About Cynthia
Longtime Austinite and a Landscape Designer since 1996. My whole life has been in the plant business. I am an artist and plant geek, an outdoor lover, wildlife advocate, cat & dog person.
My journey with plants began when I was just 7 or 8 years old in Bronxville, NY, where I planted my very first flower garden with ageratum, marigolds, alyssum, and a huge sunflower. The prior owner of our family home was a horticulturist, so the property was full of hydrangeas, dogwood, peonies, forsythias, hyacinths, lilacs, and rhododendrons. This was where I first fell in love with plants.
After moving to Texas, I continued to pursue my passion for plants and landscapes. I earned a degree in Zoology from UT Austin and studied fine arts and botany. My professional journey has included working at Weingartner's Nursery in Houston, Old Towne Nursery in Austin, and owning Allied Emerald Plants, a tropical plant leasing business for commercial interiors with clients including Lockheed Missiles, Dun & Bradstreet, Southland Corp. (7-11), and the Austin Symphony.
For 16 years, I ran a landscape crew, gaining hands-on experience in all aspects of landscape installation and maintenance. Today, I focus on design and consulting while partnering with trusted installation companies for the labor-intensive aspects of projects.
Expertise & Credentials
Education
Degree in Zoology from UT Austin with studies in fine arts and botany.
Certifications
Capital Area Master Naturalist, Certified Master Composter, Wildlife Rescue certification (squirrels and bat care specialist), Wildlife Habitat garden certifier.
Experience
Experience with all landscape styles- Contemporary, traditional English, Tuscan, xeriscape, naturalistic, cottage style, pollinator gardens, pocket prairie gardens, herb gardens, vegetable gardens, as well as backyard goats and chickens.
Knowledge
Knowledge of native plants, Austin area adapted plants, climate adapted plants for our changing weather patterns, tropical house plants, local soils and ecology, local birds, trees, and turfgrass.
Design Philosophy
Although I love tidy boxwood with roses, my favorite landscapes are those that include native flowers and grasses with evergreen bones, which stand the test of time and respect our local ecology.
Favorite Landscape
The Alhambra, Granada, Spain
Favorite Public Greenhouse
Oxford, England
Favorite Landscape Experience
Olive trees, rosemaries, wildflowers in Skiathos, Greece