The design process typically begins with the designer meeting you at your property in order for you to communicate any ideas or concerns that will need to be addressed in the landscape plan. Based on the information you provide, the designer will be able to give you an estimate of the design's cost at this time. If you decide to have us go ahead with the design, your designer will do an analysis of existing site conditions (soil type, existing plantings, sun and wind exposure, drainage, etc.) and measure your property.

It is important to give your designer as much information as possible concerning any preferences you may have in regard to types of plants, flower color, views you would like to retain or screen, or anything else you feel he/she should be aware of when laying out your design. While landscaping in Montana requires a certain amount of practicality, we encourage our customers to dream about the many possibilities in their landscape.

We would also encourage you to visit our nursery to familiarize yourself with available plant materials by checking out our multiple display gardens, brochures, etc.

Taking the information gathered during the site visit, your designer will put together a preliminary design. This plan will show the size and shape of the planting beds; the location of trees and other critical plantings; and major features, such as, decks, sidewalks, and fences. The purpose of this meeting is to make sure the design is headed in the right direction and to address any concerns that may have arisen since the initial site visit. Your input at this time will allow the designer to finish the plan to your specifications.

We prefer to hold this meeting at our nursery which gives you an opportunity to familiarize yourself with the various plant and hardscape materials to be used in your design. You will see in person the leaves, flowers, texture, and shape of the plants, as well as, the various sizes available to you.

With smaller or more straight-forward designs, we are able to skip over the preliminary design phase and go directly to the final design.

From what your designer learns at the preliminary design meeting, he/she can return to the drawing board to make any agreed upon alterations and complete your plan. Changes can be handled with a minimal amount of additional drawing time through the use of the computer. Upon completion of the plan, an accurate estimate of your landscaping can be prepared. Your designer will then set up a meeting with you to go over the final design and the costs involved.

If no other changes are required, the formal design process is complete. The designer can now schedule any work you would like done professionally by Forde Nursery. Or, if you are inclined to do the work yourself, our experts will guide you through the entire landscaping process.