Design Wild is a collaborative landscape design firm working at the intersection of climate, people, and community well-being. We believe the relationship between humans and the natural world is essential for individual health, the strength of communities, natural ecosystems, and our way forward on earth. We work to inspiring peace & equity through the magic of plants by developing collective vision, fostering community and transforming open space.

Mood

Shanti Nagel

Principal/Founding Partner

Shanti Nagel, is the founder of Design Wild and she believes that the relationship between humans and the natural world is essential for individual health - both physical and spiritual - and the strength of communities, cities, and ecosystems. Shanti comes from a long line of social activism and approaches all her work through a lens of equity and justice. First growing up gardening as a child in upstate NY, Shanti later, instead of attending collage, founded an organic vegetable farm at the age of 20. After years in operation, she moved from rural agriculture to urban agriculture, managing one of New York City’s largest urban farms. Shanti is a graduate of the School of Professional Horticulture at the New York Botanical Garden, a trained horticulturist and skilled landscape designer. For the last decade, she has been dedicated to designing naturally wild and incredibly durable gardens in the heart of Manhattan for public space, community parks, affordable house and private residences. She is passionate about connecting people to the plant kingdom and involving the end user in all her designs. Above all else, Shanti believes that building lasting connections and peace through the transformative power of plants is our only way forward on earth.

Julia Leshin

Studio Manager/Founder

Julia is a horticulturalist and educator with two decades of experience in urban and estate garden management. As Design Wild’s studio manager, Julia is part of the design team, manages operations, and coordinates with clients, contractors and architects to steward projects through inception, installation and evolution in the years that follow. At the heart of this work is the belief that access to nature and healthy ecosystems are essential to human wellbeing.

Julia was raised on Cape Cod where she spent her early years in the scientific community Woods Hole, exploring the local woods, ponds and shores and learning about their unique ecology. After years of living and gardening in New York City she spent 10 years managing a private estate in Woods Hole and coordinating school gardening initiatives. Julia is a graduate of Skidmore College and the School for Professional Horticulture at the New York Botanical Garden and now resides in Western Massachusetts.