Thoughtful gardens, designed with intention.
Inspired by English gardens. Built for Zone 6.

Every garden has potential. The challenge is seeing what it could become.

Whether you need help making decisions, a complete garden design, or guidance bringing your vision to life, I offer thoughtful design support tailored to your property.

How we can work together:

01
Garden Consultation

Expert guidance for homeowners who need clarity before they begin.

Not every garden needs a full design plan.

Sometimes you need an experienced eye to help you understand what is working, what is missing, and what direction to take next.

During an on-site consultation, we’ll walk through your garden together and discuss:

  • existing conditions and opportunities

  • plant selection and placement

  • layout improvements

  • seasonal interest

  • next steps for your garden

You’ll leave with a clearer vision and practical recommendations you can implement with confidence.

Ideal for homeowners who want direction before making changes.

02
Virtual Design Consultation

A designer’s perspective, wherever you are.

Sometimes the biggest challenge is not knowing where to begin.

A virtual consultation gives you access to professional garden design advice from the comfort of your home.

Before our meeting, you’ll share photos, videos, and details about your garden. During our consultation, we’ll discuss your goals, challenges, and opportunities, and I’ll provide tailored recommendations for moving forward.

Perfect for:

  • homeowners outside Durham Region

  • smaller garden questions

  • plant selection guidance

  • layout feedback

  • early-stage planning

A focused session to help you make better decisions before investing in your garden.

03
Garden Design Plan

A complete design process for homeowners who want a garden that feels intentional.

For those ready to transform their landscape, I create a cohesive design that considers your home, your lifestyle, your site, and the way your garden will evolve over time.

Your design includes:

  • site assessment and measurements

  • client consultation

  • design direction and mood board

  • curated plant palette

  • planting plan

  • seasonal structure strategy

  • design presentation

  • implementation guidance

The result is a garden plan that feels cohesive from the beginning and continues to improve as it matures.

04
Design Implementation Support

Bringing the vision to life.

For a limited number of projects, I offer support beyond the design phase through plant sourcing and installation guidance.

This ensures the finished garden reflects the original design intent, with plants selected and placed thoughtfully.

Get in touch

  • "Caitlin’s virtual consultation gave me exactly the clear, practical direction I was looking for. She not only recommended what to change, but also helped me understand why some areas of my garden felt cohesive and others did not, then translated that insight into a thoughtful action plan with useful options—all delivered through a highly professional, well-organized presentation and a kind, approachable process."

    —Elyse M.

  • “I signed up for a virtual consultation with Caitlin after finding her on Instagram. I found this more helpful in ways I wasn’t expecting. She gave me a mini crash course in garden design specifically related to my space. She took my garden in a direction I wasn’t expecting and explained to me why I was getting stuck in its design. She took my existing established plants and helped be build balanced structure around them allowing me to go ahead and use the plants she suggested to design around it. I will certainly reach out to Caitlin first for any of my future garden plans.”

    — Jillian S.

  • “Working with Caitlin on the design of my front garden was such a wonderful experience. I had a vision for an English cottage-style garden, and her knowledge of both the design principles behind that style and how to make it thrive in our local growing conditions was invaluable. She thoughtfully considered everything from colour combinations and contrasting textures to mature plant size, spacing and repeating patterns, creating a garden that feels cohesive, layered and intentional while still having that relaxed cottage-garden charm I was hoping for. Her plant knowledge and eye for design gave me so much confidence throughout the process, and I’m absolutely thrilled with how the garden has come together. I would highly recommend her to anyone looking for a beautiful, thoughtfully designed garden that is tailored to both their personal style and their space.”

    — Gillian M.

Past Projects

The Backyard — Design & Build

The brief: keep the existing stonework, push the garden bed as deep as possible, and still leave enough lawn for the kids and the dog to play. A metal garden fence now separates the planting from the path between house and patio, keeping muddy paws out of the beds — and corten steel edging keeps the lawn line crisp with minimal upkeep.

The planting is designed to be immersive: repeated clusters of Hydrangea, Salvia, Nepeta, Alchemilla mollis, Agastache, Lavandula, and Rosa so that dining on the patio feels like sitting inside the garden, not beside it. Hanging lights strung along the fence carry the space into the evening — and once established, Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris will cover the fence entirely. The harvest table pictured was custom designed and built as part of the project.

Outdoor dining area
Nepeta, salvia and hydrangeas

The Front Yard — Design & Build

The brief: work around an established, birch and mature Taxus at the rear of the garden, tackle a north-facing dry shade site, and extend the garden to take up the majority of the front lawn — timed alongside new interlock work. One side of the property runs especially dry with harsh western sun, so plant selection had to earn its keep in two very different microclimates.

Hydrangea greets you along the walkway, with giant Hosta sieboldiana flanking the birch's base. Iris germanica, Veronica, Scabiosa, and Hosta 'Patriot' fill the shadier pockets, while Lavandula takes over the dry western edge, with Thymus serpyllum softening the front border. Calamagrostis × acutiflora 'Karl Foerster' and Ilex glabra 'Strongbox' hold the structure through winter, so the garden doesn't disappear once everything else dies back.

A New Cottage Garden — Design & Intallation Consultation

The brief: transform a small front garden into a full English cottage garden, in a sunny, south-facing spot — without tearing out the existing lawn to do it. I provided the design direction, plant selection, and installation guidance, including a no-dig approach using cardboard, triple mix, and compost to smother the grass and build new planting beds directly on top.

