David Cristiani – El Paso, TX
David Cristiani, author of the blog It’s a Dry Heat. David has over 20 years of experience designing outdoor environments in the Southwest. His projects include a variety of resource-conservative commercial, institutional, and residential designs. David has merged the practice of landscape design with his knowledge of climate and the study of arid-region plant geography and species composition. This unique insight has proved valuable for both site-specific design work and for assisting regional growers, by collecting seed and cuttings for large-scale production of promising high desert plant introductions.
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Debbie Roberts – Stamford, CT
A lifelong love of digging in the dirt eventually lead Debbie Roberts to a career as a professional landscape designer. Debbie is the owner of Roberts & Roberts Landscape and Garden Design, where she specializes in designing low-resource sustainable gardens to complement each client’s unique lifestyle. Her own garden, located in southwestern Connecticut, is used to test and trial plants and gain as much hands-on experience as possible so she can pass it along as a garden coach and in the garden design classes she teaches.
Debbie is a founding member of the Connecticut chapter of the Association of Professional Landscape Designers. Her articles about gardening and landscape design have appeared in a variety of regional magazines and newspapers. Debbie shares her thoughts on gardening and design at A Garden of Possibilities.
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Douglas Owens-Pike – Minneapolis, MN
Following his MS degree in plant ecology at the University of Washington, Douglas Owens-Pike looked around, could find little evidence of landscapes designed for the health of our planet, and founded EnergyScapes in 1989. We plan, transform and nurture landscapes for beauty and sustainability. Doug writes about and teaches these principles in forums including: MN Landscape Arboretum, MN DNR, MN State Hort Soc, Friends of the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden, and the Association of Professional Landscape Designers.
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Jenny Peterson – Austin, TX
Jenny Peterson is the owner of J. Peterson Garden Design inAustin, Texas, a design-and-build company specializing in small space landscaping—patios & balconies, terraces, container gardening and smaller urban and suburban settings. JPGD is committed to organic methods and the practice of xeriscaping to conserve water.
In addition to landscape design, Jenny writes for her blog, jpetersongardendesign as well as for various lifestyle websites.
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Jocelyn Chilvers – Denver, CO
Jocelyn Chilvers is a professional garden designer with a passion for creating beautiful landscapes that are lifestyle friendly and Colorado “green.” A graduate of Colorado State University’s landscape horticulture/design program, Chilvers has over 25 years of experience helping clients in the Denver area enhance their outdoor environments. She also lectures and teaches a range of design related classes at Denver Botanic Gardens, ProGreen Expo, and garden centers throughout the region. Her work has been featured in numerous regional publications as well as Sunset’s Backyard Makeovers. Chilvers enjoys sharing her vision of the world of plants and garden design through her blog, The Art Garden.
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Lesley Hegarty – Bristol, Avon, UK
After studying modern languages at university, careers in the Royal Navy and stock broking in the City of London, Lesley Hegarty’s interest in plants and design was ignited by taking on a rather unruly and very challenging garden full of potential and a great training ground for all things horticultural.
A Royal Horticultural Society Diploma in Horticulture and formal garden design training at the prestigious Pickard School followed and culminated in Lesley teaming up with Robert Webber to form The Hegarty Webber Partnership. Together they design a wide variety of gardens from country estates to city courtyards.
After advising clients on investment in stocks and shares, Lesley is finding much greater satisfaction in inspiring clients to realize the real joy and ‘guaranteed return’ to be gained from investing in their gardens.
Outside of work, Lesley enjoys music, playing tennis, all things French and an active family.
Website (and integral blog): The Hegarty Webber Partnership
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Mary Gallagher Gray – Burke, VA
A northern Virginia native, Mary Gallagher Gray has always loved the outdoors and drawn great inspiration from nature. This love, combined with the desire to pursue a creative profession, led her to dive headlong into the study of landscape design back in 2007. Currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Sustainable Landscaping at George Washington University, Mary also does freelance garden design and coaching in the Metro DC area.
