Clive homes sit at the higher end of the Des Moines metro market, and the yards attached to them should hold up to that standard. Ted Lare Design Build & Garden Center has been designing and building landscapes throughout Central Iowa since 1982. Our landscape design services in Clive match the outdoor space to the home.
We work as a landscape design build firm, so the same team that draws your plan installs it. Our designers hold landscape architecture degrees from Iowa State University. That training shows in material choices and proportions, where mistakes cost more on a home at Clive’s price point.
The landscaping services Clive IA homeowners hire us for cover the full scope of outdoor work:
See our full range of landscaping services.



Clive lots fall into two camps. Established neighborhoods carry mature trees and hardscape that may have aged past the homeowner. Newer construction sits on clean lots where everything needs building from scratch.
Your landscape designer Clive homeowners trust starts with a site evaluation. Sun exposure, canopy, soil, and how the family moves through the yard all shape the drawing.
Custom landscape design Clive homeowners receive from us accounts for the architecture of the home. On a high-value property, the landscape plan has to respect the lines of the house, and a landscape architect Clive homeowners bring in should read the site that way.
One team plans and builds the full yard, so the pieces work together.

As an outdoor living contractor Clive homeowners rely on, we place kitchens, fire features, pergolas, and seating areas on one plan. Browse examples on our outdoor living page.

Patio installation Clive projects start below the surface. Base depth and compaction decide whether the patio sits flat after a few Iowa winters. Our hardscape design Clive work covers paver patios, natural stone, walkways, and seat walls. See all paver patio design and installation details here.

Grade changes across Clive lots often call for a wall. We build decorative walls that frame a patio and structural walls that hold a slope. As a retaining wall contractor Clive homeowners hire, we give every wall a drainage plan.

A pool resets the entire backyard. Our pool installation Clive projects cover the deck, privacy plantings, and lighting. Luxury landscaping Clive homeowners invest in works best when one plan governs every element.
Central Iowa clay holds water, and that water expands when it freezes. A plan that ignores the soil ends up with heaved hardscape and stressed plantings within a couple of winters.
We solve drainage at the design stage. Grading pushes runoff clear of the foundation before any patio goes in. Species that handle deep cold and heavy clay settle in and fill out. Iowa State University Extension’s guide on selecting the right trees for Iowa covers matching a tree to the conditions it will face.

One team from the first conversation through the final walkthrough. You get a plan, an estimate, and a chance to revise before work starts. Our crews handle installation under the designer who drew your plan.
On a property with high-end finishes, that continuity matters. See the full steps on our Des Moines landscape design and build process page.

A Clive yard on a premium home asks more of the landscape team. Materials have to hold, proportions have to fit, and plantings have to fill in as planned.
We run our own garden center, so the plants in your design are picked by the same people drawing the plan. Four decades in Central Iowa means we have built on this ground before. Most other landscaping companies Clive, IA homeowners call will subcontract part of the job. We keep it under one roof. Contact our team.
A landscape designer evaluates your property and draws a plan covering layout, plantings, hardscape, and drainage.
Cost depends on yard size, materials, and scope. We quote after a designer sees the property.
A designer visits your property, takes measurements and photos, and gathers the site details a plan needs.
Yes. Many Clive homes carry older hardscape that no longer fits how the family uses the yard. We keep what works and rework the rest.
Design runs a few weeks. A full outdoor build with hardscape or a pool runs several weeks to a couple of months.
We do. The designer stays involved while our crews build, and no portion of the job gets subcontracted.
Yes. Patios, walkways, seat walls, retaining walls, and pool installations are all core work for our crews.
Design and construction sit under one roof. Our designers studied landscape architecture at Iowa State University, and our team has been serving Central Iowa since 1982. We also operate our own garden center, bringing design expertise and plant knowledge together for every project.
Yes. We work throughout the western metro, including West Des Moines, Waukee, Urbandale, and Johnston. Contact us to check your address.
Every project begins with how you plan to live outside. Patios, outdoor living spaces, retaining walls, pool installations, and luxury landscaping all come from one team with one plan.
Our landscape design services in Clive, IA start with one conversation. Schedule a landscape consultation and see what your yard can become.
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