Sustainable Landscape Design and Garden Re-mixes
About Me
Ann Acheson Landscape Designs, Inc. is located in Irvington, NY - one of the beautiful and historic rivertowns along the Hudson River. You can see Manhattan from our waterfront park.
I'm an NYBG-Certified Landscape Designer and an ISA-Certified Arborist (NY5535A). I love what I do, and that enthusiasm and joy is a part of all of my work. Some things to know about me:
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I have 15 years of experience designing and supervising the installation of some 250 landscapes throughout Westchester County
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Every project is different - I like to find creative ways to use space
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I know my plants - I have an arsenal of plant choices that are not favored by deer
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I listen to my clients (something that not all designers do!)
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I use the principles of Ecological Landscaping to design sustainable landscapes that are pollinator-friendly, native plant-rich and that manage stormwater. And while no landscape is "maintenance-free", I locate plants so that they can express their natural growth habits without needing to be constantly pruned. I don't believe in pruning shrubs into meatballs!
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I know that "weed-whacking" is not actually weeding
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I am adamantly opposed to tree-topping, "mulch volcanoes" and planting invasive species
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I have fully adopted the mantra of Claudia West - "Plants cover ground" - if you don't plant a space, nature will do it for you (those are called "weeds"). I know that the science of horticulture matters - choosing plants who will share a space happily and productively, rather than competing with one another.
My Process
I start with a site visit and site analysis. I'm not big on expensive "Master Plans" - I use Concept Plans to provide a roadmap for work that can be done in stages, with more detailed plans drawn up for areas that we're working on. "Concept plans" evolve into "real plans" with client collaboration - ideas can change and improve after the initial work is done and we start to see the site's possibilities in a new light. My work product includes plan view and section/elevation hand-drawings, done to scale, as a way to illustrate concepts. I also provide Planting Plans and plant lists, as well as detail drawings if needed. I use all of these tools for my estimates and for specification documents.
I have a pretty solid grasp of grading and drainage, and I can read and understand plans drawn up by Engineers and Architects. My background in research science and Project Management has trained me to constantly look back and forth between the big picture and the nitty-gritty details. That's invaluable for mastering the complicated choreography of actually getting a landscaping project done.
Most importantly, I work with experienced, expert crews whose work I am very proud of, and who are all fully licensed and insured in Westchester County.
