Below are photos and descriptions of recent gardens we have created, and what our clients have to say about them:

Dr. Ted McCauley and his wife, Trudi own Rich Hollow Farm, a staggeringly beautiful property which is home to long-horned cattle, sheep, a cat and four dogs. We sought to extend the architecture of their Federal Farmhouse into the side yard. Ted and Trudi dine frequently on a porch overlooking this area, and they had already decided that the spot would be perfect for a traditional Celtic knot garden. We loved the idea, and knew that the contrast between the formality of the design and the almost vertical sheep pasture beyond would be stunning.

After we determined the dimensions, the McCauleys hired a stone mason to painstakingly build the wall. We planted the knot of barberry and boxwood, and enclosed the garden with "Dragon Lady" hollies. The steep hillside which used to be weeds and grass is now densely planted with "Pinky Winky" hydrangeas that bloom July - November. They are underplanted with "Anne Greenway" Lamium and "Walker's Low" Catmint. "Blue Boy" hollies were added along with "Endless Summer" Hydrangeas. A custom gate was comissioned and a cannnonball gate closure installed. Ted and Trudi filled the garden with colorful annuals and found the perfect crowning touch - a beautiful bronze armillary sphere.

"Karen, the garden continues to look great - the pinkies have been blooming for the past several weeks, still white at this stage but looking terrific!" - Ted McCauley

Kristen and Anthony Schatzel lived in Ireland for years and wanted to bring some Celtic flavor into their American home. The scale of the house demanded a large garden - the minimum size of the knot garden we had in mind would be 20 square feet. Kirsten knows what she wants and she let us run with our idea! In fact, she told us that we could DOUBLE it, permitting us to plant two giant knots! This meant that we would need over 800 shrubs. The owner of our favorite nursery, Lake Forest Gardens, actually delivered them himself just to see what type of project required this kind of volume. The gardens also swallowed up twenty tons of pea gravel.

Kirsten is an avid gardener who takes meticulous care of the gardens and it is always such a pleasure to visit. She permitted us to enclose the garden in "Limelight" Hydrangeas. The knots provide contrast through the use of three different shrubs: "Green Velvet" boxwood, "Crimson Pygmy" barberry, and "Rheingold" Arborvitae. We plan to add triple boxwood topiaries to the center of each knot in the spring for the final flourish, and we are searching for arbors that will eventually lead to adjacent gardens and a pool.

Travel throughout Europe inspired Paul and Sue Solinski to build a new house, which evokes the mood of the 17th Century stone farm houses found in France. The couple is very knowledgeable about all things French. We decided we had to have a boxwood parterre and designed one to be seen from the main rooms of the house. We enclosed the garden with European Columnar hornbeams, and added wisteria standards as accents. An aged cast stone fountain serves as the focal point to this garden. For the 8 x 12 entrance garden, we shopped for a large cast iron urn, which we painted black. We then raised it on a plinth, then surrounded it with very mature boxwood and lots of "Endless Summer" hydrangeas and "Giant Shirley" foxgloves. Then we saw the opportunity for an herbal knot garden just steps from the kitchen, and Sue and Paul selected a "fleur-de-lis" pattern out of three we presented. Plans for next year include a potager completely enclosed by a stone courtyard and a scalloped perimeter hedge. 

"We really enjoy working in our garden in the evenings and on weekends. This winter is going to be tough when we can't do that! Take care and we will talk to you soon."
- Sue and Paul Solinski

Recognized by the Western Pennsylvania Horticultural Society in the Landmark Gardens Tour, 2006

The Merrick Art Gallery, listed on the National Register of Historic Buildings, houses a superb collection of 19th Century oil paintings collected by founder E.D. Merrick. The Director wished to create an outdoor exhibition, to harmonize with the building's architecture, and to serve the Merrick's ongoing mission to educate members and visitors. The years of importance for the museum were in Victorian times, so we presented the idea to install a carpet or "embroidery" garden, inspired by the fleur-de-lis shaped finials on the perimeter fencing. We found a beautiful cedar arbor, had it stained black, and created yew hedges in curves to delight even the fussiest of brides and wedding photographers!

"The Merrick wished to create a Victorian Garden and in stepped Karen Atkins with her wonderful plans to create a parterre based on a historic model and build a garden room in the Victorian style. We now have a wonderful area for weddings, receptions, and other fundraising events for the museum!

- Cynthia A. Kundar, Director of the Merrick Art Gallery