Portfolio
Entrance Reimagined
Pennington, NJ
Setting
The side entrance was the main point of arrival, but once the beds were cleared and the concrete planters were moved, the entry was left exposed and visually thin. From the street and driveway, the door is easy to see, but the landscape did not guide the approach or give the entry a clear presence.
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Reframe the side entry as the primary arrival with clearer bed lines and layered planting. Taller massing establishes enclosure near the patio, while lower drifts define the walk and reinforce the approach without competing with the architecture.
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Evergreen structure and fine texture do the heavy lifting. Inkberry holly (Ilex glabra) anchors the screening, switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) adds vertical rhythm, and Pennsylvania sedge (Carex pensylvanica) knits the ground plane to reduce exposed mulch and stabilize the edge.
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The entry now reads as intentional and primary. Movement to the door is clear, and the planting holds structure in winter while gaining cohesion as the ground layer fills in.
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process
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Focus areas
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Existing conditions
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Technical planting plan
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Technical planting plan
Reimagined Entrance Hopewell, NJ
Existing Conditions
A long retaining wall and mature evergreens shaped the entry, but the planting had grown in too tight. Views to the front door were blocked and the walk felt pinched. The shift from street to walk to door was not clear, so the space read like a pass-through instead of an arrival.
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The goal was to make the approach easy to read while keeping the wall and the existing structure. Selective thinning reopened sightlines and brought the columns back into focus. Planting was then reorganized into simple layers that frame the entry and make the sequence from sidewalk to front door feel clear and intentional.
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Evergreen structure holds the wall line year-round. Ferns and shade-tolerant groundcovers fill the base layer, reduce exposed mulch, and soften the grade change. Christmas fern (Polystichum acrostichoides) carries the woodland feel and adds winter presence without competing with the architecture.
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The entrance now feels clear and intentional. From the street, the approach is easy to read and the movement is natural. The planting gives the entry definition and character with simple structure and texture, without competing with the wall and column rhythm.
A spring ‘26 patio layout will be a future outcome.
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process
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Existing conditions
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Existing conditions
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Technical planting plan
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Entry focus area
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Patio layout study
Comprehensive Plan
Princeton, NJ
Existing Conditions
Open lawn, a woodland edge, and a creek corridor shape the site, but the landscape lacked a clear framework. Mown turf ran right up to the natural areas with no transition, and planting showed up as a few isolated pockets. Differences in moisture and light, along with deer pressure, led to inconsistent results across the property.
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Create a clear framework so the garden, meadow, and woodland read as one connected landscape. The creek becomes the organizing spine, with definition coming from stronger edges, planted masses, and aligned views, not more hardscape.
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Planting is tied directly to moisture and sun. Along the creek, moisture-tolerant plants stabilize the edge, with cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis) used in clear drifts to mark the waterline. In the drier upland areas, layered native shrubs, grasses, and perennials are planted in repeatable masses to reduce lawn and improve long-term performance.
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The property now reads as connected and legible. Transitions are gradual, the creek defines the landscape rather than dividing it, and the framework allows future phases to extend without disrupting cohesion.
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Existing conditions
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Aerial overlay
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Digital rendering
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Concept diagram
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Technical planting plan
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Technical planting plan
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Technical planting plan
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Installation collaboration with Action Lawn and Landscape
Front Entry Reset
Pennington, NJ
Existing Conditions
Foundation shrubs had grown into an uneven mass, obscuring the entry and weakening the relationship between house, walk, and lawn. The porch was less visible from the street, and the planting edge no longer provided a clear arrival structure.
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The goal was to clarify the entry sequence with one continuous bed that reshapes the front lawn edge and frames the porch approach. Selective removals reopened sightlines and restored a clean structure. The bed line was refined to guide movement and give the front elevation a calmer foreground.
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Layered shrubs and perennials were organized in repeating masses to create year-round form with controlled seasonal change. Evergreen junipers (Juniperus horizontalis) define the ground plane, while turtlehead (Chelone glabra), beardtongue (Penstemon calycosus), and columbine (Aquilegia canadensis ‘Little Lanterns’) add bloom, texture, and pollinator value. Simplified groupings improve durability and make maintenance more straightforward as the planting matures.
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The entry now reads as intentional and legible from the street. The approach is clearer, the lawn edge is defined, and the planting reinforces the porch as the focal point while building long-term cohesion.
