About Karen

"Let no one think that real gardening is a bucolic and meditative occupation. It is an insatiable passion, like everything else to which a man gives his heart."

 ~Karel Čapek, The Gardener's Year, 1931

The ability to have an avocation as a vocation has been one of my life’s great blessings.  

The ability to share my passion with others to enable them to appreciate beautiful and rewarding landscapes, bringing peace and pleasure, is equally fulfilling.   

Just as landscape design itself merges art and science, the ability to work with clients on projects merges nature with human nature.  

My commitment to a client is that we bring insatiable passion from Good Gardens to yours.

Education

Karen received a Bachelor of Science in horticulture and environmental sciences from the University of Rhode Island. Her background includes horticultural study abroad in England, with one year as a student at University and one working for Clifton Nurseries, LTD in London. The gardens of Europe continue to provide inspiration for her work today.

Community Service

Sharing experiences in gardening & design and incorporating a love for the environment into community is integral to Good Gardens. Karen is Board VP for Tree Conservancy of Darien and is a long time Flower Guild member at Saint Luke's, past board member of Associated Landscape Contractors of America, and a mentor to numerous professionals.

You

While the best way to appreciate a garden is to stroll through it, perhaps these snapshots will inspire you to create a good garden, a unique place of your own.  Gardens are an ever-changing adventure, never truly finished and forever evolving. The joy is in the process.  May you find peace and even a little bit of magic in your own backyard.