Mary is also a lifelong writer, and loves to muse about gardening, design, and the environment on her blog Black Walnut Dispatch.
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Robert Webber -Bristol, Avon, UK
Robert Webber grew up in the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew. He read modern history at university, but after 10 years in the City of London in international banking he returned to his ‘roots’ and retrained in amenity horticulture at Cannington College, Somerset. After 13 years as Head Gardener of Bristol University Botanic Garden, he left to train as a garden designer, living proof that Arians do re-invent themselves.
Robert now works with Lesley Hegarty in their garden design partnership based in Bristol and North Somerset. Their design ethos combines rigorous attention to the client brief, context and plantsmanship, with an imaginative use of space and a contemporary twist. They have designed as far afield as Scotland and Tuscany.
Left to his own devices and with a deep enough pot of money Robert would become a serious art collector.
Website (and integral blog): The Hegarty Webber Partnership
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Scott Hokunson – Granby, CT
Scott Hokunson, designer and principle behind Blue Heron Landscape Design, has been creating landscapes since 1981, and brings a wealth of experience and expertise to each project. A proponent of natural and sustainable principles, Scott works closely with his clients to create elegant outdoor living spaces, minimizing the impact on the environment through all phases of the project, including ongoing stewardship.
Scott is also a garden writer, whose work has been featured in Fine Gardening Magazine and Connecticut Gardener Magazine. He writes the company blog Blue Heron Landscapes, and is a founding member of the international garden design blog Garden Designers Roundtable.
Scott lectures to garden clubs and other interested organizations on garden design, plants and gardening, and in 2011, he served as an advisor to a class on Sustainable Landscape Design at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut.
Since 2009, Scott has been co-host and designer for The Ultimate Backyard Makeover show on FoxCT. The show airs on Father’s Day weekend.
Follow Scott on Twitter, and connect with him on LinkedIn. Become a fan of Blue Heron Landscape Design on Facebook!
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Shirley Bovshow – Los Angeles, CA
Shirley Bovshow is an in-demand landscape designer in California as well as a nationally- recognized garden television host and new garden media broadcaster. Shirley describes her approach to landscape design as “out of the box,” (she drags a ladder around new projects to envision the yard from different heights) and demands “multi-purpose” function from her landscapes.
“It’s not good enough that a landscape stand there and ‘look pretty!’ It has to do something for me! Feed me! Save me some money on the water and electricity bill! Function as a sanctuary and entertaining showplace! Increase the value of my home!” Shirley commands.
Check out Shirley’s website her syndicated blo g, Eden Makers and watch her trailblazing online garden TV show, the Garden World Report.
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Susan Cohan – Chatham, NJ
Susan Cohan, APLD, is a woman with an opinion. A landscape designer blogging as Miss R, she is a lover of the land, passionate about design and living a creative life.
Her boutique landscape design studio, Susan Cohan Gardens specializes in residential landscape design and creating artfully designed spaces for outdoor living. Susan is an active user of social media… some of the many places you connect with her are Twitter, Facebook, Susan aka Miss R, or just see more eye candy on her Flickr page.
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Wow… what a party!
And who doesn’t love a party?
What a lot of lovely faces! Not including my own of course!
Lesley and I have just had one of our ususual business phone chats, while simultaneously looking through the bios on our separate computers. We love you all!
Best Wishes
Robert
Robert… a blogger of the Roundtable would never be accepted without a lovely face! You are a vibrant blossom in this bouquet!
Woo hoo!! Very nice bio page!
Thanks Pam!
Mug shots one and all…where’s the intake numbers?
We’re pretty…
I knew this was a great group, and the more I read about all of us, the more honored and impressed I am to be part of GDRT!
What interesting backgrounds and talents in the world of landscape design!
Can you use a very experienced designer/writer/consultant who specializes in chaparral and desert designing? (http://gatesandcroft.com) Jane
Jane, thanks for your interest, but at the present time the Roundtable is full. Please join us over at the Facebook fan page, and share you thoughts and expertise with the group. I look forward to seeing you there! Scott