Garden Design and Plant Expertise
Whether you want us to do the work or you like to DIY, a garden design from Sunshine Custom Gardens can save you time and money in the long run. Stephanie’s vast knowledge of plants and experience growing them means you can trust her to pick the right plants for your yard. We specialize in designing perennial beds and borders, updating a lackluster landscape, fixing problem areas, creating privacy and screening, and adding plants to brighten up your new or existing flower beds. You’ll receive a customized drawing of your garden area, list of plants with spacing and numbers to plant. From there, you’ll have what you need to plant it yourself or we can purchase and plant everything for you.
We want you to enjoy your yard! The best garden design adds curb appeal and multi-season interest to make your yard stand out. We’ll work with you to understand your garden goals, favorite plants, style, and maintenance desires. We pay attention your garden conditions and choose the right plants for you! Take a look at a few of our projects below.
Sunshine Custom Gardens specializes in:
Residential landscaping
Solving problems with plants
Creating and updating inviting front entries and foundation beds
Enhancing perennial beds and borders
Adding fall bulbs for spring color
Choosing the right shrubs and trees
Vegetable gardens and edible landscaping
Pollinator gardens and native plants
Artistic accessories (rock sculpture, placing birdbaths etc.)
Rain gardens
Cut flower gardens
Before and After…
BEFORE: This problem area at the entrance of the house got hot western sun, but was also shaded by a large crabapple tree. It had a nice crop of weeds growing and not much else.
AFTER: We planted a mix of easy-care small shrubs with multi-seasonal interest and colorful perennials that can tolerate the tricky sunlight conditions. Added fresh mulch and some red-flowering annuals to match the paint on the house.
Kill your Lawn! A difficult spot to mow didn’t provide much interest for this awesome old house in Sherman Hill.
We removed the turf and planted a mix of colorful shrubs and perennials that will be less work to maintain and fill in to provide a lush front yard landscape.
BEFORE: This front yard needed an update. Overgrown yews and odd little junipers didn’t offer much curb appeal.
This overgrown barberry hid the pretty rock and was too pokey next to the driveway.
AFTER: Once the evergreens were gone, we planted a mix of perennials, ornamental grasses and spring-blooming shrubs to add more flowers and interest around the rock and foundation.
Attract pollinators
Butterflies, bees and other insects are a vital part of our environment but they also provide movement and energy in your garden. Encourage more activity by planting native plants that thrive in our climate and are a food source for pollinators. We can offer a list of plants or create a plan for you to bring in the butterflies!
We can design a perennial border filled with flowers that will add beauty to your yard in a style that suits you and attracts loads of pollinators. This is also a great garden choice for beginners and if you want to introduce children to gardening.
Add a nook.
These vintage motel chairs felt right at home and brightened up a shady corner of the yard, perfect for a chat with a friend or a morning cup of coffee. Rustic furniture and pavers meets modern design with a moss “rug” and a mix of groundcovers, hostas and variegated Solomon’s seal.
A few of our projects
Stephanie Petersen
(515) 865-9940
sunshinecustomgardens@gmail.com
Des Moines, Iowa