An Expert Guide to Garden Success

At Backyard Eats, we believe that anyone can grow food with a little guidance. Maybe you dream of having a garden like your grandparents, but don’t know where to start. Or you have some gardening knowledge, but feel intimidated by the thought of building a garden completely from scratch. That’s why we’re here to help.

The first step in any client’s journey with Backyard Eats is an Initial Consultation. This consultation is an opportunity to receive expert advice and make collaborative decisions.

We like to start with a list of simple questions, like “What pests have you seen in this area?” or, “How often do you use this space?”

Based on our conversation, you will receive a garden design that’s perfect for you. Do the neighborhood deer love to visit your yard? We can recommend fencing solutions. Want to reserve part of your yard for family gatherings? We can find the sunniest spot that’s agreeable for you.

Here’s what else our Initial Consultation and how it fosters a learning environment for garden enthusiasts:

Full Site Assessment of Growing Conditions

Every backyard garden is unique. Therefore, it’s important that your unique growing conditions and motivations are reflected in your garden design. Our on-site surveys allow you to connect with our expert Garden Designer in-person and get immediate answers to your questions, like “What’s the best place in my backyard to put a vegetable garden?”

You will leave the Initial Consultation with objective guides to success, like a Sun Score based on the amount of sunlight your space receives. This will help you choose solutions, like shade-tolerant plants or drip irrigation, that will set your garden up for ongoing success instead of yearly frustration!

During the Initial Consultation, we will also discuss other site-specific factors that are important to the location of your garden like convenience, water drainage, and aesthetics. Our Garden Designer will also take the time to learn about what your hopes are for your new garden, so we get it right the first time.

Custom Garden Design Plan

After the site survey, our expert Garden Designer will create a custom garden design based on the information from your Initial Consultation. We recommend raised bed gardens for annual crops. After working in hundreds of gardens, we have several tried-and-true solutions to limit endless decisions.

However, beyond the basic layout of the garden there’s room for personalization with features like fencing, irrigation, trellises, and pathways. For example, you can choose to add a perennial planting area around your wooden raised beds to blend your new gardening oasis seamlessly into your existing landscape.

3-D Rendering Review

If you’re interested in building an edible garden, but have trouble picturing a blueprint in your space, we are here to help! Our signature 3-D garden renderings will walk you through the proposed garden layout step-by-step, allowing you to easily visualize the beautiful end result.

During a 1:1 live call with our garden designer, you will review the rendering to confirm your garden layout and options, ask questions, and request changes. This is the perfect chance to personalize the design to your needs and preferences.

Proposal for Completed Work

Along with your garden design you will also receive photos, product descriptions, and pricing to help you make an easy and informed decision about your project. You are welcome to ask questions and provide feedback so we can refine the design to align with your goals.

Our garden proposal document is also a convenient starting point to discuss building plans with your spouse or other gardening partners. This applies to new garden designs, renovations for existing spaces, and proposals for garden additions.

Trusted Guidance on Planting Strategy

Once your garden design is approved and built, you can still receive guidance from Backyard Eats. We encourage clients to engage with the garden planning and planting process for a personalized experience. For example, you can use our interactive Order Form to choose from over 70 hand-selected crop varieties. Unique features like an automatic square footage calculator will make choosing your favorite crops easy and fun. You might even discover a new favorite variety!

Curious about perennial fruit trees and berries? We welcome questions about sustainable planting strategies, and often recommend berry trellises as a great starting place to learn more.

We want to empower clients to experience the magic of homegrown food in their garden, instead of overwhelm. That’s why we provide digital resources like our Harvest Toolkit. Our year-long, full-service garden maintenance services also provide support to gardeners of all experience levels.