Hi, I’m Tessa. Welcome!

Before I became a gardener, I was an artist. From the time I was a young girl, I knew that I would spend my life making beautiful things. My first degree program was in sculpture with an emphasis on installation. Once out of school, I founded a luxury wedding cake studio, which I ran for seven years. But when I discovered a deep love for plants and gardens, I felt I’d truly found my place. I completed the South Carolina Master Gardener program with my local land grant university, spent a “research” year at a nursery and garden center, and ultimately went back to school for two years of formal horticulture training once making the decision to switch careers. During and after that program, I gained experience for five years at a high-end landscape design and construction firm before branching off to do my own consulting work in 2023.

Garden creation combines art, science, architecture, ecology, and history. As a member of the American Horticulture Society, Garden Conservancy, Southern Garden History Society, and Institute of Classical Art and Architecture, I consider myself a forever student of these intertwined disciplines. I have also traveled extensively in Europe and spent time gardening in England at Great Dixter and the US at Chanticleer Garden as part of my ongoing fine garden training.

I’m thrilled to now to work in a field (sometimes literally!) that brings me and others so much joy. My husband Brian and I live in Greenville, South Carolina, with our two precious wee boys. When I’m not chasing them, I offer design and horticultural consulting services, make artwork, experiment in my own garden, and share educational Youtube content based on my design and garden experience.