The palette leans classic cottage garden: Lavandula, Alchemilla mollis, Geranium 'Rozanne', and Echinacea purpurea, alongside a Hydrangea hedge flanking the west side of the home. Planted just this spring, the garden is still finding its feet — expect it to fill in and hit its stride over the next two to three years.

FAQ

  • A garden designer helps you create an outdoor space that feels cohesive, intentional, and tailored to how you live.

    That might mean reimagining an overgrown front garden, designing planting beds for a new build, or finally figuring out what to do with that awkward side yard you’ve been ignoring for years.

    My role is to help you move beyond impulse purchases and piecemeal planting decisions to create a garden that feels beautiful, functional, and thoughtfully designed.

    In short: I help you make confident decisions and create gardens you’ll love for years to come.

  • Landscaping often focuses on installation and construction: patios, retaining walls, grading, sod, and hardscaping.

    Garden design focuses on the overall vision for your outdoor space, especially layout, planting design, structure, and aesthetics.

    I specialize in thoughtful garden design with a strong focus on planting. That means considering things like seasonality, structure, bloom timing, colour palette, maintenance needs, and how the garden will evolve over time.

    I can also collaborate with your landscapers and contractors to help bring the design to life.

  • Beautiful gardens rarely come from individual plant choices made in isolation. A designer helps you consider the entire composition — structure, seasonality, scale, maintenance, and how the garden will evolve over time.

  • I work on a range of residential garden projects across Durham Region, including:

    • Front garden redesigns

    • Foundation planting plans

    • New build landscape planning

    • Backyard garden transformations

    • Pollinator and wildlife-friendly gardens

    • Low-maintenance planting plans

    • Cottage-style and naturalistic gardens

    • Garden refreshes for mature properties

    Projects can range from small planting-focused updates to full property design plans.

  • I primarily serve Whitby, Oshawa, Ajax, Pickering, Brooklin, and surrounding Durham Region communities.

    Depending on the project, I may also take on work outside Durham or offer virtual consultations.

  • I love gardens that feel layered, romantic, natural, and full of life.

    My style is heavily influenced by English garden design, but always grounded in the realities of gardening in Ontario.

    That means creating gardens with strong structure, beautiful plant combinations, and four-season interest—while still being practical for our climate and your lifestyle.

    I design gardens that feel beautiful in real life, not just in photos.

  • Absolutely.

    Not every project needs a full reset. In many cases, we can improve what’s already there by editing, reorganizing, adding structure, or introducing better plant combinations.

    Sometimes a thoughtful refresh goes a long way.

  • Yes.

    Consultations are a great option if you need professional advice, design direction, plant recommendations, or help troubleshooting problem areas in your garden.

    This can be especially helpful if you’re feeling stuck and want clarity before making decisions.

  • Every project is a little different, but most follow a similar process:

    1. Discovery

    We start with a conversation about your space, goals, style preferences, and how you want to use the garden.

    2. Site Review

    I assess the site conditions, layout, sun exposure, soil, and existing planting.

    3. Design Development

    I create a tailored design plan for your garden, including layout and planting recommendations.

    4. Implementation

    Depending on the scope of the project, implementation may be completed by you, a contractor, or with my hands-on support. For smaller planting-focused projects, I may be able to assist directly with installation.

  • Pricing depends on project size, complexity, and scope.

    Some clients need a consultation and planting advice. Others want a full property design.

    After learning more about your project, I can recommend the best service option and provide clear pricing. Reach out!

  • Not necessarily.

    Good design can work across many budgets.

    Whether you’re planning a phased garden transformation or focused on improving one area at a time, thoughtful design helps ensure you invest wisely.

  • Yes—and many are.

    A phased approach can be a great way to spread investment over time while still working toward a cohesive long-term vision.

    This is often the smartest approach for larger properties.

  • That’s completely normal.

    Many clients come to me knowing only that something feels off or unfinished.

    Part of my job is helping you clarify your vision and make confident decisions.

    You don’t need to have all the answers before reaching out.

  • Getting started is easy.

    Simply reach out through the contact form and tell me a bit about your project, your property, and what you’re hoping to achieve.

    From there, we’ll determine the best next step.

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Confession: I’m actually a pretty bad gardener. I have six pots. Six. And I routinely forget to water them. I used to buy flowers for the table outside, or put pots around the outdoor sectional. I eventually stopped because I know myself well
Cottage gardens have a reputation for being effortless. They're not — they're just good at hiding the effort. The charm comes from restraint you don't notice: colours that were chosen to sit together, plants repeated enough times to feel like
This is the part of the process that's hardest to put into a before-and-after photo. Most clients don't come to me because their garden has no plants in it. They come because the 've already bought plants, tried a few things, and it still doesn't f
“Oh heck, throw in a lily” is not a design process — it’s what happens when a planting plan gets filled instead of chosen. If you can guess the plant list before you see the house, it probably wasn’t designed for the ho
Most "bad garden" problems aren't plant problems. They're process problems. Six questions — about soil, light, existing plants, how you'll actually use the space, and who's maintaining it long-term. Skip these and you end up with a g
If you're planning changes to your garden this season and want it to feel intentional — not just planted — that's exactly what I help with. Link in bio for a consultation.