Summer swelter got your plants down?

Contact Us

for an evaluation and recommendation of next steps. Our virtual garden coaching allows us to serve anyone, anywhere in the U.S.

Connect

Partners

Resources

About Us

Our Story
Our Values
About the Owners

In short, we're Starla King and Sandy Manne, two people making a living doing what we love. We've combined our knowledge and enjoyment of plants, art, and business management into a unique garden design, install, and maintenance business.

Peek at Our Garden

See and read about our own garden in this article, published in the Nov/Dec 2006 issue of Washington Gardener magazine.

Our Story

After many successful years in the corporate world, we decided to build on that experience to turn our favorite hobbies into a business.

For years, we had spent much of our free time learning our gardening craft in our own front- and backyard gardens. Then in our relatives' gardens. Then our friends started asking us for advice on anything garden-related, such as what to prune when, how to plant this shrub or that flower, what plant to put in those trouble garden areas, etc. As the frequency of those requests increased, we realized there was a specific need for smaller-scale garden consulting services.

There are plenty of landscape architects and big landscaping companies out there, but it doesn't make good business sense for them to handle smaller jobs. We stepped into that niche with the creation of Signature Gardenscapes, LLC.

We have enriched our garden design knowledge base by taking coursework through the Virginia Cooperative Extension through VA Tech, George Washington University Landscape Architecture Graduate Certificate Program, and Virginia Gardener "Short Courses." We are also proud members of the Virginia Nursery and Landscape Association; the Association of Professional Landscape Designers, the American Horticultural Society, the Garden Writers Association, and the National Gardening Association to ensure we keep abreast of the latest advances in design techniques, tips, tricks and plant vitality.

Big Fish Nation

Our latest exciting learning adventure finds Starla in her second year of a unique coaching program for women entrepreneurs, Big Fish Nation . What a fantastic full-life program! Even better is that all of our clients and any other contacts will benefit from this program as we continue to grow and energize ourselves and our business.

[back to top]

Our Values

At Signature Gardenscapes, we fully believe that it's not just about what work we do, it's about how we do it. Following are the values that guide all of us at Signature Gardenscapes as we carry out our day-to-day business.

  • Professionalism:
    We are courteous, level-headed, and committed to providing clients high quality service.
  • Fun/Enjoyment:
    We aim to enjoy everything we do by having fun with it to create the positive energy we share as we work. Fun is not at the expense of others or at the expense of professionalism.
  • Deep Competence:
    We are committed to continuous learning to expand our knowledge in current and future areas of expertise and company offerings.
  • Respect:
    We treat everyone as equals and treat ourselves and others with respect at all times, whether or not the other person / people can see/hear us.
  • Integrity:
    We say truthfully what we will do, and then consistently do what we say.
  • Positively Impact the World:
    We are aware of the way we impact the world and choose the words / actions that have a positive impact. We continue to look for ways to enhance our positive impact on the world outside our business.
  • Connection:
    Recognizing that connections between people and between people and nature are at the heart of our business, we nurture current connections and continually grow new connections.
  • Confidence in Trying New Things:
    We operate with a sense of adventure, willing to courageously try new ways of doing and being. We reward ingenuity instead of punishing failure.

[back to top]

About the Owners

Starla J. King

Starla King

Head of Field Operations

Starla's focus is on designing, creating, and maintaining your garden area(s). She combines her plant knowledge and creative vision with years of project management experience to ensure your experience with this company exceeds your expectations.

Starla's love of nature and the environment is sure to give you fresh enjoyment and appreciation of your existing and enhanced garden area(s).

 

Sandy Manne

Sandy Manne

Head of Business Operations

Sandy's focus is on keeping the business running efficiently so you get the most out of the time we spend with you and your land. She brings years of executive-level leadership experience and a savvy for running business operations to our company.

Sandy also lends her creativity and plant experience to the design process so we can provide you with a distinctive, yet balanced garden design to maximize the possibilities for your gardenscape.

Garden Designer or Landscape Architect?

What's the difference between garden designers (which we are) and landscape architects (which we are not)?

As garden designers, we're focused on the plants and their impact on your surroundings, helping you maximize the beauty of your outdoor areas without costing you a fortune. Use this explanation (from Horticulture magazine) of garden designer vs. landscape architect to help you determine if we're the answer to your gardening needs.

 

[back to top]