GARDEN TALKS AND TOURS

When given the opportunity, Nancy and Pierre Moitrier enjoy sharing their knowledge and passion for fine gardening. Well constructed, engaging and instructive, every talk is complemented by a high-quality slide show. These presentations are sure to delight your audience. One hour talks include but are not limited to:

 

Sticks and Stones, a garden’s bones

The first time he saw a rustic fence made of Eastern Red Cedar, Pierre Moitrier fell immediately under the spell.  He was compelled to start building out of this wonderful material.  Along the way, he found a true outlet for his creativity.  Drawing inspiration from nature, his travels and the charm of the old villages in France, he started creating one-of-a-kind structures for the garden.  In his talk, Pierre will take you from harvest to construction and show you how to transform a mere pile of cedar twigs into benches, fences, arbors and gazebos, showcasing intricate patterns.  While presenting beautiful slides of his work he will share valuable insights on construction techniques.  Walk out inspired and ready to build your own rustic cedar structure!

Honey, I Shrunk the Lawn

Increase rain infiltration and wildlife value by removing lawns in your community.  Decrease maintenance time while saving money.  Landscape Designer Nancy Moitrier will share lawn reduction strategies and garden design considerations acceptable to homeowner’s associations.  She will provide step-by-step instructions on how to remove turf and replace it with conservation landscape.

Soulful Garden Structure (or creating structure in your garden with Nature’s help)

Get back to nature in your outdoor living space with the help of Garden Designer Nancy Moitrier.  Nancy will show you how to build good garden structure by utilizing natural materials for shape, strength and dimension in your garden, making nature’s influence more than just an afterthought.  Whether you need to “build bones” in an existing garden, soften a new landscape or craft a new garden, Nancy will inspire you to design the way nature intended.

Up, Down & All Around:  Creative ideas to cloak, plant and pave the small garden

Widen your vision of plants for small spaces. Creative applications of different plants can help small gardens function fabulously while enlarging the planted space. Learn how creative hardscape solutions can make a small space feel larger.

Private Gardens

This presentation considers challenges in the design of private gardens.  Discover the changing attitudes from traditional landscape development with reference to historic styles to more naturalistic designs with an emphasis on environment.  See examples of vernacular landscapes evolving from local roots or special interests.

Spectacular Containers

Designs for Greener Gardens has created thousands of container combinations since 1995.   Head designer Nancy Lowry Moitrier has collected an abundance of ideas for your consideration.  Her experience will successfully guide you through container selection, staging and design.  In this photographic presentation she will share secrets of how to compose sophisticated spring and summer plant combinations and striking winter hardy plant combinations.  Tips and techniques for how to successfully plant and care for your container creations will conclude the hour-long presentation.  A container planting demonstration is optional.

How Gardens Define Style

The style of your home can be influenced by architecture, climate, topography, and even cultural traditions, but what about gardens?  How can gardens help define style?  Find ideas of how to define style in the landscape by enhancing existing elements or incorporating new details.  Learn how to take an ordinary house or garden to extraordinary style by incorporating architectural details in the garden, paving and hardscape, seating and plants.  Within this one hour photographic journey, you will see how mass, void, repetition and color work together to influence style.

HGTV Landscaper’s Challenge Kathy and Lennie’s Bayside Garden

In the Spring of 2006, Greener Gardens was selected to participate on HGTV’s Landscapers Challenge TV Reality Show and won the challenge!  Facing off against two other talented designers, Nancy designed a garden that wowed the homeowners.  The Greener Garden’s transformation took the space from drab to fab with everything from lush garden beds to an amazing outdoor kitchen.  Hear first-hand about their “Hollywood” experience.