Landscape Installation
We offer 3 landscape installation packages, as well as DIY options, to fit your property size and budget. The foundation of all our designs is through a thorough understanding of the watershed opportunities for your property with detailed analysis through digital mapping technology.
From the Edward’s Aquifer Alliance on Rain Gardens
Prairie Dog Package
500-1000 sq ft - from $6,127
Origin
Small, but mighty diggers once dotted the prairie with their "towns." These little guys worked together to have a huge impact on the land they called home. Did you know that prairie dogs even had language to communicate with each other?
Description
For people who live in town and might not have a lot of space to work with, this package is great for working to create a positive change in the ecosystem around you, and when the neighbors see it, they're going to ask about your trend-setting landscape. You'll have the perfect opportunity to explain how you're sinking water into the ground to recharge our shared groundwater supply, and create a happy place for birds and butterflies. Ideal for starting a more extensive rainscape (either in your yard or the community around you), these single basin rainscapes are a great way to get started on building out your full rainscape design or adding an attractive feature to your yard.
Installation
Dig Basin
Plant Installation
Mulching - 2 Cubic Yards
Javelina Package
Up to 2,000 sq ft - from $12,941
Origin
These mid-sized animals are the native "pig" of Texas, whose range was once much more extensive before feral hogs from Europe began to spread. Though javelina are not actually pigs, they do share a common behavior of digging holes to wallow in and cool off. Did you know that javelina are actually in the "peccary" family which is unique to the Americas?
Description
For people who have a mid-size yard, this package is perfect for making your territory cool. With the aesthetic pop of stone accents and the pleasant greenery of lush vegetation, these rainscapes push back the desert by harvesting a surprisingly large amount of rain and sinking it into the soil to help plants thrive. Refreshing your full front yard or backyard with a Javelina Package restores native biodiversity and turns the clock back to a time before European-style lawns banished the ever-shifting mosaic of wildflowers, grasses and shrubs that once painted the Texas savannah.
Installation
Dig Basins
Plant installation and layout based on design
Mulching - 6 Cubic Yards
Stone - 2 Cubic Yards
Bison Package
Up to 10,000 sq ft - from $31,833
Origin
This iconic keystone species, now associated with national parks, once roamed a 250 million acre prairie that stretched from the Gulf of Mexico into Canada. They had a vast impact on the landscape, driving many mechanisms of nature and human culture, until their tragic slaughter which made way for the plow that destroyed all but 1% of their now endangered prairie home. Did you know bison wallow to keep cool, creating what are sometimes referred to as "prairie potholes" (AKA natural, wild rain gardens)?
Description
For people who have a large space to work with or are ready for a full landscape restoration back to a home on the prairie. This package is ideal for making a big impact in restoring keystone vegetation of the prairie that once supported massive biodiversity, built the topsoil that produced so well for pioneer farmers, and funneled rainwater deep into the aquifer that still bubbles out into our heavenly creeks and rivers. These rainscapes are as iconic as their namesake and we pull out all the stops to create an intentional, designer prairie that puts back all the amazing mechanisms that made the prairie such a magnificent treasure trove of biodiversity and abundant soil and water resources.
Installation
Dig Basins
Plant layout and installation based on design
Install Drip Irrigation
Mulching - 17 Cubic Yards
Stone - 6 Cubic Yards
Learn What To Expect From Your New Rain Garden
Plantaholics Anonymous: Cascade Level
In the case of native plants, many are seasonally available. We are almost never able to deliver every single plant in an installation without making substitutions in the design, unless we take a full year to stockpile all of your plants. This is why we offer the Cascade Subscription Service to deliver plants to you when they become available. We use the plant list from your design and check them off as we go. When we go shopping at any of the numerous specialty nurseries we regularly visit throughout the state, we'll keep your Wish List in mind as we shop and pick them up for you. If you want us to build your garden all at once (Boom, bam, thank you ma'am!), we're probably going to make some substitutions to your design based on seasonal availability. Many of our clients have the same understanding we do: ecological restoration takes time and flows with the seasons. For clients who want maximum diversity, we highly recommend continuing the process of "re-covering" your yard with native plants through our Cascade subscription.
