ABOUT
ARTGARDEN DESIGN is a landscape design practice based in Washington, DC, focused on small urban residential gardens in DC's historic neighborhoods, where rowhouse backyards, courtyards, and front gardens are shaped by layers of old infrastructure, quirky property lines, and accumulated site conditions.
Most of my work is in DC's historic neighborhoods, where backyards that once held coal bins and clotheslines are now outdoor living spaces - while the physical footprint and its constraints have largely stayed the same. I design with those constraints, not around them, often shaping decisions around reuse, preservation, and careful editing rather than starting from scratch.
I hold degrees in both landscape architecture and sculpture, a combination that informs how I think about space, materials, and the relationship between built and planted elements. When projects call for it, I work with local artists and craftsmen to create custom pieces specific to the site.
Projects are managed from design through installation, in close collaboration with trusted contractors, so each garden holds up in real life, not just on paper.
SERVICES
Full Garden Design
Comprehensive design from structure and circulation to planting and atmosphere. Includes site analysis, concept development, planting and hardscape plans, and coordination through installation. I remain involved throughout, working with contractors to ensure the design holds up as built.
Garden Reset
Targeted design work for gardens that have lost clarity over time - maybe the planting has become muddled, circulation doesn't flow, or you've inherited a layout that almost works but doesn't quite. The work focuses on strategic edits: refining planting, improving circulation, adjusting materials rather than starting over.
Consultations
A site visit and focused assessment covering priorities, scope, and budget - including rough pricing based on current contractor rates. Can be stand-alone or a starting point for a larger project.
Site-Specific Artwork
Custom sculptural elements for gardens - planters, trellises, water features, site-specific pieces - designed by me or sourced through local artists and craftsmen. Work is tailored to the garden's materials, scale, and character, and built to weather and age alongside the landscape.
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PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
Triangle Garden
Cleveland Park
My smallest garden yet - a narrow pass-through between a basement door, garage, and alley, transformed into a private courtyard.
When the garage became a small office and new stairs connected the upper deck, the space gained a clearer sense of flow. Low seat walls retain the slope and create level ground for the patio, while a custom fence adds privacy and defines a small outdoor room. A bluestone patio, inlaid within the surrounding brick paving, tucks a seating area into the smallest of urban footprints.
SATISFIED CUSTOMERS
Kind Words
Anya, I may write you every year just to thank you for my beautiful garden! It’s made me love spring even more.
Everything is filling in so beautifully, and it makes me truly happy. Now if only it would stop raining long enough to sit on the patio and enjoy it!
— Julie D., Capitol Hill
Our small Capitol Hill yard was long an eyesore - until Anya reimagined it. She listened closely and brought fresh ideas and thoughtful details.
Anya managed the project with care and persistence, and the result is a beautiful, high-quality space we truly love.
Even in a snowstorm, the garden becomes a wonderland - each of the three "rooms" visible from different windows.
— Margaret M., Capitol Hill
From the start, it was clear that Anya knew how to tackle the steep, unusable backyard of our Woodley Park row house. Her plans made sense - and when we saw them, we fell in love immediately.
She brought in skilled craftsmen for the stonework and fencing who were detail-oriented and took pride in their work. She stayed involved throughout the project, making sure everything stayed on track.
Anya brings artistic vision while staying grounded in financial reality - a rare and valuable combination.
— Charla A., Woodley Park
PROJECTS
