Custom landscape design in Boise, Idaho

You want custom landscape design in Boise because the yard you have doesn't work, and the ideas you saved online were made for somebody else's lot. Maybe the patio bakes by 3 p.m. Maybe the lawn is a strip nobody walks on. Maybe you just moved into a new build and you're looking at bare dirt.

Custom landscape design means the plan starts with your property, not a template. I'm Kabe Hockema, and I've been landscaping since 2012. I walk the yard with you, I listen to how you want to use it, and I draw a plan that fits. Then I build it. That last part matters more than most people think, and I'll explain why below. You can see how design fits with the rest of my work on the landscape designer page.

Signs a stock plan won't fit your yard

A lot of yards here get the same treatment: a rock strip, a few shrubs and a rectangle of sod. It looks fine until you try to live in it. You probably need a custom design if:

• Your yard slopes, and water runs toward the house after a storm.
• The best view is from the kitchen window, but there's nothing out there worth looking at.
• Kids, dogs and a vegetable garden are all fighting for the same patch of grass.
• You want less lawn and a lower water bill, but you don't want a yard full of gravel.
• You plan to add a patio, a fire pit or a water feature later and want to leave room for it now.

What I look at on the first walk

The consultation is where the design really starts. I'm looking for things a photo can't show me.

Sun and shade. West-facing backyards in Boise take hard afternoon sun all summer. That changes where the patio goes and which plants will live.

Wind. Open lots on the edge of town catch a lot of it. The right row of shrubs or a short wall can make a seating area usable.

Soil. Most of the valley has clay and alkaline soil. In new subdivisions, it's often compacted builder fill. Roots sit in that like a bathtub unless the beds are prepared first.

Water. I check how you water now: city water, an irrigation district, or canal water if you're out in Canyon County. That decides how the irrigation gets laid out.

How you move. Where do you walk from the car, the back door and the gate? Good paths follow those lines instead of fighting them.

From sketch to a plan you can build

After the walk, I put together a design. It shows where each piece goes: patio, walls, beds, lawn, paths, lighting and water. It also shows plants by type and size, so you can see what the yard looks like on day one and what it grows into. If you want a full drawn plan to keep, that's my landscape plans service.

We go over the design together. You tell me what feels right and what doesn't, and I adjust. It's normal to change things at this stage. Moving a line on paper costs a lot less than moving a wall in the ground.

Why the designer should also build it

When one company draws a plan and another builds it, details get lost. The builder guesses at drainage. The plant list gets swapped for whatever is on the truck. I avoid that by doing both. I'm on every job myself, from the consultation through installation, and you get my direct number. When a question comes up in the middle of the build, the person who drew the plan is standing right there. That's how landscape design construction works with me.

Where the money goes in a custom design

There's no flat price for custom landscape design in Boise, because no two yards are the same. These are the things that move the number:

• The size of the area and how much of it changes.
• Grading, slope work and any retaining walls.
• Hardscape materials. Natural stone usually costs more than pavers, and pavers cost more than gravel.
• Extras like water features, lighting and fire features.
• How much soil prep the site needs.
• Plant sizes. Bigger trees cost more, but they give you shade sooner.

At the consultation I'll walk you through where the money goes. If it fits your budget better, we can plan the work in phases.

Pieces that often go into a custom design

Most of my designs pull from a few services. Many start with yard designs for the front and sides of the house, add a planting plan through garden design, and include a patio laid out with patio design. You don't have to build it all at once. A good plan lets you build in stages without tearing anything out later.

Where I design

Boise is home base. I design yards in the North End, on the Bench, in Harris Ranch and up toward the foothills. I also work in Eagle, Meridian, Star, Garden City, Hidden Springs, Kuna, Nampa, Caldwell and Middleton, plus Sun Valley and Ketchum. Each area has its own quirks, from foothill slopes to canal water out west.

Start with a walk around your yard

If you want custom landscape design in Boise that's built by the same person who drew it, let's start with a visit. Schedule a consultation and I'll come see what you're working with. You can also call me at (541) 961-7269, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.