The gardens immediately surrounding a house should be considered as important as any other room within the home. These outdoor rooms should be consistent with the architecture in both period and feel, ultimately coordinating with the key interior details, such as wallpaper and paint colorways.

If planned correctly, the structure of the garden should be no less recognizeable in January than it is in June. A
well-designed and properly installed garden enhances both the value of the house and its home owners' contact with nature permanently and during all seasons.

Karen Atkins, the official proprietor of Proper Gardens, is an exclusive garden designer in the Pittsburgh area. She is better described as an exterior decorator than a landscaper. A Proper Garden harmonizes with the period and style of the home for which it is designed. It reflects the owner's tastes and preferences for color. The gardens are structure-heavy so that they feel like outdoor rooms, even with snow on them, after the deciduous plants have all but disappeared. Proper Gardens are always planted for a well coordinated succession of bloom; something new is always coming up as another is fading.

Horticultural Credentials:

Bachelor's in Business Administration – Westminster College
Winner – Pittsburgh Post Gazette Great Gardens Contest 2009
Winner – Pittsburgh Post Gazette Great Gardens Contest 2010
Winner – Meyer Hatchery's Most Lavishly Landscaped Coop 2011
Achieved Certification as a Master Gardener  and served as a volunteer for five years– Penn State University. 
To become a Master Gardener, begin by clicking here.

Gardens Recognized by the Western PA Horticultural Society/Botanic Gardens of Pittsburgh Tour – 6
Garden at a Museum on the National Register of Historic Places (The Merrick Art Gallery.)
To arrange a visit, click here.
Pittsburgh Botanic Gardens Discount Partner - to become a member, click here.
Garden Writers Association Member
Historic Gardens Foundation Member

Areas of Specialization:
Knot Gardens, Parterres, Victorian Gardens, Modern Gardens, Vegetable Gardens, Cottage Gardens, Tudor Gardens, Colonial Gardens, Chicken-Keeping Gardens, Waterfowl Pools and Ponds, Perennial Borders, Evergreen Trees, Flowering Trees, Espalier and Topiary Gardens.
 
Writing Experience:
Contributing Author – Pennsylvania State Gardening Magazine  - subscribe to the magazine, newsletter, or link to Proper Gardens blog, click here.
Contributing Author – Historic Gardens Foundation Magazine - to subscribe, click here.