We feel a great sense of hope from the number of homeowners asking us to center native plants and considering the environmental impact of their landscapes. As more properties host ecologically rich plantings, the effect is exponential as wildlife string these friendly spaces together as “corridors” for food, habitat and migration. Our philosophy as a design firm centers on the premise that we can create gorgeous, ecologically rich landscapes without sacrificing excellence in design or horticulture. In fact, plants that belong to a region are more likely to thrive, to harmonize chromatically, and to seamlessly fit with the surrounding landscape.

When we design a landscape of any scale we are considering the existing regional characteristics, the plants that evolved there, and how we can work with, rather than against nature. While there is a native plant or cultivar for most heavy lifting, we often intersperse plants that evolved elsewhere to help fill a specific function or as a punctuation mark. Our design work is guided by these concepts:

Sense of Place: Plants, rocks, landforms and wildlife let us know where we are in the world.

Movement: Literal movement of grasses and foliage translate into human well being as well as movement of the eye across visually rich spaces.

Boundaries, Mystery and Cohesion: Slowing and directing movement, creating areas that feel anchored through plants and hardscape, and creating cohesion through repetition of stylistic themes.

Sensory-Rich Experience: Engaging all the senses through pattern and texture, sounds (birds, rustling foliage, water), and smell. A healthy landscape feeds all of the senses and excludes the interruptions of loud, smelly maintenance equipment as much as possible!

Navigation: Clear cues that show us how to move through the space.

Time: The best landscapes are not static but evolve and change through the seasons and over the years.