Our Approach
Garden Environments takes a unique approach to landscape design when designing and building your landscape or garden retreat. We consider important environmental factors, such as:
- Where is the garden located?
- What is the climate like?
- What native plants will thrive in your area?
- How can plants be fertilized using as few chemicals as possible?
- How can we control pests using natural pest control methods?
- Which garden features are bird-friendly and safe?
- What space availability do we have for certain plants? (Sometimes simply choosing the right plant or shrub will eliminate the need for frequent trimming to keep it smaller.)
- How can have a garden design be sustainable, healthy and life-giving?
DON'T FORGET THE PURPLE COW!
In addition to creating a sustainable, earth-friendly outdoor space, we also like to include an element we call "the purple cow." The idea comes from the book Purple Cow by Seth Godin.
Our creative retelling of the allegory goes like this: A family driving on vacation through the American heartland will likely see cows… hundreds of cows. There will be black cows, brown cows, spotted cows, big cows, little calves and even some horses. At some point on their journey, they will stop noticing the cows. While cows are fascinating to look at, at some point they just aren’t that exciting anymore.
But imagine if there were a purple cow… just one purple cow out in the field among all the other black, brown and spotted cows. This one purple cow would capture their attention. This one purple cow would cause surprise, excitement and wonder. People in the car would slow down and take notice. The purple cow would get people talking for days. In fact, that purple cow might even become a legend or a beloved family story. The unexpected and extraordinary will interrupt life as usual, create intrigue and become a wonderful experience.
So it is with a garden and landscape design. We believe gardens should be far from predictable, symmetrical and perfectly pruned. A living garden moves, flows and breathes. A living garden carries the sounds of water babbling down a crooked creek, the sight of flowers unfolding with brilliant color and the roaring hum of crickets chirping in the night.
Our goal is to put a purple cow or two in your garden. These are elements that you never expected to see. Once you do catch glimpse of something extraordinary, we hope you will slow down, ponder and discover. Explore the world around you and the depths within you. Let your senses guide you to the place where serenity grows.
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