ABOUT
Curiosity, study, listening.
The work began with plants, in the wholesale nursery trade, and expanded into construction, materials and architecture. Design comes through observation, mimicry, trial and subtraction.
Every site is different. We pay attention to what is already there: architecture, existing trees, light, grade, materials and how people use a place. Then we start building a garden.
i took a lot of the pictures on this site along the way
PATRICK
We start with the house and the site. There isn’t really a City Garden style. We’ve designed a ruins garden, a rooftop kitchen, a pool on top of Lookout Mountain and drainage systems complicated enough to become part of the design.
We build what we design. I design the work, manage it through construction, and still build some of it myself. Difficult sites are often the most interesting. The finished garden shouldn't look like the design problem was difficult.
Old brick, weathered granite and boulders are favorites. So are concrete, steel, wood and modern pavers. We look for better materials and better ways to use them.
A garden can be very precise and modern or look like it has been there for a hundred years. Either way, what matters is how it feels to be there.
Working with talented builders and craftspeople has taught me a lot. But one of the most important things I’ve learned is that good clients make better gardens.
We design and build gardens in Atlanta, Athens and around Georgia.