Plant Package Basics
Here's more details on what Plant Package delivery is like, how long they take to install, how long gardens take to grow and fill-in and what they look like when they mature.
What to Expect when your order a plant package
We care about getting sustainable plants in your yard.
Wild Gardens may sound like a sprinkle of random seeds. But as famed wild gardening landscape architects like Piet Oudolf have shown the better ecologically-inspired gardens look the more people will love and care for them. And with a climate evolving faster than anyone can keep track of we need these plants to be resilient too. Whether water-saving, habitat repairing or food producing, we bring you big beautiful blends of functional plants. For a yard you can love (and keep alive as long as you setup your irrigation right) through it all.
Our plant packs are designed to be different and don't work like other preplanned garden services. Instead of tiny plants in fedex’d boxes we send full-size locally grown ones on big trucks. Scroll on for the full overview.
Plant package fill-in takes around 1 year for blended plant packages and up to 2-3 for those with exclusively smaller growing shrubs & grasses (like Superbloom Selfie) or large trees (like Old School Orchard). Some touch-up planting may be necessary after 1-2 years. We're always here to answer questions and make sure you're happy with your new garden. Sometimes we even offer free touch-ups! Get the satisfaction of being a part of the design process and discovering what new plants are blooming out your door. Every package comes with at least 30 plants and a custom tweak or 2. Many large packages deliver over 100 plants. We recommend getting install help for large packages, unless you don't mind spending more than a few weekends solo planting.
How to Prepare
Schedule
Plan or schedule your install by coordinating with your gardener. Prep work can take anywhere from a weekend to several months for large sites and DIY'ers. Removing old lawn is an important part of the process. Check out this Sheet Mulching guide from California watersmart for the most sustainable way to do it.
Know Your Dirt
Drought-tolerant Plants require great soil drainage to survive. If you're removing old dead lawn your soil will be compacted (lacking the porous air space drought-tolerant plants need to survive) and depleted. If you have sandy soil or a rocky slope this step can be skipped. otherwise improve soil by either tilling in a drainage media and a light dose of compost or obtaining enough gravel to put 2-3" into the bottom of every drought-tolerant plant's hole. For fruit trees more fertile amendments are recommended. See our soil prep page for more.
Be Home Delivery Day
Plan to be home delivery day. The small window when your delivery truck is on-site is the only time you can review and return plant material for a partial or full refund. Delivery's can occur between the hours of 6:30 AM and 3:30 PM. A 2-hour ETA delivery window will be provided the afternoon in advance but it is not always accurate and transit delays can happen.
6 Months Old
Escondido, California - Fall Install
LEARN MORE ABOUT...
Schedule your delivery at checkout. We do our best to provide a 3-4 business day turn around but some exceptions apply (due to daily fluctuations in grower availability). Weekday delivery only.
You must be home to receive delivery. Or have a professional onsite to receive the order. You or your installer is expected to assist with moving plant material to a safe location (off the truck's loading dock and/or curb side). Trucks are large, if your site has access issues caused by a narrow driveway, lack of turn around or unusual steepness, a drop point may be utilized.
DELIVERY ETA'S: 2-hour delivery windows are provided the afternoon before wherever possible. Plant drops typically occur within the hours of 6:30 AM -2:30 PM
Once you've decided on your plant pack or lawn it's time to plan your install. We do not offer install services at this time.
Decide whether to DIY or hire a crew. Plants ideally go in the ground within 48 hours of arrival (for DIY'ers plants can safely be stored up to 2 weeks in spring and fall if placed in part-shade, watered regularly and temps are reasonable).
AVERAGE PLANTING TIMES
Small (30-50 1g) Solo: 5-10 hours / With Help: 2-3 hours
Medium (45-75 1g-5g) Solo: 2-3 days / With Help: 5-6 hours
Large (65-115 1g-15g) Solo: 2-3 weekends / With Help: 2-3 days
Xlarge (100+) Solo: 3-4 weekends / With Help: 3-5 days
A professional gardener team or install crew will make quick work of even a large order. If you're working solo, try enlisting family or friends to get it done in a weekend with the lure of a juicy barbecue or catered get-together after.
Our packages are designed for full rapid coverage. For larger applications and turf rebate projects plant spacings can easily be doubled. As long as ground is adequately mulched. Large packages include a central patio or access walkway in the design.
SMALL: Covers 150 sq.ft. / 30- 50 Total Plants (25-35 x 4" - 1 gallon plants / 3-5 x 5 gallon plants). Grows to 3-5' high.
MEDIUM: Covers 300 sq.ft. / 40-75 Total Plants (30-60 x 4" to 1 gallons / 6-15 x 5 gallons). Grows to 5-7' high.
LARGE : Covers 500-700 sq.ft. / 60-120 Total Plants (50-100 x 4" to 1 gallons / 7-15 x 5 gallons / 3-8 x 15 gallons). Grows to 5-25' high.
Why so much variation? Every package is a little different. Some mostly feature plants that grow 1-3 feet in size and others have lots of shrubs that grow 5-10 feet. i.e. Superbloom Selfie has the most total plants (primarily grasses and small flowers). Natural Lilac has the least (many large shrubs that grow best when started small). Substitutions: 1-3 species in many designs (especially native ones) may be automatically substituted due to the HUGE daily fluctuations of local grower availability. You get to approve any swaps. Or let us know if you'd rather have more of something else. You can also substitute up to 2 species by request free of charge.
Grass & shrub centric gardens fill-in around %85 in as little as 1 year (even 6 months if planted in earliest spring). Shade gardens or those with more trees and spreading natives take 2-3 years to reach maturity. Some natives are slower to set root but take off FAST after apparently doing nothing the 1st year. New trees can often take 3-5 years to take on their desired architecture (contact us to special order large specimens)
How it Grows...
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Plant the difference.
Award-Winning
Plant a Houzz & 2023 Golden Arrow Award-Winning Landscape with Mediterranean Magic .
California Native
California Native Plants in every plant package. More than %75 of our products are at least half native. We take a broad approach to natives, featuring high percentages of Mexican and Southwestern native species too. We do not sell invasive species. Shop native.
Diverse Blends
Habitat-Improving diverse plant combinations mean more chances for gardens to thrive & more individuality as they mature. With every soil and local climate being slightly different, every garden turns out different too.
Save Water
Drought-tolerant species featured in EVERY design. With moderate - high irrigation packages only available on gardens that produce food or cut flowers. Save %40-80 on irrigation over conventional lawn with our low-water & native plant packages.
Royal Californian
Plants are thriving and it's so beautiful...I was surprised how fast the plants are growing and how fast the space is filling up.
Sandra B.
Custom Package
Plants are delivered! They look great. Thank you.
Perren C.
