Skip to content
Alder & Stone
ES Book a consult
MenuClose
(919) 555-0428 Mon–Fri 8am–5pm · Consultations by appointment

Raleigh–Durham · Design + Build

Your best room has no ceiling.

We design and build outdoor spaces — patios, plantings, lighting, and lawns — as one crew, one plan, one point of contact from sketch to final walkthrough.

Book a Design Consult See Our Work
  • Design-Build, One Crew
  • 3D Design Included
  • 2-Yr Plant Guarantee
  • Financing Available
Backyard at dusk with a gravel fire-pit circle, Adirondack chairs and string lights over a lawn

Est. 2015

Hands setting seedlings into a raised bed while water pours from a green watering can

The studio

One team from first sketch to final sweep.

Most landscaping goes wrong in the gap between the designer who drew it and the crew who builds it. We closed that gap: our designers walk the site with the build lead before you ever see a drawing.

The result is work that gets built as designed, on the schedule we promised, by people who will still answer the phone next season.

  • In-house design + build — no handoffs
  • 3D renderings before you commit
  • Native-forward plant palettes that survive NC summers
  • 2-year guarantee on every plant we install

NC Landscape Contractor #2841 · Insured

Projects designed & built
400+
Years in the Triangle
11
Plant guarantee
2 yr
Google rating
5.0

A year in the yard · What we build

From blank yard to backyard headline.

  1. SpringMar — May

    Build it.

    The ground softens and the build calendar opens: stone, base prep and water lines go in before the heat arrives.

    • Patios & Hardscape

      Paver patios, retaining walls, walkways, and fire features — built on proper base prep so they’re level in ten years, not two.

    • Irrigation & Drainage

      Smart irrigation that waters by weather, and drainage that ends the swamp in the side yard for good.

  2. SummerJun — Aug

    Live in it.

    Long evenings are the whole point — somewhere to cook, a fire to sit around, and light to stay out after dark.

    • Outdoor Kitchens & Fire

      Grill islands, pizza ovens, and fire pits with gas, electric, and lighting roughed in by licensed trades.

    • Landscape Lighting

      Low-voltage LED scenes that make the yard usable after dark and the house look like the listing photo, every night.

  3. FallSep — Nov

    Tend it.

    Pruning, seasonal color and irrigation checks from the crew that built it, so the yard keeps looking the way it was drawn.

    • Care Plans

      Monthly maintenance by the crew that built it — pruning, turf, seasonal color, and irrigation checks on a schedule.

  4. WinterDec — Feb

    Draw it.

    The quiet months are for design. Winter designs get first pick of the spring build schedule.

    • Landscape Design

      Site survey, 3D renderings, and a planting plan matched to your soil, sun, and how much weekend you want to spend maintaining it.

Process

From consult to completed in four steps.

  1. Design consult

    We walk the property, talk budget honestly, and take the survey measurements. $150, credited to your project.

  2. Design & proposal

    3D renderings, plant palette, materials, and a line-item price. Two revision rounds included.

  3. Build

    One crew, a posted schedule, and a daily photo update. Most projects run 1–3 weeks.

  4. Walkthrough & care

    Final walkthrough, care guide for every plant, and an optional maintenance plan with the same crew.

In the ground

Grown in rows, season by season.

Gravel walk under an arbor hung with purple wisteria
01Arbor walk
Wooden raised beds of chard and greens beside a house
02Raised beds
Shade garden of moss, iris and potted flowers under trees
03Shade garden
Brick house with a new lawn, young trees and a curving front walk
04Front lawn & walk
Gravel path running through a long, leafy arbor tunnel
05Green arbor
Low close-up of thick, freshly mown turf
06Turf

Illustrative garden photography.

Client stories

Yards that changed how people live.

The 3D design sold us, but the build crew sold the neighborhood — three neighbors hired them after watching ours go in.

★★★★★ Whitney L. Homeowner · North Hills

Our backyard was a drainage disaster. Now it’s a patio with a fire pit where the swamp used to be. Dry through two hurricanes since.

★★★★★ Carlos M. Homeowner · Cary

They finished on the day the schedule said. In landscaping. I still tell people that part first.

★★★★★ Diane F. Homeowner · Wake Forest

Questions

Before you book the consult.

What does a typical project cost?

Planting renovations typically run $8–20k; patio and outdoor-living projects $25–80k+. We’ll tell you honestly at the consult what your budget can and can’t do — before you pay for design.

Why is the consultation $150?

It filters for serious projects, which keeps our calendar honest — and it’s credited in full to your design fee or build. You get a walkthrough with a designer, not a salesperson.

Do you take on maintenance-only clients?

A limited number, and only properties we can service well. Priority goes to yards we built, but ask — routes change seasonally.

When should I book for spring?

Design in fall or winter. Our spring build calendar usually fills by late February, and winter designs get first pick of the schedule.

What does the plant guarantee cover?

Any plant we install that fails within two years is replaced free — provided it’s on our care plan or you’ve followed the watering guide we leave you. Weather extremes included.

Book your design consultation.

Tell us about the space and what you want it to do. We’ll reply within one business day with available consult times.

Studio
1204 Capital Blvd, Raleigh, NC 27603
Mon–Fri 8am–5pm · Consultations by appointment