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Existing conditions
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Technical planting plan
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Existing conditions
Design + Build
Blue Bell, PA
Existing Conditions
An existing stone patio created the grade change to the yard, and the surrounding edge was dominated by English ivy and other invasive plants. The site was primed for color and native plants and overall needed an upgraded visual aesthetic.
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Design Focus
The goal was to upgrade the visual aesthetic and create a clear, intentional transition from the patio to the yard. I designed and built the tiered planting and the dry-laid stone wall to resolve the grade change. Invasive plants were removed, and the planting was organized to provide structure, seasonal interest, and a cohesive flow that ties the entrance and patio into the overall landscape. -
Description Planting Framework
The planting framework centers on year-round structure and ecological function. Inkberry (Ilex glabra) anchors the tiered beds, providing evergreen form. Self-heal (Prunella vulgaris) knits the ground plane as a native, resilient groundcover. Layered shrubs and perennials round out the palette, offering seasonal interest and defining focal points throughout the space.text goes here -
DescripPlanting Framework
The planting framework centers on year-round structure and ecological function. Inkberry (Ilex glabra) anchors the tiered beds, providing evergreen form. Self-heal (Prunella vulgaris) knits the ground plane as a native, resilient groundcover. Layered shrubs and perennials round out the palette, offering seasonal interest and defining focal points throughout the space.tion text goes here
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Existing conditions
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Concept diagram
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Site preparation
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Concept diagram
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Digital rendering
Foundation Refresh +
Patio Garden
Pennington, NJ
Existing Conditions
The front foundation beds had become uneven and tired, with little seasonal structure. In the back, a new patio created a destination, but surrounding beds were dominated by overgrown shrubs and leftover planting zones that did not support circulation, views, or use.
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Refresh the entry with a clean, native-forward foundation composition. Reset the patio setting by thinning overgrowth, opening sightlines, and rebuilding planting layers from the house outward. Add an aromatic shrub garden near the patio to bring fragrance and a walk-by experience.
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Refresh the entry with a clean, native-forward foundation composition. Reset the patio setting by thinning overgrowth, opening sightlines, and rebuilding planting layers from the house outward. Add an aromatic shrub garden near the patio to bring fragrance and a walk-by experience.
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The landscape now reads as cohesive from entry to patio. The front feels current and structured, and the back is calmer and more purposeful, with a defined garden setting and a memorable aromatic layer.
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Existing conditions
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Existing conditions
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Technical planting plan
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Installation notes
Woodland Edge
Lambertville, NJ
Existing Conditions
The site sits at the transition between lawn and mature woodland canopy, but the edge was thin and abrupt. Understory layering was limited, with patches of exposed soil and planting that lacked continuity. The boundary read as a hard line instead of a gradual shift.
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Build a true woodland edge using ground-layer planting only. The goal was rhythm and depth without shrubs, relying on repeated sweeps of perennials and ferns to form a continuous understory. The edge was treated as a gradient, with density increasing toward the canopy and thinning outward to meet the lawn more softly.
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Planting is organized in broad drifts to knit the ground plane, stabilize soil, and establish consistent woodland texture. Repetition and massing replace isolated specimens to avoid a collected look and reinforce long runs of planting. Pennsylvania sedge (Carex pensylvanica) anchors the matrix, with ferns and shade-tolerant perennials layered through it for seasonal pulse and habitat value.
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The woodland edge now reads as intentional and immersive. The planting moves in continuous sweeps rather than scattered pockets, creating a calmer transition from lawn to woodland. As the ground layer fills in, the edge will continue to strengthen while maintaining a natural, restrained character.
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Existing conditions
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Planting plan
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Plant palette
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Installation collaboration with Action Lawn & Landscape
Woodland Garden
Lawrenceville, NJ
Existing Conditions
Lawn ran tight to a fence line beneath mature canopy. The perimeter bed was thin and inconsistent, with scattered ornamentals and open mulch, so the transition to woodland felt abrupt.
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Strengthen the edge with a shade-tolerant, native-forward palette and a clearer bed line. The curve was refined to define the lawn, then planting was massed in repeats for rhythm and continuity.
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Evergreen structure holds the fence line, ferns build a consistent understory texture, and sedges knit the ground plane to reduce exposed mulch. Pennsylvania sedge (Carex pensylvanica) anchors the matrix for long-term spread.
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The perimeter now reads as intentional and framed. Repetition gives the edge depth, and the garden will become more immersive as the ground layer fills in.
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Concept diagram
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Plan excerpt
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Planting plan
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Installation collaboration with Action Lawn & Landscape
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Exisiting Conditions
