Michael Spence

Background

About Michael Spence

Gardens are for people and I try to think about that every day. The colors, scents, textures, tastes and yes, even sounds come together to enhance our lives. They can be arranged in countless combinations and how a garden is crafted can say a lot about a person. It's fun thinking about how gardens reflect on the people that reside there. How do the people inside a home of a formal english garden differ from those with a cottage garden? There are so many ways people can express themselves with their outdoor spaces. There are some who want to see clean, crisp lines in everything from bed edges to the outline of their Foster Hollies. Others want edges blurred and to have masses of color and texture. It is my determination to understand the people I work with so that their garden provides them pleasure. Working in and designing gardens is a very rewarding experience. Many times at the end of a day we can see how our efforts that day really shaped a space. Other times it can take weeks, months, years to see the results which is also rewarding, knowing that what we do today may seem extreme but is completely necessary in the grander scheme. Rejuvenating a hydrangea or pruning a crape myrtle or cutting a mature fig tree to the ground after a cold winter are all extreme but will enhance the beauty and vigor of each.