About Char

A Love of Gardens, Art, and the Natural World

I've always been drawn to the intersection of art and science. Garden design gives me the opportunity to bring those interests together—to create something beautiful while working with the extraordinary complexity of the natural world.

I love gardens with personality. Gardens that are abundant rather than overly controlled, that offer surprises, and that feel as though they belong to their surroundings. I especially enjoy finding possibilities in difficult spaces and discovering combinations of plants that are both beautiful and unexpectedly successful.

The Art of Understanding Plants

Knowing what a plant looks like is only the beginning. What interests me just as much is how it behaves: how it grows, what it needs, how it interacts with its neighbors, and how it changes through the seasons.

That understanding informs my approach to design. I think about proportion, color, texture, movement, and the experience of being in a garden, but also about the relationships between plants and the conditions that allow them to flourish.

I want the gardens I design to be beautiful when they're planted—and even more beautiful as they mature.

A Garden of My Own

My garden in Old Greenwich is both a personal pleasure and a place where I continue to experiment with plants and design ideas.

Much of it faces the street, and I've always enjoyed the idea that a private garden can also be something the neighborhood shares.

In 2026, the garden received a beautification award from Greenwich Green & Clean, recognizing its contribution to the beauty of Old Greenwich.

Experience and Education

I hold a certificate in landscape design from the New York Botanical Garden and am a Connecticut Master Gardener.

My horticultural work extends beyond individual gardens through garden club leadership, horticultural education, and community projects. These activities keep me engaged with other gardeners and continually introduce me to new plants, ideas, and approaches.

I bring that experience, along with a lifelong curiosity about how things work, to every garden I design.

Working Together

I enjoy the process of getting to know a place and the people who live there. Some clients have very clear ideas about what they want; others know only that their garden doesn't feel quite right.

Either way, I begin by listening, looking carefully at the space, and finding the opportunities that might not be immediately obvious.

The best gardens are collaborations. They should reflect the people who live with them, while introducing possibilities they might never have imagined.

I'd love to hear what you have in mind.