Landscape design
The garden should be
part of the plan from day one.
Most landscape work in Costa Rica happens after the house is finished. That is the wrong order. When the garden is designed alongside the home, everything connects properly: drainage goes where the garden needs it, the pool deck and planting areas integrate, and the outdoor spaces feel like they belong.
We offer landscape design and installation across all 7 provinces. Native plants, automated irrigation, terrain work, and outdoor structures. Done once, done properly.
Why it matters
Integrated with Viva Turnkey and pool construction. Ask about bundling all three.
Designed with the house
Drainage, orientation, wall placement, and window positions affect the garden. When we design both, we get these right from the start.
Built with the pool
The pool deck, coping, surrounding privacy planting, path lighting, and connection to the house are all landscape scope. One team, one project.
Handed over together
You get the keys to a finished home with a planted garden and working irrigation on the same day. Not six months later.
What is included
Full scope. Nothing left as your problem.
Landscape design plan
A drawn plan showing plant placement, hardscape layout, paths, lighting positions, and irrigation zones. Not a generic template. A plan that fits your specific lot and property.
Soil analysis and preparation
We test the soil before planting and amend it to match what you are growing. Organic matter, drainage correction, and pH adjustment where needed. Good soil is the most important investment in the garden.
Plant sourcing and installation
We source plants from qualified nurseries, selecting healthy specimens in the right sizes. Installation includes proper spacing, depth, mulching, and staking.
Hardscape elements
Paths, terracing, retaining walls, pool decking, pergolas, and raised beds are part of the landscape scope. We integrate them with the planting so everything looks intentional.
Irrigation system
Drip, sprinkler, or smart controller depending on the garden type and your situation. Installed, tested, and programmed before handover.
Outdoor lighting
Path lighting, accent uplighting for trees, and safety lighting around steps and pools. LED low-voltage and solar options available.
Every project is quoted as a complete scope. No surprise add-ons after we start.
Request a quoteGarden styles
Five approaches. All designed for Costa Rica.
The right style depends on your property, how much you will be there, and what you want the space to feel like. These are the approaches we work with most often.
Plant palette
Coastal Tropical
Coastal gardens in Costa Rica deal with salt spray, intense dry seasons, and occasional strong winds. The plants and design need to handle all of that without constant intervention. We work with species that are adapted to these conditions from the ground up: deep-rooted palms, salt-tolerant ground covers, and flowering trees that bloom at the start of the rainy season.
Guanacaste tree
Enterolobium cyclocarpum
Shade canopy, national tree, iconic form
Corteza amarilla
Tabebuia ochracea
Spectacular yellow flowering at dry season end
Roble de sabana
Tabebuia rosea
Pink trumpet flowers, great coastal shade tree
Frangipani
Plumeria rubra
Fragrant, salt-tolerant, low maintenance
Bougainvillea
Bougainvillea spp.
Drought-tolerant color, borders and walls
Royal palm
Roystonea regia
Architectural presence, pools and entries
Design features
Style
Coastal Tropical
"Built for salt air, wind, and full sun."
Guanacaste · Puntarenas · Limon
Also consider
Soil and terrain
Good gardens start below the surface.
Costa Rica has dramatically different soils across its regions. Coastal Guanacaste has sandy, low-nutrient soils that drain fast. The Central Valley has rich volcanic loam. Pacific hillsides often have compacted lateritic red clay that cracks in the dry season. The Caribbean coast has deep alluvial soil that can waterlog in heavy rain. We assess the soil before we plant anything.
Terrain work is part of every landscape project: terracing on slopes to create flat planting areas, drainage channels to direct water where you want it, and retaining walls that hold the grade while the roots establish.
Coastal flat
Dry season and salt spraySoil: Sandy, low organic matter, fast-draining
Our approach: Deep organic amendment, coconut fiber mulch, salt-tolerant species only
Highland slope
Erosion and steep gradesSoil: Volcanic clay-loam, nutrient-rich, slightly acidic
Our approach: Terracing for flat planting areas, drainage channels, anti-erosion ground covers
Valley flat
Waterlogging and humiditySoil: Deep alluvial, good fertility, can waterlog in rainy season
Our approach: Drainage improvement, raised beds for vegetable areas, organic mulching
Pacific hillside
Compaction and dry season crackingSoil: Lateritic red clay, poor drainage, nutrient-poor once cleared
Our approach: Terracing, biochar amendment, pioneer species before permanent planting
Soil preparation steps
Site assessment
We walk the full property, note sun patterns, existing drainage, shade from structures, and any existing vegetation worth keeping.
