It happens without fail: the Bay Area gets a few sunny days in a row as winter gives way to spring, and the phone starts ringing off the hook with people who want “new landscaping in time for summer.”

The problem is, in landscaping time, summer is pretty much next week.

For a custom landscape design—a good one, anyhow—of any size and/or complexity, the design process will take months as the landscape architect gets to know their client, researches building and planning codes, develops and refines really good ideas, and drafts really good construction documents.

And that’s just the start. The installation process will take many months more as those construction documents are bid out and a contractor is selected and moves through the stages of their work from demolition to digging to plumbing to building to paving to planting to lighting — and that’s just for a simple job. What’s more, by the time the weather warms, the good contractors are booked solid anyhow, having been delayed all winter as our winter rains rendered the soil unworkable.

Unfortunately, no one wants to wait another summer to start living outdoors. So what's an impatient homeowner to do? Here in Silicon Valley, “I Want It Now” is the theme song for plenty of folks; so for them, a few suggestions:

• Throw money at it. There's no problem that can't be solved when you multiply your budget 4x. Hey, the markets have been on a roll lately, right?

• Lower your standards. So what if you really wanted a bluestone patio and cedar arbor? You can probably get a really good deal on a charming patio umbrella on craigslist.

• Call a dozen contractors. There's gotta be one that's not booked up. A license doesn’t really matter, right? (And to save time, be sure you don't call any of their references.)

• Book yourself on HGTV. Reality shows like “Landscape Smart” promise a complete transformation in 72 hours! (Spoiler alert: We’ve been on those shows. They’re not reality.)

• Do it yourself. Because you're really good at things like this.

For the rest of us, there’s really only one good answer:

• Start planning now for autumn. Contact a really good landscape architect now and commission a unique landscape design, to be installed in the fall. Your plans will be thoughtfully considered and bear few, if any, surprises. Your plants, installed in October or November, will appreciate the upcoming winter rains (and your irrigation budget will thank you, too). Your budget won't get raked by the laws of supply and demand. And in exchange for your patience and wisdom, you'll have an excellent new landscape, at an excellent price, less than a year from now.

It's not quite instant gratification. But it will be a result you can live with.