Landscape Design Utah

The Main Issue

This family’s home sat on a steep hillside, and their front yard was dominated by turf that required heavy maintenance and high water usage. They wanted to open up the space and create functional outdoor living areas that were easier to maintain.

What We Did as their Landscape Designers 

As seasoned landscape designers, we focused on reducing water use while still creating a practical & inviting outdoor space that worked with the slope. Our design approach called for the following actions:

• Removed most turf, keeping grass only in select activity areas
• Added seating areas for gathering and relaxation
• Installed dry stream beds with cobble rock and boulders
• Built mounded planting areas for elevation and interest
• Used drought-tolerant plants with year-round color and low maintenance

The End Result

Water usage dropped substantially, and the front yard became a usable extension of the home rather than a maintenance burden. The family was also thrilled to receive Murray’s Best Landscape of the Year, judged for its water-wise design and improved aesthetic appeal.

Main Issues

A couple in Northern Utah reached out to Glover Nursery with an interesting landscape project.

They had a newly built home in a development. Construction on the house was nearly complete, and the homeowners wanted the landscape to be finished at the same time. However, the front yard was left muddy with heavily compacted soil and no usable landscape features. 

Since most of the focus had been on building the home, the yard had become an afterthought and now needed a lot of work.

What We Did

As their landscape designers, our goal was to turn the rough, unfinished front yard into a clean, functional, and visually appealing space that felt established and complete. The design called for the following improvements:

• Properly grading and preparing the soil to correct compaction and drainage issues
• Installing a lush, evenly contoured lawn as the primary feature of the yard
• Shaping the turf with smooth, sweeping curves to soften the front of the home
• Defining planting beds along the perimeter to frame the lawn and structure the space
• Adding layered shrubs, ornamental trees, and perennials for depth & texture

The End Result 

The once muddy and unfinished front yard is now completely unrecognizable. What was previously a bare home has been transformed into looking like a million-dollar property. 

The client was thrilled to see their new home completed with a front yard that finally matched its quality and value. It now looks established, usable, and consistent with the rest of the subdivision.

The Family’s Main Issue

This front yard in Cottonwood Heights, UT, featured a steep slope covered mostly in turf, making it difficult and costly to maintain. The homeowners felt the landscape did not complement their Southwestern-style home and required excessive water.

What We Did as their Landscape Designers 

Glover Nursery was brought in to design a landscape that worked with the slope rather than against it, while also aligning with the home’s architecture. And so our focus went on introducing materials that were water-wise, added structure, and visual interest. that felt natural to the setting.

• Removed most of the existing sod, keeping turf only in key activity areas near the home
• Installed meandering dry stream beds using cobble, rock, and boulders
• Created mounded areas to introduce elevation changes and visual depth
• Selected a Southwestern-inspired plant palette suited to local hardiness zones
• Designed a water-efficient drip irrigation system ideal for sloped terrain

The End Result

With the help of our residential landscape design services, the homeowners received a substantial reduction in their watering upkeep, along with a landscape that met their style and tastes. Plus, we reduced their maintenance hours on mowing their now beautiful yard!

Main Issues

A client from Salt Lake City approached us about renovating their front yard. They had recently moved in and wanted their yard to complement the home better while meeting HOA-approved landscaping requirements.

What We Did

A short on-site visit revealed that the front yard consisted mostly of exposed soil with minimal plantings. This made the property feel unfinished and uninviting, while also increasing the risk of water runoff and erosion. 

The two main priorities of the design were to improve curb appeal and stabilize the site, which led to the following solutions:

• The design team introduced large boulders and stone groupings to anchor the landscape and add visual structure. This also defined planting zones that framed the home and walkway
  
• Installed drought-tolerant shrubs, grasses, and perennials to provide texture and color
  
• Used gravel and mulch ground covers to reduce water use, control erosion, and suppress weeds

The End Result 

The once-bare front yard now feels complete, cohesive, and welcoming. The client now enjoys a polished, low-maintenance landscape that meets HOA guidelines while also enhancing the home’s curb appeal.

