" What a stroke of good luck to connect with Roberta Walker for a landscape design to coordinate with our custom, eco-friendly efficient home. She was extraordinary to work with from the start to the finish."
Offering services in Sacramento and surrounding areas. Please Call To Book An Appointment (916) 485-4769
Whether you are starting from scratch, a plot of bare earth, or renovating an existing landscape, it all begins with the design.
Who We Are
We are a landscape design firm that creates lush, sustainable gardens that have low water needs & require very little maintenance; our designs are both habitat and people friendly.
What We Do
Creating a landscape design is a co-creation between our clients, the landscape and our design knowledge…we are great listeners.
Our Mission
Our mission is to create beautiful, sustainable landscapes. Guiding the process from start to finish.
This is our process; we translate your dreams and desires into a living landscape.
Kimberly Marshall
Kimberly Marshall has an education in Environmental Horticulture with a degree in Landscape Design and Nursery Practice. She worked for a wholesale production nursery where she learned a great deal about plant identification, growth habits, cultural requirements, etc. She stayed in this field for 6 ½ years before entering the Landscape Design field. After graduating in Landscape Design, Marshall came to work with Roberta Walker Landscape Design, which was over 20 years ago.
Laura Halpenny
Laura Halpenny has an education in Horticulture as well as a degree in Landscape Design Technology. She’s learned a great deal about landscape design techniques, plant identification, soils and sustainable landscaping. She interned with Roberta Walker throughout her studies. She has adopted Roberta’s strategy of landscape problem solving and creates low-water designs that provide a beautiful and functional oasis for homeowners’ yards. She works closely with clients and listens to design requests to meet their needs and goals. In her free time, she enjoys nature through trail hiking with her husband and dog throughout California.
Roberta Walker - Bio
A landscape designer from Northern California, Roberta Walker has been featured in Sunset magazine, Sacramento Magazine and Sacramento Home magazine. She has been in segments of HGTV’s “Gardening by the Yard” as well as the documentary “Becoming California.”
A designer for more than 20 years, she was the forerunner in Sacramento for developing Water-Wise Landscapes. She also served on the 2010-2016 design team for Sacramento’s Habitat for Humanity. During that period their new-build homes received the National Green Build Award for their energy- and water-efficient homes.
In 2025 Roberta is stepping back from working in the field. However, she will remain as a guide for her designers and the landscaping crews that Roberta Walker Landscape Design works with.
Our Services
When you would like to have a design drawn for your landscape, the first step is a consultation with one of our designers. A consultation is a 1-hour comprehensive meeting and conversation between you the clients, the designer and the yard that you are wanting to design. There is a fee for a consultation for the hour (see below). If you would like to go forward with a design, we will discount the consultation fee from the design fee if it’s within a 2-week period of the consultation.
At the time of the original consultation, we will look at your yard and listen to your thoughts about what you’d like in your yard. We will discuss the different elements that you are looking for: plants, dining area, vegetable garden, water feature, outdoor dining, children’s play area, etc. We will take note of the sun and shade exposures of your yard, the existing trees and foliage, any views of the neighbors, the grade (flat, raised, terraced, etc.) and any other details that will lend themselves to what is to come. We will also consider any existing problems such as drainage, rotting decks and retaining walls and faulty irrigation systems.
Landscape Design Fees
We consider each view a separate fee. For instance, the Front yard would be one fee (including the front sides) and the Back yard (including the back side yards), another. In some cases, side yards are very large and will require an additional fee. Large acreage lots and parcels will be considered according to the time and detail that will go into it. The total fee will be determined at the time of the consultation. Likewise, if one of your yards are much smaller, then we would adjust our prices accordingly.
Consultation Fees
Kimberly Marshall: $250 per hour
Laura Halpenny: $175 per hour
Design Fees
Kimberly Marshall: $$2,250.00 per view (see above for ‘per view’ explanation)
Laura Halpenny: $,1800.00 per view
A Preliminary workup is available for an additional $175.00 (per preliminary). This is when the clients choose to see the conception of their plan laid out but not completed.
*The difference in Kimberly and Laura’s fee reflects their years of experience in the field. Roberta Walker oversees the process as back-up if needed.
A deposit of 50% is taken for the design, and the balance is due upon plan completion. When the plan is complete, we will go over all the details, the plants, the lighting, the hard surfaces such as the rock, retaining walls, pools, outdoor kitchens, garden and anything else that is included in your plan. We will recommend landscape contractors for you to start getting bids (estimates for the installation of your new garden). If one of our recommended contractors are chosen for the job, then we will be there, at your home, to “stage,” or set the plants, and do a walk-through at the completion of the landscape. We are available throughout the process for information or support.
Consultations without a design are also available.