2019 – A Year In Review
It’s that time of year once again, and we can hardly believe how the time flies! 2019 is drawing to a close and it’s time for all of us to look back and remember the past year. Here at J. Montgomery Designs, looking back at this year is totally exciting. From our favorite projects, to some exciting media fame, to our own studio test garden remodel, here’s what we were up to this year!
COMPLETED PROJECTS
One of the more exciting parts of our job is seeing the landscapes we design come to fruition. When we design a full-scale landscape, every detail is pre-planned – Hardscape materials and construction details, plants, grading and drainage, lighting placement, and even sources for amenity and material purchases. While we know in our minds what it will eventually look like, there is still nothing better than seeing the landscape constructed and enjoyed by our clients!
Our landscape plans begin on paper, using AutoCad software to detail every element’s exact placement and design specifications.
While construction is not one of our firm’s offered services, we do offer our clients the option of hiring us to oversee the construction process. This allows us to see the build in-progress and to confirm that our plans are being followed to a T, setting our clients’ minds at ease and allowing us to get some awesome footage of the construction process.
The end result always blows us away! We are privileged to know many talented contractors who bring even our most complicated outdoor spaces spectacularly to life. This past year, we watched several of our projects become reality, and designed many more that will be built in the near future. Knowing that our clients are enjoying their outdoor living spaces in real life means everything to us. It’s our raison d’etre, after all!
MEDIA SURPRISES
This year, we were especially excited to be featured winners in Hearth & Home Magazine’s Excellence in Outdoor Room Design Competition! Our outdoor living space is titled a “Modern Classic” by the exhibition judges. To view our project among the competition winners, follow this link
We were also thrilled to have our landscapes featured this year in Casual Living Magazine and in articles on Houzz.com, and to have been nominated Best of Houzz 2019 for the 6th year in a row for both Customer Service and Design Excellence. We are so honored to have our work recognized alongside other amazing Landscape Architects and Designers, and to be receiving international attention as well as national!
STUDIO GARDEN
Closer to home, we had a fantastic year in our Studio Test Garden. Having completed a landscape remodel last year, we’ve enjoyed watching our newest landscape addition grow in, in addition to growing our usual favorite fruits and vegetables for the enjoyment of our families and friends.
The first year in our new Sonoma-style Meadow Garden has been a success! Next year, we expect the grasses to reach their full size, and for the carpet roses and viburnums to really shine. The living element of the landscape is the one part nobody can rush, so we enjoy watching it develop from one year to the next. Stay tuned for more updates.
We love growing our favorite treats right here in our test gardens. Every year we learn something new about how to successfully grow edibles, and we can then apply what we’ve learned into designing raised beds, vineyards, and orchards for our clients. Even with our 45 years of experience in Landscape Architecture, we are lucky to be constantly learning. It makes our work endlessly new and endlessly fun!
The team at J. Montgomery Designs would like to wish all of our readers a Happy Holiday Season and a great start to the New Year! We are excited for what this next year will bring, and can hardly wait to get started on our Spring projects. See you in 2020.
