We merge what you want your land to be with what it once was. Every design starts with the native ecology of your site and your vision for it. If it's not native, it's not us.
Every property has a story written in its soil, light, and surroundings. We help you read that story and design with it — not against it.
Comprehensive planting plans rooted in your property's unique conditions — soil, light, moisture, and the natural character of your region. Beautiful and place-appropriate.
Transforming neglected or degraded areas into thriving native ecosystems. We restore the ecological function of your land while creating spaces of natural beauty.
Strategic removal of invasive species that crowd out native plants and degrade habitat. We clear the way for your landscape to become what it's meant to be.
Specialized plantings for wooded areas and woodland edges — from ephemeral spring wildflowers to layered shrub and understory compositions that thrive in shade.
Purpose-designed plantings that support bees, butterflies, and other essential pollinators — with sequential bloom times, host plants, and season-long visual interest.
Reimagining tired landscape beds, overgrown borders, and generic plantings into naturalistic compositions that feel intentional, layered, and distinctly of this place.
Our process is collaborative, site-specific, and designed to make the journey from idea to living landscape feel clear, guided, and inspired.
It starts with you reaching out and sharing a bit about your property, your goals, and the kind of help you're looking for. From there, we visit the site together — reading the land, understanding the conditions, and talking through what you want the space to feel like. Light, moisture, slope, invasive pressure, existing plantings — we take it all in alongside your vision for the space.
We develop a direction grounded in both ecology and your aesthetic goals — plant palettes, restoration strategies, phased recommendations. Then we help you see it. Using photo-based concept renderings, we visualize what your property could become so you can feel confident in the plan before anything goes in the ground.
Before
After
Visualizing a restored native understory — Virginia bluebells and wood poppies that would have been present historically before the land was cleared for farming over a century ago.
The project comes to life — planting, clearing invasives, restoring overgrown areas, or building out the plan in thoughtful phases. But landscapes are living systems, not finished products. We provide follow-up guidance, stewardship recommendations, and the long-term thinking that helps your landscape deepen and mature over the years.
"We begin by understanding the land, your goals, and the character of the space. From there, we develop a clear design direction, help you visualize the possibilities, and create a path toward a more beautiful, place-rooted landscape."
When you plant what was historically here, something remarkable happens. The birds, bees, butterflies, and wildlife in your area evolved alongside these plants over thousands of years — so a native landscape doesn't just look beautiful, it comes alive. You're adding an entire layer of charm to your property: more butterflies, more songbirds, more of the things that make a place feel magical.
This is how it started for me. I wanted to help Monarch butterflies, so I started planting milkweed at my 1901 schoolhouse in eastern Pennsylvania. What I got back was something I wasn't prepared for. You watch the caterpillars show up and eat the milkweed. Then they go off and form their chrysalis. And then one morning, a Monarch hatches right there on your property. The first time you see it happen, it changes the way you think about your land. Now I get to share that with my kids — and chrysalises hang all over our property every summer.
That experience became Polk Valley Habitat Design. Native isn't a compromise — it's how you get a landscape that's both stunning and alive with the kind of moments you can't plan for.
Whether you have a specific project in mind or just want to explore what's possible on your property, we'd love to hear from you. Every great landscape starts with a conversation.
We'll get back to you within one business day.