoff, and suggested areas of work to achieve end goal. There may be a few drafts.
Species description: A document providing images and information on habitat, bloom time, and ecological services for each species considered in the installation.
Multiple planting plans may be needed depending on the type of installation(s).
Cross-sectional landscape drawings: These outlines draw from a key point of the larger plan to provide the perspective of the onlooker.

Garden Design

A Garden Design is a detailed visual and planning package for a specific area of your property that tends to be close to the home in a limited space. It shows not just what will be planted, but how the garden will look, grow, and function over time.

Garden Designs typically provide the following:

Conceptual map: An overhead drawing of the area of interest including details on environmental factors and basic ideas for installation.
Inspirational photos.
Species description: A document providing images and information on habitat, bloom time, and ecological services for each species considered in the installation.
A planting plan that shows spacing, groupings, and how different species fit together, so the garden will fill in beautifully without overcrowding.
Seasonal cross-sectional landscape drawings: These drawings show the garden from point of view of the onlooker from spring through fall.

Master Plan

A Master Plan is a big-picture roadmap for your land. They are for clients who are working with larger properties, multiple areas, or several projects happening at once— such as new construction, landscaping, restoration, or long-term stewardship. Instead of tackling one small project at a time, a Master Plan looks at how everything fits together and lays out a thoughtful, efficient, and ecologically sound path forward.

A Master Plan can bring together many goals into one integrated vision, such as:

Invasive species management as part of a broader forest or land restoration strategy.
Supplemental plantings of site-appropriate natives.
Converting agricultural fields to native meadow.
Replacing non-native perennials with native plants in perennial beds around the house.
Determining best location for food forest or orchard and vegetable gardens.
Protecting sensitive areas like wetlands, slopes, or woodlands.

Deborah Wren

Our Landscape Designer & Operations Manager

In 2002, Deborah attended Ithaca College for a degree in anthropology and writing. She then pursued a Master’s Degree in Sustainable Development from World Learning SIT Graduate Institute in Brattleboro, VT. After trying her hand at advocacy in Washington D.C., she settled in as lead farmer with ECO City Farms in Maryland.

In 2017, she set off on her own venture in native eco-restorative landscaping and returned to the Hudson Valley. In 2019, she completed her certification in Landscape Design from New York Institute of Art & Design and she is thrilled to bring this passion and experience to her role with New Leaf Eco Landscapes.

Aside from work, Deborah enjoys adventures with her three boys, yoga, studying the world, and, you guessed it, gardening.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What kind of timeline can I expect for my designs?

A. We aim to complete design work in a timely fashion and we always keep our clients updated on progress. However, due to the nature of this work and the fact that our workload can fluctuate greatly depending on the time of year, there is no consistent answer to this question.

Q. Why are you using native plant species in my design?

A. Native plants are those that occur naturally in a region in which they evolved. They are the ecological basis upon which life depends, including wildlife and people. Without native plants and the insects that co-evolved with them, local wildlife cannot survive. By removing non-native, invasive species and replacing them with native material, we can encourage healthy ecosystems in our own environment and mitigate damage to native ecosystems. By incorporating native plants in your landscape design, you are supporting our local ecology.

Q. I’m not knowledgeable of what is native and what is not. Can you help with that?

A. Absolutely. We have a knowledgeable staff that is passionate about restoring native landscapes and we would be more than happy to join you in this exploration. We pride ourselves on working collaboratively with clients to select the native plant species that will thrive in their landscape.

Q. What if I don’t think a design is necessary for the planting project?

A. There are scenarios when a full design plan may not be necessary for the project. This will be decided on a case-by-case basis during the consultation with New Leaf and the client.

Q. When is the best time to plan a new garden installation?

A. Winter is a great time for planning. However, if inspiration has struck in the middle of July, that’s fine too! We are equipped to provide designs and installations throughout the growing season.

Q. I’ve had a landscape design done by someone else. Can you help install?

A. We like to have a hand in the planning process so we can best understand what the client needs. We can use an existing design, but it must be understood there may be adaptations as we move through the plant sourcing and installation process. We prefer to source our own plant material so we can assess plant health and communicate directly with the source if we run into any issues.