Premier Landscaping Services in Des Moines & Central Iowa
Complete landscape design and installation — from flower beds to full yard transformations. We create outdoor spaces that thrive in Iowa's climate and make your neighbors jealous.
Landscaping That Last
Complete landscape design and installation services in Des Moines and Central Iowa. From flower beds and foundation plantings to full yard transformations, we create outdoor spaces tailored to your home's architecture and Iowa's unique USDA Zone 5 growing conditions. Serving Ankeny, Urbandale, West Des Moines, Johnston, Clive, and surrounding areas.
Iowa landscaping requires understanding our unique growing conditions — hot, humid summers, cold winters, clay soil, and unpredictable spring weather. We select native and adapted plants that not only survive but thrive here, creating landscapes that look beautiful from April through October without constant maintenance.
We Don't Stop Till You Love It
Your satisfaction isn't just a goal—it's our promise. We'll work with you until every detail is exactly right. That's the Green Thumb difference.
Why Des Moines Homeowners Choose Us
We don't just do the job — we do it right.
Landscaping Work We've Done Near You
Real projects completed for homeowners across Des Moines and Central Iowa. No stock photos — this is our actual work.
Ready to Transform Your Yard?
Get a free, no-pressure design consultation. We'll walk your property, discuss your vision, and create a plan you'll love.
Recent Landscaping Projects
Your Yard Could Be Next
Real landscaping projects we built across the Des Moines metro — from full backyard transformations to front-yard curb appeal.
Des Moines, IA
Backyard Boulder Wall & Perennial Gardens
Des Moines, IA
Front Yard Japanese Maples & Shrub Beds
Central Iowa
Mature Tree & Front Yard Refresh
Central Iowa
Foundation Rock Beds & Curb Appeal
Want a yard like one of these? Let's design yours.
Design-Build Landscaping We Take On
Our landscape work is design-build first: full plans, hardscape integration, planting design, and the grading and drainage that make the rest of it last. Smaller refreshes are welcome, but the projects we're built for are full-yard transformations on real Iowa properties.
Full Design-Build
Site survey, concept plan, plant schedule, materials, and installation — one accountable crew from sketch to final walk-through.
Hardscape Integration
Patios, walkways, sitting walls, fire features, and steps designed into the planting plan instead of bolted on after the fact.
Grading & Drainage
Positive grade away from the foundation, swales, downspout extensions, and French drains baked into the install — not sold as an upcharge later.
Outdoor Living Spaces
Patios, pergolas, lighting, and planting laid out for how you actually use the yard — entertaining, kids, dogs, or quiet evenings.
Planting Design
Iowa-hardy trees, shrubs, perennials, and ornamental grasses chosen for sun exposure, soil, and four-season interest in USDA Zone 5.
Materials & When We Use Them
Iowa-hardy plant material
Natives and Zone 5-rated adapted species sourced from established Iowa growers — not big-box dump-stock.
Amended planting soil
Our beds get the existing clay broken up and amended with compost. Plants in raw clay fail within two seasons, no matter how good the design.
Natural stone & steel edging
Edging that holds a line through frost heave — outlaster pop-up plastic strip every time.
Hardwood & dyed mulch
Premium bulk product, installed at proper 2–3″ depth — never volcano-mulched against trunks.
Drainage components
Pop-up emitters, catch basins, perforated pipe, and washed stone — installed during the landscape build, before sod and beds go in.
Our Process, Start to Finish
- 1Design consultation — we walk the property, listen to how you use it, and take measurements
- 2Concept plan with plant schedule, hardscape layout, and a clear, line-item estimate
- 3Site prep — grade corrections, drainage work, and soil amendment before anything goes in
- 4Hardscape install (patios, walls, edging, lighting conduit)
- 5Planting — trees and major shrubs first, then perennials, then mulch
- 6Final walk-through with a watering schedule and a written care guide
Built for Central Iowa Conditions
the Des Moines metro landscapes have to perform in USDA Hardiness Zone 5, on the heavy clay subsoil typical of Central Iowa, with freeze-thaw winters and the hot, humid summers that follow. Local conditions — rolling, clay-heavy lots with frequent walkout basements and drainage challenges — drive how we grade, where we run drainage, and which species actually thrive long-term. A mix of established and new-construction homes means every plan starts from the lot, not from a catalog.
Permitting note: A note on permits and locates: pure planting work usually doesn't require a permit, but any project that includes grading, drainage tile to the right-of-way, irrigation, or a structural retaining wall may. We call Iowa One Call (Iowa 811) before every dig and pull permits where your city requires them.
Landscape Design-Build Questions, Answered
Real questions we hear from Central Iowa homeowners planning a larger project.
Do you do full design-build, or just installation?▾
Both, but design-build is what we're built for. A real plan — grading, drainage, hardscape, planting, lighting — installed by the same crew that designed it is what separates a landscape that holds up from one that's tired by year three.
How do you handle Iowa's clay soil?▾
Every planting bed gets the existing subsoil broken up and amended with compost. We don't drop plants into raw clay; the survival rate on that is poor and it shows in two seasons. Bigger projects also get drainage work — surface grading, downspout extensions, and tile where needed.
What plants actually thrive here?▾
USDA Zone 5 natives and well-adapted species — oak, serviceberry, ninebark, panicum, little bluestem, coneflower, sedum, and the like. We avoid varieties that look great at the nursery in May and disappear after the first Iowa winter.
Can you integrate a patio, fire pit, or retaining wall into the design?▾
Yes — hardscape integration is part of every design-build. Patios, sitting walls, fire features, lighting, and grade-corrective retaining walls are designed in from the start, not bolted on later.
What about permits and 811 locates?▾
We call Iowa One Call (811) before every dig. Permits depend on the work: grading, drainage to the right-of-way, irrigation, and structural walls can require one. We confirm with your city and handle the paperwork.
Planning a Full Yard Transformation?
Bigger projects deserve a real conversation, not a drive-by quote. Book a design consultation and we'll walk the property, talk through scope, and put together a plan you can actually act on.
What Our Customers Say
Don't take our word for it — hear from real homeowners.
How It Works
From first call to finished project — here's exactly what to expect.
Design Consultation
We discuss your vision, walk your property, and understand how you use your outdoor space.
Custom Plan
You receive a detailed landscape plan with plant selections, materials, and transparent pricing.
Professional Installation
Our crew prepares the soil, installs plants, applies mulch, and completes all finishing work.
Care Guide & Walkthrough
We provide watering schedules, maintenance tips, and walk the project with you until you're thrilled.
Landscaping FAQ — Des Moines & Central Iowa
Get Your Landscaping Quote Today
Free estimates for Des Moines, Ankeny, West Des Moines, Urbandale, and all Central Iowa communities within 20 miles. No pressure, no obligation — just honest advice from local experts.
Landscaping Across the Des Moines Metro
We provide landscaping services to every community within 20 miles of Des Moines. Pick your city for local pricing, project examples & FAQs.