I received a Master’s of Science in Landscape Design from Columbia University in 2007.
In 2008, I started my first landscape design project in the Catskill Mountains, in Allaben, New York. This design project evolved into me installing the garden — terraces of lavender, raspberries and summer sweet, sweeps of dayllies and allium and a grove of peach trees — with the help of my best friend. Since then I have designed, and — with the help of a small dedicated team — installed and managed large and small gardens and landscapes in the Catskill Mountains.
Each project begins with a client meeting and dialogue where priorities and budget are identified. My landscape plans are scaled and hand-drafted, the result of rigorous site inventory and analysis.
Over the years my design priorities have shifted to embrace an ecological approach to garden design, taking into account native plants, pollinators, insects, birds and small mammals. Plants, animals and humans work together to create stability, balance and resilience in an ecological garden, often minimizing the need for costly inputs of materials and labor. Very importantly, gardens with ecology as inspiration and native plants as the foundation are beautiful and biodiverse.
Currently, some of my Garden Heroes are: Edwina von Gal, Larry Weaner of Larry Weaner and Associates, Piet Oudolf, Rick Darke, Doug Tallamy, Diane and Francis from Catskill Native Nursery and Mel Bellar of Zone 4 Landscapes in Andes.