Landscape designer in Boise, Idaho

A lot of Boise yards start out the same way. The builder left compacted fill and a strip of sod, or an older lot on the Boise Bench has a cracked patio, a lawn that stays soggy in clay, and no plan tying any of it together. As a landscape designer in Boise, my job is to give that space a plan that fits how you live, and then build it.

I'm Kabe Hockema. I've been landscaping since 2012, and Hockema Landscape Design & Build is a design and build company. The person who draws your yard is the same person on site when it goes in. Below is each kind of design work I do, with a link to more detail.

Custom landscape design

Custom landscape design starts with your lot, not a template. I look at where the sun hits, where rain goes, how you use the yard and what you're tired of fighting. Then I lay out patios, beds, lawn, lighting and water so they work together. Read more about custom landscape design.

Backyard landscaping

Most people call me about the backyard first, because that's where they actually spend time. Backyard landscaping covers the whole space behind the house: a place to sit, shade, privacy from the neighbors, lawn or a low-water option, and paths that connect it. It's the right call when the yard feels unused or unfinished.

Landscape architecture services

People often search for landscape architecture services when they want a professional plan. To be clear, Hockema is a landscape design and build company, not a licensed landscape architecture firm. What I provide is a scaled design for residential yards, material and plant choices, and the build itself. A project that legally requires a landscape architect's stamp needs a licensed landscape architect.

Landscape design construction

Landscape design construction is the build half of the job. Once the plan is set, I handle excavation, base work, hardscape, irrigation, planting and cleanup. Because I drew the design, nobody has to guess what a line on the drawing meant, and changes on site get decided by the person who knows why each part is there.

Patio design

A good patio is sized for the furniture you'll really put on it, with room to walk around the table. Patio design settles the shape, the material (pavers, natural stone or concrete), how it drains away from the house, and where shade falls on a July evening. That last part matters a lot in Boise.

Retaining wall design

Foothill lots in Boise and Eagle often need walls to make flat, usable ground. Retaining wall design works out the height, material, base and drainage. Water trapped behind a wall is what pushes it over, so the drain rock and pipe get planned before a single block is stacked.

Yard designs

Not every project is a full backyard. Yard designs can cover a front yard that needs curb appeal, a narrow side yard that's just gravel and trash cans, or a corner lot that needs privacy from the street. I can design one area well and leave room to add the next one later.

Garden design

Garden design is about the plants: what grows here, where it goes and how the bed looks in each season. I lean on plants that handle alkaline soil, hot afternoons and cold winters. I group them by water needs so one irrigation zone doesn't drown some plants and starve others.

Garden decorating

Garden decorating is the finishing layer. Boulders, pottery, a bench, a small sculpture or a bubbling rock can make a planted bed feel complete. I place these pieces where you'll see them from the kitchen window or the patio, not just wherever they happen to fit.

Outdoor water feature design

Moving water covers road noise and brings in birds. Outdoor water feature design sorts out what fits your yard: a pond, a pondless waterfall or a fountain. I build with Aquascape components, and I plan the plumbing and power at the start so the feature looks like it was always part of the yard.

Artificial turf installation

Some spots just won't grow grass, like a shady dog run or a tiny yard where watering a lawn makes no sense. Artificial turf installation can solve that. In a design, I decide where turf earns its place and where planting or gravel would do better, since turf gets hot in full August sun.

Concrete masonry

Concrete masonry covers block walls, poured pads, footings and seat walls. In a design, concrete is often the quiet structure, like the footing under a stone fireplace or the pad under a pergola. I plan it with the rest of the yard so its finish and color sit well next to the stone and pavers.

Desert landscaping

Boise sits in a high desert, so desert landscaping suits it. That doesn't have to mean a yard of gray rock. I design with native and drought-tolerant plants, boulders, gravel mulch and drip lines, laid out so the yard looks full in June and still has shape in January.

Driveway landscaping

The strip along the driveway is the first thing guests see and often the most ignored. Driveway landscaping uses low plants, edging, rock and lighting to frame the drive. I keep plants low near the street so drivers can see, and I pick ones that can take snow shoveled on top of them.

