Artistry, stewardship,
personal connectioN
Beauty and
Functionality
Gardening is, for me, a way of life; it is an act of love and a deeply fulfilling pursuit. To build a garden is to create a home, a sanctuary - a space that offers comfort and resonates with its inhabitants and the surrounding environment.
Beauty and usability are my primary considerations when approaching a landscaping project. In a well-designed garden, one cannot exist without the other.
Tradition
I grew up with a philosophy of "organic, natural gardening" emphasizing the use of native plants and natural materials, but have embraced many of the traditions of European landscaping, with its medieval and Renaissance knot gardens, English landscapes, as well as the contemporary "New Perennial Movement." After all, pairing a wild array of perennials with the formal structure of boxwood can satisfy both our creative curiosity and our desire for order.
Taking Cues
Designing a garden requires attentiveness to the place as you find it, observation and understanding of a new landscape. Taking cues from plants, buildings, materials, topography and history, often helps develop clear and simple solutions. The traditionalist in me wants to incorporate old plants and existing structures , thus respecting and honoring that which came before me.
A Celebration
A garden should be a celebration of nature - a contribution to, not a burden on the environment. This involves respecting the local ecology—by creating habitats for native plants and wildlife and minimizing the use of pesticides and herbicides. The garden is a living, evolving space, and while human creativity and intervention are essential for its development, it is crucial to align our efforts with the natural world.
Relationships
Landscaping a yard means building a home in the truest sense of the word. Humans need to connect with nature regularly—the more, the better. I want a garden owner to be excited every morning to see what has changed since the day before. If I can help foster that relationship between my clients and their gardens, where I hope they will find goodness, beauty, and truth, I will consider that a success.
A garden is a grand teacher. It teaches patience and careful watchfulness; it teaches industry and thrift; above all it teaches entire trust.
— Gertrude Jekyll, British Garden Designer (1843-1932)