San Diego Softscapes

Softscapes in San Diego can add richness and dimension to a landscape design. We can help you create a harmonious blend of lush greenery, lighting, and concrete designs that make the most of outdoor San Diego living. Call today and get an initial on-site consultation based on which we will offer you a tailored quote.

What is Softscaping?

This relatively new term uses various landscaping materials such as grass, flowers, shrubs, trees, and the artful use of lighting and watering elements. Hardscaping, on the other hand, involves the non-living structural elements of your garden such as custom walls, patios, concrete designs and pavers. We skillfully blend them together to create the perfect yard for you, all with San Diego Softscapes. Our softscapes incorporate many elements:
  • Sod installation
  • Outdoor lighting
  • Irrigation systems
  • Plant designs
  • Landscape designs
When introducing softscape to your yard, you can go with any number of styles and themes. If you desire a lush and tropical landscape, you would use such plants as palms, cycads, bird of paradise, and various ferns. For a Southwestern design, you would want to use cactus, succulents, ice plant and other low water use plants. Some gardens have a unique San Diego Softscape design that incorporates elements from both types into plant design. A palm tree can go quite well with plants that are typically low water use plants. This would be true for a desert oasis landscape, where there would be a lush vegetation surrounded by a dry desert.

Plant Designs

Luckily, here in San Diego we have a climate that lends itself to many different landscapes and gardens. We have thousands of different species that can be used to create these landscapes. A good place to get ideas is the San Diego Zoo. Not many people know it, but the plants at our zoo have a dollar value of twice that of the animals. There you can see landscaping themes from all over the world. Practically any plant that you see there will also do well in your yard. A vital step in softscapes is the proper plant design. Each specimen needs a space for their roots to grow and thrive in. Typically a landscaper will dig a hole twice the diameter of the root ball. The open space around the root ball is filled with a planting mix of 50% native soil mixed with 50% garden compost. Add a few slow release fertilizer tablets, and the plant will be off to a good start. We make sure that we use tree stakes in trees over 6 feet tall to prevent it from falling over or snapping from high winds. Landscape design tips: When planting flowers for you softscape design, use the same instructions for planting trees. Landscapers usually plant shrubs in odd numbers of 3, 5, 7 or 9. Plant your taller shrubs in the back of the planting area, and your lower shrubs, perennials and flowers in the foreground. Use the same type of shrubs for an area, creating a repeating theme, rather than scatter the plants amongst other types of plants. This softscape design will look more natural, and have a coherent theme for your garden. Irrigation systems – Your softscape will thrive, and you will save money, with our precise irrigation design. Our licensed landscapers develop a plan that allows plants of different moisture needs to get watered with plants that have similar hydration needs. Choose irrigation controllers that can be hooked up to a moisture sensor. This prevents sprinklers from coming on when the ground has enough water already. Bonus: you’ll spend less on water each month. Outdoor lighting – Enjoy your stunning softscape when the sun goes down with professionally installed outdoor lights. The right landscape lighting design will really bring out the beauty of your garden. Up lights focus attention on your specimen trees and shrubs, while path lights in the hardscape will illuminate paths and walkways. Down lighting can enhance that special hidden seating area at the end of a garden path. Sod Installation – A lush green carpet of grass ties your softscape together. We put down the hardiest varieties from trusted farms and get it off to a healthy start with professional irrigation systems. Softscapes bring together the best in plant design, outdoor lighting and irrigation. Garden hardscaping creates the foundation for yard artistry that will enhance the beauty of your property when done by our professional landscapers. We provide installation and designing of softscapes in San Diego, Carlsbad, Encinitas, Chula Vista, La Jolla, Coronado and all nearby cities in San Diego County.