Landscape Design
Every landscaping project starts with a plan. Our design process begins with an on-site consultation where we assess your property's topography, soil type, sun exposure, existing vegetation, drainage patterns, and views. We discuss your aesthetic preferences, maintenance expectations, and budget. From there we develop a landscape plan that specifies plant selections, placement, quantities, mulch or stone groundcover, irrigation zones, and grading adjustments. For larger projects we produce 3D renderings so you can visualize the finished landscape before a single shovel hits the ground.
Good landscape design is not just about making a yard look attractive. It solves functional problems: controlling stormwater runoff, creating privacy screening, reducing erosion on slopes, framing views, and establishing focal points that draw the eye through the property in a deliberate sequence. We design with maintenance in mind as well, grouping plants by water and sunlight requirements so every bed is efficient to care for over the long term.
Planting & Installation
We install everything from shade trees and ornamental specimen plants to foundation shrubs, perennial borders, ornamental grasses, groundcovers, and annual color beds. Every plant we install is selected for the specific light, soil, and moisture conditions of its exact location on your property. Root balls are inspected before installation, planting holes are dug to the correct depth and width for each species, and backfill is amended with compost or organic matter when soil conditions warrant it. We stake newly planted trees for the first growing season, install trunk guards where deer pressure is high, and mulch every bed to a three-inch depth for moisture retention and weed suppression.
Species selection for the Wilmington, DE area typically includes native and adapted varieties such as eastern redbud, river birch, inkberry holly, sweetspire, catmint, black-eyed Susan, and switchgrass. We also work with clients who prefer formal boxwood hedging, Japanese maples, hydrangea collections, or tropical-style plantings for poolside applications. The goal is always a plant palette that looks intentional, performs well through the seasons, and matches your maintenance tolerance.
Grading & Earthwork
Proper grading is the invisible backbone of every successful landscape. Before any planting or sod goes down, the soil surface must be shaped to direct water away from structures, prevent low-spot ponding, and create smooth transitions between lawn areas, patios, and planting beds. We use laser transit levels to establish precise grade elevations and verify positive drainage slopes around foundations, walkways, and pool decks. For properties with significant slope changes, we combine grading with retaining walls, terracing, or French drain systems to manage elevation transitions safely and aesthetically.
Grading work in northern Delaware frequently involves addressing the region's heavy clay subsoils, which drain slowly and can cause waterlogging in poorly graded areas. We amend topsoil layers, install drainage fabric, and incorporate gravel sub-base where needed to ensure your finished landscape drains properly even during the heavy spring rains common in the mid-Atlantic region.
Drainage Solutions
Standing water, soggy lawns, and water intrusion at foundation walls are common problems in Wilmington and across New Castle County. We design and install complete drainage systems including French drains, channel drains, catch basins, dry wells, downspout extensions, and graded swales. Each drainage solution is engineered for the volume and flow rate specific to your property. Perforated pipe is wrapped in filter fabric and bedded in clean stone to prevent sediment clogging. Discharge points are directed to appropriate locations that comply with local stormwater regulations.
Sod Installation
When you need an established lawn immediately rather than waiting weeks for seed to germinate, sod is the answer. We install tall fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, and blended cool-season sod varieties suited to the Delaware climate. Our sod installation process includes stripping existing dead turf if present, regrading and leveling the soil surface, spreading a starter fertilizer, rolling fresh sod into place, and providing a detailed watering schedule for the critical establishment period. We source sod from regional farms so it arrives fresh-cut the morning of installation.
Mulching & Groundcover
Mulch serves three purposes: moisture retention, weed suppression, and aesthetic finish. We offer double-shredded hardwood mulch, cedar mulch, pine bark nuggets, dyed black or brown mulch, and decorative stone options including river rock, pea gravel, and crushed granite. Mulch is applied to a depth of three inches in planting beds, pulled back two inches from tree trunks to prevent collar rot. For properties with extensive bed areas, we install commercial-grade landscape fabric beneath stone groundcovers to prevent settling and weed penetration.
Seasonal Maintenance
A well-designed landscape needs ongoing care to look its best year after year. We offer spring cleanup, fall cleanup, pruning, deadheading, bed edging, mulch refresh, and seasonal color rotations. Spring services include cutting back ornamental grasses, removing winter debris, edging beds, and applying pre-emergent weed control. Fall services include leaf removal, perennial cutback, bulb planting, and applying a layer of fresh mulch to insulate root zones through winter. For clients who want hands-off maintenance, we offer annual care packages that cover all seasonal tasks on a scheduled calendar.
Landscape Renovation
If your existing landscape is overgrown, outdated, or simply not performing well, we offer full renovation services. Renovation projects typically involve removing old plantings, regrading problem areas, adding fresh topsoil, installing new drainage, and replanting with a modern design that addresses the issues the original landscape did not solve. We salvage healthy mature specimens whenever possible and incorporate them into the new design to preserve established character and reduce cost.
Coordination with Hardscaping Projects
Because Evergreen handles both hardscaping and landscaping, we plan the two together from the very first consultation. Retaining wall footings are set before planting beds are graded. Patio drainage is directed through landscape areas rather than creating puddles at bed edges. Irrigation lines are run before pavers go down. This integrated approach means no rework, no conflicts between trades, and a finished property where stone and plant material complement each other as if they were designed together, because they were.