LANDSCAPING
On-Site Design
Design starts with a free in-person estimate visit, when we get to know your preferences and take note of the color and style of your home, as well as existing shrubs and plants that may be incorporated into the new landscape. Once the hardscape (cleanup, gravel, mulch edging etc.) is finished, we bring in a wide assortment of plants from which to choose as we design on-site.
Design is done using the area to be landscaped as an art palette, grouping plants of complementary colors and contrasting textures to fit each area – never plants in rows, as is commonly done. Once you’re happy with the arrangement and plant choices, we install them.
Or, maybe you just want to install it and forget about it. We will go with weed-barrier, decorative gravel and iron-clad plants that are hard to kill, yet well-behaved. Have a trouble spot where nothing grows? We have a “fix” to bring the worst trouble spots to life – even tree stumps!
Designed to fit YOUR priorities. We design with your priorities in mind. Do you want the absolute, best-look for your home? We will go “all in”! Or, do you just want a cleanup and basic landscape to increase curb appeal to sell? We will suggest the more economical materials and plants that give the most bang for your buck, without sacrificing quality.
Practicality. Our landscapes are designed to last for years with minimal upkeep. We choose plants and shrubs that naturally stay small for tighter areas, such as under windows, rather than small specimens of large plants and shrubs require constant pruning to keep the desired size. We save the big shrubs for spots where they can take their natural size and shape.
We use tough varieties of plants that typically thrive with little care, and are tolerant of dry conditions. And, our gravel applications are under-laid with premium quality weed-barrier to minimize the need for weeding.
Materials – We do mulch, as well as weed-barrier/decorative gravel installations. We have a wide assortment to choose from: river gravel of varying shades, colors, and sizes, granite and marble chips, lava rock etc. Our edgings are either natural stone or concrete. We use the highest quality non-woven weed barrier fabric available to minimize the need for weeding.
A Wide Variety of Plants
While a typical landscape company may use four varieties of plants, our landscapes often contain 10-15 different types of plants and shrubs of different colors and textures. We travel as far as Miami to bring special plants and unique varieties to our nursery. Our landscapes are something like mini-botanical gardens.
Frost-hardiness – Our landscapes are designed to stay beautiful after a frost, without being drabby or boring. We do this by forming the backbone of the landscape with plants and shrubs that are completely frost-hardy, while accenting with some showy subtropical plants.
The sub-tropical plants that we use are ones that can be trimmed following a frost, and relied on to spring back quickly. that can be trimmed up after frost and quickly grow back. Or, in the case of bromeliads, can be easily taken to a protected spot on frosty nights.
Bromeliads.
Bromeliads are an incredible combination beauty, practicality and versatility - the ultimate practical plant. They are epiphyites (air-plants), so they do not even need to be planted - They can simply be anchored between rocks. We typically include several in each landscape.
Bromeliads are near zero upkeep, only needing an occasional watering during severe drought. They do need to be protected from freezes when planted out in the open, but this is very easy to do, since they don’t require soil – they can simply be taken in like a lawn ornament.
Edgings
We use either natural stone or concrete edgings. The natural stone is creek-stone from Tennessee or Florida lime-stone. Stone edging is either simply stones set in a row, stones set in a row and anchored to a concrete footer for added stability.
Our mortared “stonewall curbing” has the look of an old stone wall, with the practical aspects of curbing.
The concrete edging bricks are the best choice for brick homes and anywhere a more strictly formal appearance is desired.
Fruit trees and vegetables – SJB Abundance Farms is very dedicated to home food production. We offer periodic sales of fruit tree and sub-irrigation vegetable grow-box installation and maintenance.
Sub-irrigated Vegetable Grow Boxes
The grow-boxes are installed, filled and planted, and come with a 1 year maintenance plan that includes weeding, monitoring, and replanting at proper times; fruit tree maintenance is optional, and includes organic compost/mineral fertilizer and pruning at proper times. Please sign up for our email list if you’d like to know when the next sale is.
Permaculture beds and mini-farmstead development.
Those with larger properties may be interested in fruit and other food crops group plantings (permaculture beds), or even full mini-farm design and development. We have a highly refined system, perfected over 40 years of experience in both temperate (Indiana) and sub-tropical (Florida) climates. The system is designed to produce up to 80% of your own food, in a decorative setting that can even integrate into the landscaping.
Grass-mowing and maintenance
We cut medium to large lawns – 1-2 acres, We are happy to do smaller lawns but they may not be worth the minimum trip charge of $150. Commercial properties welcome. Sorry, no lawn-care (fertilizer etc.)