Main Issues

Our client in Draper, UT, owned a restaurant with an outdoor seating area that was noisy and uninviting along a busy street that also felt dated and in disrepair.  

Their typical clientele had many children, so they wanted to create a space that created a barrier to the street that was safe and blocked out traffic and noise. The client also requested that the plant material have a lot of colors and textures, but not have an excessive number of plants that attracted bees to avoid frightening the children.

What We Did

Although Glover Nursery is best known for designing residential landscapes, we also collaborate with local businesses to transform challenging outdoor spaces into welcoming, functional environments.

We focused on creating a buffer from the street while keeping the space family-friendly. Plant selection and layout were key to achieving this balance.

• We added plants with strong screening and sound-dampening qualities
• Selected plants were of varied colors and textures (while limiting bee attraction)
• Updated seating areas for improved function and flow

The End Result 

The restaurant gained a quieter, yet more inviting outdoor seating area. The updated landscape featured plants with lots of colors and textures that minimized bee attention as much as possible.

Main Issues

Our client, Rockpoint Apartment Homes, owned a large modern campus of over a dozen apartment buildings with a large pool and clubhouse. The project had many plantings around buildings, in common areas, and along streets that were dying or required a lot of upkeep to make them look appealing.

The client was losing a large quantity of shrubs every year, as well as expressing concern that they did not have enough winter interest, and the complex looked dead for over 6 months. The managers were fielding many complaints about the condition of the property and were concerned about losing renters. 

They wanted a more inviting space, and that’s what we set out to do.

What We Did

As their landscape designer, Glover Nursery looked over the complete complex, and we evaluated the site’s microclimate (sun, shade, high winds, high salts, etc.) to select plants that would thrive year-round. The goal was to reduce losses while improving visual appeal.

We then removed plants unsuitable for secondary water systems to reduce the need for frequent replacement and upkeep. 

After that, we replaced them with plants that have strong winter interest and year-round structure, particularly species favorable to the campus microclimate.

The End Result 

By the end of the project, the campus was updated with plants more appropriate to the site conditions. The plants also had more winter interest and year-round appeal. The maintenance went down considerably, and their renters commented on how the property was transformed into a more beautiful and inviting environment.

Main Issues

A family purchased an additional lot next to their home, but the space was entirely covered in turf that required heavy watering and ongoing maintenance. Making the lot water-wise was the top priority, while still creating a usable and attractive outdoor space.

What We Did

As their landscape designers, Glover Nursery focused on reducing water usage while increasing functionality. We proposed transforming the space into a park-like setting inspired by Utah’s natural terrain, which the family enthusiastically approved.

• Removed all existing turf to eliminate high water consumption
• Installed drought-tolerant plant material in key activity and gathering areas
• Added walking paths and defined gathering spaces for usability
• Used varied rock colors and textures to visually separate zones
• Created elevation changes to further reflect Northern Utah’s natural landscape in the design

The End Result 

This family significantly reduced their overall water usage while gaining a large, functional outdoor space with a natural, park-like feel. The recent makeover also attracted attention throughout West Valley, UT, and ultimately earned them the Landscape of the Year award – much to our delight!

Main Issues

A family in Millcreek, UT, reached out to Glover Nursery with a unique challenge: Mill Creek runs directly through their property, which significantly limited backyard usability and created safety and privacy concerns. The creek also introduced a sloping easement that left the yard exposed to the street.

What We Did

As their landscape designers, we collaborated closely with the homeowners and a custom homebuilder we regularly work with. Our goal was to transform the stream into a defining feature while improving safety, access, and privacy throughout the space.

• We added more retaining walls along the stream for better safety and access.
• Added bridges, pathways, and seating areas along the stream
• Provided mature plant material to block sightlines from the street and enhance privacy
• Blended the easement area into the rest of the yard for a more cohesive layout

The End Result 

Today, this family enjoys a significantly expanded and usable outdoor space where the creek serves as a central focal point. The yard has become a gathering place for family and neighbors to enjoy, and the property is now even used to host weddings and special events.