Case study · Oakhurst · Decatur, GA
Backyard transformation — 1/3 acre in Decatur
Full backyard rebuild · 14,000 sqft lot · 9 weeks
Case study · Oakhurst · Decatur, GA
Full backyard rebuild · 14,000 sqft lot · 9 weeks
Before
After1925 craftsman in Oakhurst with a 14,000 sqft backyard that had been a struggling seeded-Bermuda lawn for fifteen years. Heavy shade from two protected oaks meant the lawn never thrived, drainage from the back of the house pooled at the patio door, and the family had effectively stopped using the back of the property. Two failed previous landscaper attempts left compacted soil and a layer of cheap mulch hiding old construction debris.
We started with drainage — a french drain along the back foundation pulling water to a dry well at the property edge. Air-spade work mapped the critical root zones of both oaks so we could route hardscape around them. The lawn came out completely; we replaced 8" of soil with leaf-compost amendment and PermaTill. The patio is 480 sqft of Belgard Mega-Arbel with a 14-LF seat wall threaded between the oaks. Native pollinator beds wrap the perimeter with a 4-zone drip irrigation system.
Oakleaf hydrangea
Hydrangea quercifolia
Native azalea
Rhododendron canescens
Christmas fern
Polystichum acrostichoides
Wild ginger
Asarum canadense
Sweetshrub
Calycanthus floridus
Coral honeysuckle
Lonicera sempervirens
Foamflower
Tiarella cordifolia
Eastern redbud
Cercis canadensis
Design phase
Site walk, measure, photograph, soil test. Two design rounds with client. Final scaled drawing + 3D render of the patio area, plus drainage plan stamped by our drainage sub.
Demolition + drainage
Old lawn removed, debris hauled, french drain trenched along foundation, dry well installed at property edge, 8" of bed soil replaced. Air-spade root mapping completed on both oaks.
Hardscape build
Engineered base (8" #57 + 1" sand), Belgard pavers laid, seat wall built, fire-pit pad poured. Patio routed around critical root zones — no roots cut larger than 2".
Plantings + finish
Plant install (43 plants across 8 species), drip irrigation tie-in, FX lighting design walked at dusk, mulch finish, walkthrough with client.
Outcome
Family used the patio four nights a week through the first summer. Lawn-area maintenance dropped to twice-monthly visits from weekly mow + monthly weed control. Both protected oaks tested healthier at year-one arborist follow-up than they had at install — the new bed soil + reduced foot traffic relieved years of compaction.
Our process
One company. Three phases. Same designer at consult, same crew at install, same office calling to schedule the next mow. That’s how a yard you spent fifty thousand dollars on still looks like new five years later.
Design — on paper before a shovel goes in the ground
Free 90-minute consult on site. We listen, measure, photograph, then draft a scaled landscape plan with 3D renderings of the major hardscape. You see the patio before we pour the base.
Build — ICPI-certified, owner-supervised, one crew
Same five-person crew on every project, led by Marcus. Engineered base for every paver. No sub-contractors except licensed electrical and plumbing. Daily site cleanup, project manager on speed dial.
Maintain — the same people who built it keep it
Optional monthly plans starting at $120/mo. Whoever maintains your yard is the same person who designed the beds. Plant warranty extends through the first full year on a Greenline plan.
Homeowner voices
We don’t buy reviews and we don’t buy leads. These are Atlanta-metro homeowners whose yards we’ve put hands on in the last 90 days. Full Google reviews linked from each.
We had three landscapers quote our Buckhead backyard. Greenline was the only one who showed up with a sketchbook and asked what we actually wanted to *do* in the space. Three weeks later we have an outdoor room we use four nights a week.
Caroline & David M.
Marcus designed our front yard in 2017 and Renee has maintained it since 2019. The yard still looks like the day it was installed — actually better, because the maples have filled in. That kind of continuity is hard to find.
Sandeep V.
Belgard paver patio and outdoor kitchen in Alpharetta. They pulled permits, coordinated electrical and gas, and finished on the day they said. The cost was the cost. No change orders, no surprises. We're getting a pool next year — Greenline gets the call.
Ashley R.
Free design consult
Ninety-minute on-site visit with our lead designer, scaled plan delivered within a week, no obligation. We bring the sketchbook and the tape measure — you bring your wish list.
(404) 555-0152