DIY Rainscaping
Become Part of the Movement
Want to be part of the rainscape movement but afraid your budget can't handle a full package installation? We believe Nature should be affordable for everyone, so we offer DIY packages too! Yes, you can be part of the movement to create a homegrown National Park in your own yard.
Choose your level of DIY:
Plant it Yourself, Mulch It Yourself, Add Rocks Yourself (We will deliver the materials)
Digging rain gardens is hard, back-breaking and technical (even 1/8" difference in elevation can change water flow). That's why we usually use heavy equipment, or have a team of muscles. We always use an altimeter and test the flow before finishing. We don't recommend trying to dig your own rain garden. Let us take on this part, because we've done it a lot and know how to make the rain flow where we want it to.
The Joy Of Gardening
We don't want to steal the joy of gardening from anyone. We know that planting is so much fun (that's why we went into business doing it every day)! We recognize that many of you share the joy of getting outside and getting your hands in the dirt. Whether you want to have a Planting Party with friends or get some quiet time to just do it by yourself, we want to give you options! Choose what's right for you. We can plant upwards of 1000 plants per day with our team, so for large installations, you probably want help from us. But if you're looking to keep your rainscape within your budget, we've got plenty of other gardens to dig and are happy to just lay out the plants according to your design and let you have fun with the rest.
Materials
Do you want to mulch it yourself? Or have us spread the mulch and leave you a bit of touch-up mulch for after you plant? We'll deliver a special blend of organic compost and mulch. Yes, the compost MUST be organic. Herbivore "waste" makes plants very happy, but if the animals ate feed that had been treated with herbicide, the chemicals will travel through the animal and come out the other side, killing the plants that normally would thrive. We've got special wholesale relationships with organic compost producers, so let us save you the headache of finding the good stuff by delivering it for your garden. Whether you want to make a weekend project of carefully spreading mulch around your new plants, or want us to do it for you, we're here to make this process easy.
Are you adding stone to your garden basins to give it a stunning aesthetic finish? This usually happens after planting, and must be done carefully to avoid crushing young plants. If you're up for the challenge of shoveling rock, go for it! (We're not jealous about doing this part at all!) However, if you look at adding stone as too much exhausting labor, let us know when you're done planting, and we'll schedule a day to come rock out! (This is how we keep our bodies toned!)
What’s your DIY Level?
DIY Planting, Mulch and Rock
We do the technical, heavy earth-moving to sculpt your rainscape, then layout your plants where they go in the landscape. We deliver our special compost/mulch blend and bring out your stones. You've got it from there!
DIY Planting and Mulch
After digging your earthworks, we layout plants where they belong in the landscape. We deliver our special compost/mulch blend. Then the project is yours! Spend some time getting your hands dirty (potentially with your friends and/or family) while you plant your garden and spread mulch. If you're adding stone, email us when you're done planting and mulching so we can schedule a day to rock out!
DIY Planting Only
We spread mulch after earthworks installation, and leave you a few buckets for touch-ups after planting. We lay out the plants where they belong in the landscape, and leave the joy of planting to you (and maybe some of your friends and/or family)! If you're adding stone, email us after your planting is done so we can schedule a day to rock out!
DIY Prairie Dog: From $4,458
DIY Javelina: From $6,519
DIY not recommended for Bison Package, because it takes a whole herd of ERA team members to make that size impact.
Planting Parties
Want to take on a Bison or Javelina Project with the help of your friends and family? Ask us about our "Planting Party" service. We'll build the earthworks ahead of time, then guide your team through the rest of the process. You provide the people, food and beverages and we'll show up with tools and to coach y'all through proper planting technique, team mulching and rock spreading. Many hands make light work.
Changed Your Mind?
Or, "nevermind, that's a lot of work, I'm too busy or just don't feel up to it." We get it. No problem. We can build the whole rainscape for you while you relax and do what you do best, while we do what we do best.
“By now we'd usually have an inch or more of standing water on the patio. So pleased Shannon, great job!”
— Doug