Soil testing
Basic pH, nutrient level, and drainage test before any planting begins. The test determines what amendments go in.
Terrain correction
Grading, terracing, or retaining wall construction where the grade needs adjustment. Drainage channels installed to direct water flow.
Organic amendment
Compost, biochar, or coconut fiber worked into the top 12 inches (30 cm) of planting areas. We use local organic sources where possible.
Mulching
3 to 4 inch (8 to 10 cm) mulch layer over all planting beds. Suppresses weeds, retains moisture, and improves soil biology as it breaks down.
Planting and staking
Plants go in at the correct depth and spacing, staked against wind where needed, and watered in with a diluted root stimulant.
Irrigation systems
Water where it needs to go. Nothing more.
The dry season in Guanacaste lasts four to five months. Without irrigation, most gardens fail. We design irrigation as part of the landscape scope from the beginning, not as an add-on after the plants are already stressed.
Drip Irrigation
Water delivered directly to the root zone of each plant. No overspray, no evaporation, no waste. The most water-efficient system and the one we recommend for most Costa Rica residential gardens, especially where the dry season is pronounced.
Advantages
- +Up to 60% less water than sprinklers
- +No leaf wetness, reduces fungal disease
- +Works on slopes without runoff
- +Easy to expand as the garden grows
Considerations
- -Does not cover lawn areas effectively
- -Emitters need occasional cleaning
- -Tubing requires anchoring against wind
Best for
Planting beds, fruit trees, hedges, and any area where you want precise water delivery.
Can be combined
Most properties use drip for beds and sprinklers for lawn areas, all controlled by a smart timer. Systems are designed by zone so each area gets the right amount of water.
For absentee owners
A smart controller with a rain sensor and app access is non-negotiable if you are not in Costa Rica full-time. Your plants do not know you are traveling.
Outdoor structures
The spaces between the walls.
Outdoor living in Costa Rica happens outside the walls as much as inside them. Pergolas, shade structures, paths, raised beds, and lighting all fall under the landscape scope.
Pergolas and shade structures
Steel, wood, or bamboo frames with shade cloth, polycarbonate, or living roofs of climbing plants. Sized for outdoor dining or lounge areas.
Paths and stepping stones
Concrete, natural stone, large-format pavers, or gravel with stepping stones. Design balances aesthetics with drainage and slip resistance.
Retaining and garden walls
Stone, concrete block, or gabion walls that hold grade, create planting terraces, and define spaces. Engineered for the slope.
Raised beds and planters
For edible gardens, herbs, and flowering displays. Built in concrete, stone, or hardwood depending on style and location.
Outdoor kitchen areas
Countertop, sink, grill, and storage built into the landscape. Designed to connect to the pool and covered terrace areas.
Lighting
Path lights, accent uplighting for specimen trees, string lights for social areas, and pool-edge lighting. LED low-voltage and solar options available.
Maintenance programs
The garden three years in should look better than day one.
A good tropical garden matures and fills in over time. Maintenance is what makes that happen well rather than chaotically. We offer ongoing maintenance programs for all gardens we design and install, and for existing gardens on a case-by-case basis.
Our programs are designed for absentee owners specifically. Monthly reports with photos, irrigation checks, pruning, fertilizing on schedule, and pest management. You should not need to worry about your garden between visits.
Monthly program
Full visit once a month. Pruning, irrigation check, fertilizing, pest assessment, and photo report sent to you.
Quarterly deep
Comprehensive quarterly visit with soil testing, major pruning, plant replacement if needed, and full system service.
Rainy season prep
May visit to prepare the garden for the wet season: erosion control, drainage clearing, and disease prevention treatments.
Dry season check
December visit to adjust irrigation, prune drought-stressed growth, and mulch beds before the dry months begin.
What we handle so you do not have to
Works best together
Viva Turnkey
Landscape designed with the home
From Share tier upward, the outdoor spaces are part of the Viva project scope. Same team, same timeline, same handover date.
Learn about Viva →Pool construction
Pool deck and surroundings as landscape
The deck, coping, privacy planting, path lighting, and drainage around the pool are all part of the landscape scope. One team, one project.
See pool construction →Bundle all three
Home, pool, and landscape together
When all three are in the same quote, we coordinate timelines, materials, and budget as one project. No gaps between contractors, no coordination headaches.
Request a combined quote →Common questions
What people ask about landscape design in Costa Rica.
Start your landscape project
Tell us about the property
and how you plan to use it.
Whether you are building from scratch and want the landscape to be part of the project, or you have an existing property that needs a proper garden, reach out and we will assess the site and tell you what is possible and what it costs.