Driveway or walkway paving

A cracked front walk or a muddy path to the side gate is a common fix. Driveway or walkway paving replaces it with pavers or stone. In the design stage I set widths that work, like a front walk wide enough for two people side by side, and curves that follow how people really walk.

Grading & resloping

If water pools against your foundation or the yard tilts the wrong way, the fix starts with dirt. Grading & resloping reshapes the ground so water flows away from the house and you get flat areas where you need them. I settle the grades in the design before anything else is placed.

Grass seeding

Grass seeding costs less than sod and works well on larger areas where you can wait for it to fill in. Late summer into early fall is the best window in the Treasure Valley. In the design I'll show you where seed makes sense and where sod is worth the extra cost.

Landscape installations

Landscape installations are the full install: hardscape, irrigation, soil prep, plants, mulch and lighting, done in the right order. When I design your yard, the install follows that same plan with me on site, so there's no handoff where details get lost.

Outdoor step construction

Foothill slopes and raised patios both need steps people can trust. Outdoor step construction covers stone, paver and block steps with an even rise so nobody trips. I design the step height and depth to feel easy on the legs, and I plan lighting where steps meet a path.

Sod installation

When you want a usable lawn this season, sod installation gets you there in weeks. In a design, I keep lawn where you'll use it, like a play area or a spot for the dog, and size it so it's easy to water and mow.

Stone masonry

Stone masonry is work with natural stone: stacked walls, flagstone patios, stone veneer, fireplaces and steps. It costs more than block or pavers, but it ages well. In a design, I often save stone for the one feature I want people to notice first.

Walkway landscaping

A walkway is more than the path. Walkway landscaping is the planting, edging and lighting along it, so the walk to the front door or back gate feels planned. I choose plants that won't flop over the path and that look good up close, since you pass them every day.

Yard drainage

Clay soil in much of the valley drains slowly, and a downspout emptying onto a flat yard leaves soggy spots. Yard drainage uses grading, French drains (a gravel trench with a perforated pipe) and dry creek beds to move water where it can soak in. I design drainage first so everything else stays dry.

How I work, from first visit to final walkthrough

I take on a limited number of projects each season so I can run each job myself from consultation through installation. You get my direct number instead of an office line.

• Consultation. I walk the yard with you and ask how you want to use it. We talk honestly about budget, since it shapes the design.
• Design. I lay out the space, materials and plants. If you want a drawn plan first, see landscape plans.
• Build. I'm on site. Grading and drainage go first, then hardscape, irrigation, planting and lighting.
• Walkthrough. I show you how to water and care for the finished yard.

Cost depends on yard size, how much hardscape you want, how much grading or drainage the lot needs, equipment access, and materials like natural stone versus pavers. At the consultation I'll tell you where your money goes furthest. Hockema Landscape Design & Build holds Idaho contractor license #6871843 and is bonded and insured.

Treasure Valley conditions I design around

• Clay and alkaline soil. Much of the valley has heavy clay with a high pH. I amend beds and pick plants that tolerate it.
• Freeze-thaw winters. Water that freezes under a patio lifts it. A deep, compacted base and good drainage keep pavers flat.
• Hot, dry summers and wind. I group plants by water needs and use drip lines in beds.
• Builder fill. New lots in Meridian, Kuna and Star often have compacted fill that has to be broken up before roots can grow.
• Ditch and canal water. Many Canyon County homes irrigate with irrigation district water, which changes how sprinklers are set up.
• Less lawn. Water limits have more people asking for smaller lawns that still feel green.

Landscape design in Boise and nearby cities

I'm based in Boise and most of my work is here, from the North End and the Bench to Harris Ranch. I also design and build in Eagle, Meridian, Nampa, Caldwell, Star, Middleton, Kuna, Garden City and Hidden Springs, plus Sun Valley and Ketchum. Read more about landscaping in Boise or browse finished work on the projects page.

For lawns, rock, drainage and installs, see my landscaper services. For ponds and koi, see my pond contractor work, and for bubbling rocks, see my fountain contractor page.

If you're looking for a landscape designer in Boise who will also build what he draws, schedule a consultation or call me at (541) 961-7269, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.