A Trifecta Designer

At Lady in the Garden Landscape Design, we strive to exhibit our passion for flowers, a love of colors, and get inspired in every season and every new project. Our primary aesthetic strategy is playing textures against each other for both formal and informal arrangements. Of course, the bones of the garden are most important. When winter arrives, and plants go dormant or deciduous, it is vital to have a good garden design that can still be interesting during the garden’s season of rest. In each design we are also sure to include each of the senses into a garden space to create more than just a scene, but rather an  experience amongst nature.

Located in Sonoma County, California, and serving areas from Sonoma County down and around the Bay Area.

Artist

Karen believes that the garden is a palette; an art form that expresses your personality.  Besides landscape design, her mom was a professional artist, and Karen’s pastime involves the arts in watercolor, oils, and jewelry design.  Her daughter continues the discipline as a professional graphic artist and designer.

Landscape Architect

Her professional background is in Landscape Architecture, achieving a Bachelor of Science in the discipline. But her love is for the small spaces, residential design where her principle practice has evolved.

Horticulturist

Karen has been gardening for over 20 years.  She recalls her mother’s love of gardening in Ohio, and the stately hollyhocks flourishing on the side house walls. Every season had color.  Karen determined garden sustainability in the toughest of desert environments and has served well in her practice in Northern California as well as her personal garden.

CONSULTATION

Karen will visit your home and along with you, evaluate the site. You and Karen will determine how to use your property, current attributes, the amount of time you wish to spend maintaining it and most notably the final project’s appearance. The visit can just be a consultation or you can choose to have Karen design a plan for you.

Learn about Karen →

Testimonials

Bonnie C., The English Garden

"My outdoor space was forever changed into a dream come true when Karen redesigned it. The 25’ pool had been the focal point with unruly ivy growing out of every inch of ground space, in between the wall blocks, around other plants, trees and flowers. Karen not only understood what I wanted, she enhanced it with a plant pallet so meticulously selected that I get white flowers all year round. My garden is the envy of everyone who visits. It was even used for commercial filming. It’s been almost a decade since Karen designed my garden; I enjoy it more as it matures. Her vision and attention to details are amazing."

Karen O., The Retreat Garden

"I have used Karen on 3 homes. She captured my personality and truly listened and interpreted my thoughts into a creative, totally unique and breathtaking landscape. Everyone who visited my home fell in love with my yard and it was what sold my last home in 1 day! Karen's detailed design provided everything from architecture down to a detailed plant list. I recommend her to everyone looking to design their yard."

Work Experience

After receiving her Landscape Architecture degree, Karen assisted in the early development phase of the  Las Vegas Springs Preserve, since it was linked closely to the University. While she assisted at the LA department of UNLV, she was able to increase her job site management skills.

She then reviewed plans for Master Planned Communities,  and practiced independent landscape design both in desert communities and north bay area. Although her education required her to create public space designs, her focus is on residential private garden spaces. 

Her designs have covered a wide range of themes including formal, informal, xeric, lush, classic, contemporary, asian, tropical, desert, orchard, vegetable, family friendly, rabbitats, and even dog gardens and turtle gardens.

Education

BSLA - UNLV, 2000

Landscape Architecture - Magna Cum Laude 

MBA - University of Phoenix, 1985

Management Concentration - Magna Cum Laude 

BS - SJSU, 1979

Dietetics and Nutrition

Besides professional garden designing, Karen has designed her own gardens for 30 years in each home she has lived in; from Marin, abroad, Midwest, Las Vegas, and now back to the Bay Area in Sonoma County.  As a child in the Midwest, she loved all seasons and the display of various plants in each season.  Moving to California, she was fascinated at the vast difference between the two areas plant arrays and how they thrived in various conditions.  

Her passion for the plants continued during her education process for her Nutrition degree. Drawn to the plant course offerings she loved learning all there was to know about botany so much that she has a minor in the subject. Each home was an experimentation to push the boundaries of what would work in each climate and plant’s location while she gardened as a hobby.

Karen uses her experience and professional landscape training to give you the best of both worlds in creating lovely outdoor spaces.  Karen specializes in linking your inside and outside living environments, producing enchanting spaces from entertainment rooms to meditative gardens.  In her professional time spent in the desert she is well aware of ‘water wise’ gardening and the need to plant appropriately for the environment, yet not sacrificing clients’ wishes.

“I like to think of a residential design in the big sense, but break it down into smaller outdoor rooms.  It’s difficult for one to envision what a garden will look like when you see a massive piece of barren land.  I can take this daunting task and turn your garden into livable meaningful spaces for you.”