Ecological Gardening Services

Beautify and attract pollinators to your yard, schoolyard, neighborhood sidewalk strip, business parking lot, college/university campus, or other outdoor space with the power of Ecological Gardening!

From initial concept to thriving gardens, our holistic approach to Ecological Gardening follows a personalized process tailored to fit your specific needs and goals:

Consultation
Ecological Garden Design
Site Prep
Native Plant Installation
Stewarding

Ecological Gardening is creative and collaborative! We invite you to learn more about each stage of our process below. To ask questions, talk through your goals, or schedule your project, please complete our contact form.

*Ecological gardening is budget-friendly! We plant densely with landscape plugs to maximize your return on investment. The average Waxwing garden costs approximately $6-$10 per square foot, while the average conventional landscaping project costs more than $11 per square foot.

Step 1: Consultation

This is where the ecological gardening adventure begins! In your space, we will explore your goals, record measurements, discuss plants best adapted for your space, and enjoy the creative process of dreaming up the potential for more beauty and biodiversity. Your 1.5-hour initial consultation is tailored to your needs, whether you need Waxwing to facilitate the whole ecological gardening process or as a DIY gardener who needs a professional sounding board.

Please note: All initial consultations are 1.5 hours and cost $150. Customers who live beyond 10 miles outside of Lancaster City, PA will have an additional mileage fee of $1.50/mile for the round-trip site visit. Thank you for your understanding!

Step 2: Design

Your personalized design will feature a “Right Plant, Right Place” native plant palette that meets your site’s specific soil, sun, and water conditions.

Our ecological project plans include (at a minimum): a summary of your goals, site measurements, a carefully curated native plant palette with visuals, itemized project budget, and project timeline.

Please note: Scaled designs available upon request for full property lawn-conversion installations, at an additional fee.

Step 3: Site Prep

Site Prep includes manually removing low-functioning plants (such as lawn grass, invasive plants, etc.) without the use of toxic sprays. Most commonly, our team will recommend sheet mulching (a process of layering cardboard and wood chips) as a budget- and non-toxic approach to removing lawn in preparation for installing an ecological garden.

Waxwing is water-wise! Garden installations only occur in Spring and Fall, when cooler weather and natural rains diminish the need for excessive watering of your newly established garden.

Step 4: Installation

On installation day, your vision comes to life as we put plants in the ground. Landscape plugs are an affordable option to create your habitat. We plant densely (approx. 1 plant per square foot) to ensure your established garden will have a lush appearance and plenty of “green mulch”—living groundcovers that eliminates the need and expense of conventional mulching.

Property owners are encouraged to participate in the installation process alongside our team. This enables you to learn about the native plants taking root in your space and the pollinators that will soon visit; ensures proper care and long-term sustainability of your investment; and builds your capacity to share ecological knowledge and skills with friends, family, and neighbors. Choose to certify your property as a National Wildlife Federation (NWF) Wildlife Habitat and/or Homegrown National Park to create ecological corridors and communicate the ecological value of your new space to curious community members!

*Closing the Loop: All landscaping trays used during the installation of your project are reused by local native plant nurseries. A solid solution until biodegradable trays are made available!

Step 5: Stewarding

Stewarding is a joy! This is when you see the tangible benefits of your ecological garden in the form of pollinator activity and abundant beauty. It is integral to interact with your landscape at a regular cadence to keep pulse of the habitat’s overall health and to enjoy the birds, butterflies, and bees benefiting from your native garden—a living reminder of why we invest in and sustain this effort.

Scheduling a monthly (service available March-November) co-stewarding or stewarding visit reduces the pressure of sustaining your habitat solo. Learn alongside a Waxwing team member as they guide you through the stewarding tasks required during each season and teach you about the plants and pollinators present in your garden.

Sample Project Goals

The following ideas represent common ecological gardening goals and needs from customers. Not sure if your project aligns with our services? Simply reach out and we’ll be happy to discuss with you.

Designing & Installing Ecological Gardens

This could include:

Native Perennial Gardens for Pollinators and other Wildlife
Native Food Forests (Medicinal/Edible)
Schoolyard Habitats as Outdoor Living Laboratories
Native Vegetation additions to existing Swales/Rain Gardens
Partial or Full-Lawn Conversions

Stewarding Ecological Gardens