Garden Design & Planting in Dubai
From concept sketches to the last plant in the ground, we design gardens around Dubai's heat, with planting chosen to stay presentable through every season.
- Free site visit
- Fixed written quote
- We reply within 2 hours during working hours
Everything this service covers
Site survey and soil assessment
Scaled layout concepts and planting plans
Native and drought-tolerant plant selection
Shade structure and microclimate planning
Soil improvement, mulch and irrigation preparation
Handover with a written care guide
And what it does not cover
Scope gaps are where landscaping quotes turn into arguments. These items are genuinely outside this service, so you can price them properly rather than discover them halfway through.
- Authority and community fees. We prepare the NOC drawings and specifications for your application; Dubai Municipality, Trakhees or community review fees vary by community, are confirmed at application and are listed as a separate line on the itemised written quote.
- Structural work. Pool shells, boundary wall construction and anything requiring a structural engineer are separate scopes with their own specialists and their own quotes, so they are not priced inside a garden design.
- Maintenance after handover. New planting needs attention through its first year, and that runs as a separate agreement rather than being folded into the build price.
- Plant replacement after handover. Losses caused by a disconnected irrigation system or an unattended garden are not a design fault, so replacing those plants is quoted as new work.
The process, step by step
- 1
Consultation
We visit your property, discuss your vision, budget and timeline, and assess sun, shade and soil conditions.
- 2
Design
You receive a planting plan with species chosen for Dubai's climate and grouped by water need, so thirsty plants share a zone.
- 3
Installation
Beds are prepared, irrigation points installed and everything planted to the specification in your written quote.
- 4
Aftercare
Optional maintenance, quoted separately, looks after the garden through its first year while the planting establishes.
Choose the right spec for your plot
| Option | Best for | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Desert palette | Lowest water use, full-sun plots | Bougainvillea, desert rose, agave, ornamental grasses and date palms. These species are adapted to hot, dry conditions and, once established on drip irrigation, need the least water and attention of the three styles. |
| Tropical look | Shaded courtyards and pool areas | Frangipani, hibiscus, heliconia and lush ground covers. Higher water demand, so plan them on their own irrigation zone with afternoon shade. |
| Formal clipped | Entrances and modern villas | Clipped ficus hedges, topiary balls and structured beds. Crisp year-round, but they need regular trimming, which can be included in a garden maintenance agreement. |
Designed for Dubai, not copied from a catalogue
Dubai's native soil is sandy and alkaline, and coastal plots can carry salts. A good design starts with a soil assessment, and the specification then states where sweet soil and organic compost go as a base layer so roots establish faster. Your written quote lists those materials and quantities.
Planting windows matter here. October to March is the main planting season for most species, although early October can still be hot and new planting needs careful watering until it cools. April and May are shoulder months that can work for hardened stock with careful watering, and the peak summer months are best avoided. A sound programme is built around that calendar, not the other way round.
In Emaar Community Management communities such as Arabian Ranches, Emaar's 2022 home modifications fact sheet lists landscaping among the modifications that need an NOC, so treat new planting schemes, turf, artificial grass and paving as needing one. The sheet names regular maintenance as work that does not, and like-for-like replacement generally does not either, though that is our guidance rather than the sheet's; contractors need an entry permit regardless. Other master developers, including Nakheel, set their own rules, so confirm yours with the community office. We prepare the NOC drawings and specifications your application needs, including layout drawings and plant lists.
What moves the price
No two Dubai plots are the same, so we never quote blind. These are the four things that genuinely change the number on your quote.
Garden size and design scope
A courtyard refresh and a full estate redesign are different projects. Area, the number of planting beds and how much of the plot is reshaped set the base scope.
Plant size and variety
Mature specimen trees and palms cost far more than young stock, and rarer species cost more than hardy standards. The planting plan states sizes so quotes can be compared like for like.
Soil and ground preparation
Sandy or saline ground may need imported soil, compost and drainage correction before planting. Whatever the site visit finds is shown as its own line on the quote.
Irrigation and approvals
New beds usually need new irrigation zones. Some communities also need an NOC, and we prepare the NOC drawings and specifications your application needs. Authority fees appear as separate lines on the quote.
Every quote is fixed, itemised and in writing, with materials and quantities listed. It states what is included and what is excluded, and authority and engineer fees appear as separate lines, so you can compare it line by line with any other quote.
Want the full picture before we visit? See how our pricing works.
Garden Design across Dubai
Communities where this service is a particularly good fit. We cover the whole emirate, so ask us about yours.
Not sure we cover your community? See every Dubai area we work in.
Garden Design: your questions answered
How long does a garden design project take in Dubai?
Which plants work best in Dubai gardens?
Who applies for community approval, and what do you prepare?
What does garden design and planting cost in Dubai?
Will a new garden increase my water bill?
Something else on your mind? Call +971 56 950 6394 or send a WhatsApp. We reply within 2 hours during working hours.
Before you decide
Practical guides to Dubai conditions that go deeper than a service page sensibly can.
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What to plant in October in Dubai: a month-by-month guide to March
What to plant in October in Dubai, plus a month-by-month guide to the October to March planting window, with herbs, flowers, vegetables, trees and shrubs.
Read why October opens the Dubai planting season, and what to plant -
Best plants for a Dubai garden
A guide to the best plants for a Dubai garden: heat-tolerant trees, shrubs and succulents, with advice on soil, irrigation water, pools, paving and planting time.
Read heat-tolerant trees, shrubs and screening plants for a Dubai garden -
How to choose a landscaping company in Dubai: what to check before you sign
How to choose a landscaping company in Dubai: check the trade licence, how each firm approaches NOC drawings, itemised quotes and irrigation know-how, and weigh the risks of freelancers.
Read what to check and ask before you sign a landscaping contract
Related services
A garden project often calls for more than one service, so these are the ones that pair well with this one.
