naturalistic gardens

A lush, layered garden surrounds a circular stone seating area, with shrubs, flowering perennials, and small trees creating a richly planted, nature-inspired landscape.

Designing a Garden for Life, Not Just Appearance

A truly memorable garden does more than look beautiful. When planting is layered with intention, the landscape begins to hold moisture, shelter life, support healthier soil, and feel richer with time. This post explores how structure, density, and ecological thinking can create gardens that are both more beautiful and more alive.

Stephen Coan

Apr 235 min read

A failed public garden planting bed with bare soil, thinning plants, and patchy growth caused by improper site preparation and poor rooting conditions.

10 Common Garden and Landscape Mistakes People Make

A promising public garden began to fail when improper site preparation left a deep layer of compacted gravel beneath the planting area. This post looks at what went wrong, why the planting could not establish, and how the garden was rebuilt and restored.

Stephen Coan

Apr 47 min read