Designed for your yard, planted to last
Good garden design in St. Louis starts with what the property already has: the light, the clay, the mature trees. We design around it, choose plants that belong here, and install them properly.
Six kinds of gardens we design and plant
Each garden is custom to your preference, but here is some inspiration to begin. We'll help you find the mix that suits your style.
Cottage and English-style
Loose, layered beds of roses, catmint, and foxglove that look better every June.
Pollinator, wildlife, and native
Coneflower, milkweed, and little bluestem that feed bees and birds and shrug off a Missouri August.
Water and pond gardens
A pond or still basin edged in stone and bog plants, with the sound of moving water.
Formal and structured
Clipped boxwood, symmetry, and a clear line from the house. Calm in every season.
Modern and contemporary
Clean lines, massed grasses, and a restrained palette set against stone and steel.
Shade and woodland
Hellebores, ferns, and hydrangea under mature oaks, where the lawn has given up.
Garden projects we've built
Plant and tree installation, done by our own crews
A garden is only as good as the day it goes in the ground. For plant and tree installation in St. Louis, that means amending heavy clay, setting every root flare at grade, and watering in before the crew leaves. We source from growers we know and check every plant before it's set.
Specimen and shade trees
Oaks, maples, and other large trees placed for shade and scale, set at the right depth.
Ornamental trees
Redbud, dogwood, and Japanese maple chosen for bloom, bark, and fall color.
Evergreen screening
Arborvitae, holly, and spruce in staggered rows for year-round privacy.
Shrubs and foundation plantings
Layered shrubs that soften the house, sized so they won't cover the windows in five years.
Perennial beds
Planned for bloom from April through October, with structure that holds up in winter.
Seasonal annuals
Color in beds and containers, changed out each season.
When to plant in St. Louis
We plant most of the year. Timing decides how fast a garden settles in, so we match each plant to its window.
Spring (Mid-March to May)
Perennials, shrubs, and ornamental trees go in once the ground can be worked. Cool-season annuals follow the last frost.
Summer (June to August)
Summer annuals and container plantings. We hold most large trees until the heat breaks, unless irrigation is in place.
Fall (September to mid-November)
The best window for trees and shrubs. Roots keep growing in warm soil while the tops rest, so plants start spring ahead.
Winter (December to February)
Design season. We draw plans, source plants, and hold spring install dates while the garden is dormant.
Our garden design process
You tell us what you like. We handle everything from the soil test to the last plant.
Discovery and style
We meet at the property, talk through how you use the yard, and look at gardens you like.
Light and soil
We map sun and shade through the day and test the soil before choosing a single plant.
Concept and plant palette
A drawn plan with every plant named, so you can see the garden before it's planted.
Installation
Our own gardeners prepare the beds, set every plant, mulch, and water it in.
Seasonal care
Optional ongoing care and seasonal updates, from the crew who planted it.
The same crew keeps it looking the way it was designed
A new garden needs the most attention in its first two years. That means watering through the first summer, then pruning, deadheading, and dividing as it fills in.
Garden & Estate Management care means helping to maintain your garden on a consistent schedule.
Often done alongside a new garden
Irrigation maintenance
Watering set for new plantings, checked every season.
See irrigation maintenance →
Let's plan your garden
An hour on site with a designer. We'll talk through light, style, and budget, and you'll leave with a clear next step.