Have a question? Check here first...

The answer is simple  — our initial meeting and discussions with you are free. Only if you decide to pursue a formal design proposal will charges then be discussed. After that a project plan with time & materials and costing information would be created and agreed to by both you and us before any work begins.

We can do all kinds of landscape designs appropriate to our area of the Northeast USA, but our specialty is in mixing native plants, shrubs, grasses and trees  to make a landscape that meets your needs and fits the ecology of our area.  In addition, we can also design and implement hardscaping solutions such as paths, walls, pools, etc. when that is part of your particular design.

Also, we try to be conscious of the greater world around us and take extra care to keep natural wildlife in mind when developing our holistic design plans. For example, we are very supportive of the "Pollinator Pathways" efforts currently underway in our area to protect our crucial native plant pollinators such as bees, butterflies and moths. 

Hardscape involves the non-living parts of landscaping, such as paved pathways, retaining walls, and patios. Some common hardscape materials include bricks, stones such as fieldstones and flagstones, concrete products, and metal.

Our team members have experience and horticultural backgrounds, and we will all be familiar with your unique landscape needs. 

We are not a typical lawn servicing-type landscaping firm; rather, we focus on the overall design of a site and help cure any problems you might have, such are excess water or drainage issues, and then use our team of professional contractors to make the project real. 

Of course, if you are interested in regular site maintenance, then we can help you set that up as well using our extensive contacts.

Water can often appear in those areas of your landscape that are not draining naturally into the environment. Firstly, you should examine your overall property to see if:

• standing water exists or is pooling for long periods after rain
• water is accumulating around downspouts and not flowing away into the landscape
• the ground remains soggy or "squishy" after periods of rain
• there are obvious signs of soil erosion
• there is standing water in a basement or other low lying sections of your home or business
• sump pumps seem to be running a lot of the time

There are a variety of causes for these drainage problems. However there is usually a solution for all but the most cantankerous situations. For example, by establishing a special "rain garden", which can help buffer the excess water back into the environment using select plantings, you can turn a problem into a beautiful and environmentally-conscious solution. 

We can help you find fixes for many of these problems using our particular expertise in stormwater management and wetlands conservation techniques.

The intentional capture, placement, or movement, and treatment of stormwater runoff in order to minimize pollution and/or flooding.  

Stormwater is rainwater or melted snow that runs off streets, lawns and other sites. When stormwater is absorbed into soil, it is filtered and ultimately replenishes aquifers or flows into streams and rivers.

In developed areas, impervious surfaces such as pavement and roofs prevent precipitation from naturally soaking into the ground. Instead, water runs rapidly into storm drains, sewer systems and drainage ditches and can cause:

• Downstream flooding
• Stream bank erosion
• Increased turbidity (muddiness created by stirred up sediment) from erosion
• Habitat destruction
• Combined storm and sanitary sewer system overflows
• Infrastructure damage
• Contaminated streams, rivers and coastal water

Stormwater Educational Materials:

• "After the Storm" - Citizens Guide to Understanding Stormwater by EPA
• "The Solution to Pollution" – A homeowner’s guide to health habits for clean water by EPA
• “When It Rains, It Drains” – Understanding Stormwater and How It Can Affect Your money, Safety, Health, and the Environment by the PADEP
• Fact Sheet: City of Norwalk Water Quality and Stormwater Summary – CTDEEP
• Fact Sheet: MS4 General Permit – CTDEEP

From groundwater.org:

"A rain garden is a garden of native shrubs, perennials, and flowers planted in a small depression, which is generally formed on a natural slope. It is designed to temporarily hold and soak in rain water runoff that flows from roofs, driveways, patios or lawns. Rain gardens are effective in removing up to 90% of nutrients and chemicals and up to 80% of sediments from the rainwater runoff. Compared to a conventional lawn, rain gardens allow for 30% more water to soak into the ground.

A rain garden is not a water garden. Nor is it a pond or a wetland. Conversely, a rain garden is dry most of the time. It typically holds water only during and following a rainfall event. Because rain gardens will drain within 12-48 hours, they prevent the breeding of mosquitoes."

Learn more about rain gardens here...

It's simple... just contact us via email at elizabeth@nutmegdesignsllc.com or call 203.505.8899 and we'll get back to you as as soon as possible. :-)