Ecological Resilience.

This garden was designed in close collaboration with the client, an avid gardener who loves spending time outdoors but was unsure how to shape the full potential of her space. Together, we developed a planting plan that blends native species with thoughtfully selected cultivars, creating a garden that is both ecologically supportive and visually abundant.

Because the property was heavily impacted by the saltwater flooding of the Hurricane Sandy, the existing soil was depleted and saline. To restore fertility and structure, we amended the beds with compost and fresh native soil before planting, creating a healthier foundation for long-term growth.

The project also extended beyond the main garden. A previously neglected hellstrip—once just dead grass—was transformed into a resilient planting of Coreopsis, Sedums, and ornamental grasses, bringing life and pollinator habitat to the street edge.

We also intentionally created space within the garden beds for the client to continue planting seasonal annual flowers, allowing her to stay actively involved in shaping and tending the garden year after year.

During planting, we were even visited by a praying mantis, which felt like a small nod of approval from the ecosystem itself.

These photographs capture the garden in its first year of establishment. We’re excited to watch it mature in the seasons ahead, as the plants settle in, expand, and begin to fully express the layered, flourishing landscape we envisioned together.