Helping people make places worth caring about
Garden Creator Studio was created to empower everyday garden creators to transform yards & landscapes into places they love.
Whether you're a homeowner looking for outdoor living space, an experienced gardener needing a more organized approach, or a garden specialist looking to apply what you've learned to a real property, we're here for you.
Empower your garden creation journey
From free webinars & resources, to paid workshops, courses, and personalized coaching, we offer a variety of options to fit the needs of our growing community of curious, capable, & caring garden creators.
Info & Resources
From webinars to downloadable PDFs, we provide a range of resources to help you get started, develop your skills, and figure out your next right step.
Workshops
Gain a solid introduction to our practical approach to garden design by enrolling in our popular Garden Plan Workshop program.
Courses
Enroll in our Garden Design Distillery program and learn how to craft a well-thought-out design for your garden and to communicate your design with a clear & cohesive Garden Masterplan.
Coaching
For those with larger (1 acre+) or more expensive ($1M+) properties we offer personalized coaching to help you navigate the full garden creation journey from concept -> planning -> build out. Contact our team to apply.
The uncertain path
If in the past 3 months or more you’ve repeatedly found yourself staring out the window thinking about what you could do with a yard or landscape that needs some TLC but not getting started, you may be struggling with a condition that many homeowners and even experienced gardeners face.
It’s called Analysis Paralysis, and while it can look like procrastination to someone standing on the sidelines, what it can feel like is pushing and pushing only to remain stuck in place, unable to move forward.
In other words- it can feel exhausting even though it looks like you’re not doing anything.
Maybe you've tried...
If that sounds familiar you may have found yourself saying:
"Let me think about it some more…"
"Maybe I need to do some more research first…"
"I’ll just start, and see what happens…"
Unfortunately the first two often don’t lead to progress but instead a mind even more muddled by ideas & options than before.
And starting without a clear idea of where you are trying to go can lead to wasting countless evenings & weekends (not to mention $$) on projects that never. get. finished.
So, then what…?
If I’ve learned anything over the years, it’s that ‘thinking about it’ alone isn’t going to get you there- you need a working process to guide the thinking.
A better way
That working process is called Design.
The problem is, most people never learn about design in our public education system, or even in most college majors. Until recently the only way to learn how design actually works was to head off to a university program for a few years.
Because of that, it’s still common to hear people say things like ‘well, design is complicated…’ or ‘it’s hard to explain…’
But as it turns out-
Design doesn’t have to be complicated- in fact, it’s pretty straightforward once you understand the structure and how to move through it. That said, doing it well does require thoughtful practice and drawing upon good information to inform your design efforts.
That’s why Garden Creator Studio is focused on providing practical garden design education so that everyday garden creators can learn how design works and use it to transform the yards and landscapes they care about into places that matter.
Frequently asked questions
You’ve got questions. We’ve got answers. :-)
A garden is a conversation?
A Garden is a conversation between a person and a place. Because of that, the garden you create will be unique to you based on your desires and experiences.
What's more, as you learn and grow your skills as a garden creator, and as your needs, desires, and season of life change, your garden will adapt as a living conversation with your surroundings.
I have ideas but I've never designed a yard before. Is this for me?
Absolutely. Regardless of the experience you have (or don't yet have), a solid grounding in how garden design works will help you grow your garden creation skills and knowledge faster and more easily.
If you want to take ownership of getting the garden that is perfect for you and your needs & desires, learning these skills will be a strategic investment for your success.
I've been gardening for years- how will this benefit me?
If you've ever found yourself bringing home plants and then wondering where on earth to put them, knowing how to craft a clear & cohesive layout for your garden will open up new possibilities you might never have considered before. You may even discover a need for plants you've always wanted to try but never had a reason to!
Plus, along the way you can include places for spending time relaxing or connecting with the people you care about most- so that gardening becomes something you get to do in the place you already spend your time (rather than something you have to go out and take care of.)
I have a certification in mastergardening or permaculture. Do I really need this?
For garden specialists of all types, design is how you ground the hard-earned knowledge you've gained onto the specific needs of a real property.
The world of gardening is vast. Many people become fascinated with improving the landscape starting from a specific area of interest. Yet many ardent enthusiasts and even those practicing professionally may still struggle to consistently and effectively apply what they have learned to an individual property.
That's why design is so important- it's the working process that unlocks the application of good ideas to a real place.
An incomplete list of many possible garden-related specialties: mastergardening, permaculture design, drought-tolerant landscaping, xeriscaping, outdoor living space, rain gardens, water harvesting, native plants, pollinator planting, hedgerows, urban agriculture, community-supported agriculture, community gardens, soil tilth, soil carbon capture, agroforestry, food forests, regenerative agriculture, regenerative farming, regenerative grazing, biodynamic farming, land regeneration, greening the desert, and more....
I'm not really a 'design' sort of person. Will this work for me?
Many people think of 'design' as a natural gift that other people are born with, or a sort of black-box magic trick that can only be performed by someone who has been inducted into the secret ways through years of higher education.
That's plain silly. Design is a working process to get from A) Seeing an opportunity to -> B) Having a clear plan for how to make something better.
Understanding that working process can unlock your potential to transform your surroundings in a positive way. Whether that's around your home, in your community, or focusing on a specific approach to helping take care of the world around you, design is a tool for empowering everyday garden creators to Be The Change.