• Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

Dargan Landscape Architects

Create Nourishing Flourishing Home Utopias

  • Home
  • About
    • Vitae
  • Services
    • Dargan Landscape Architects
    • Consultations & Tune-Ups
  • Events
    • Events
    • The Garden Talk Salon
    • Courses & Workshops
    • Need a Speaker?
  • The Toolbox
    • The Placemakers Academy Landscape Design Course
  • Blog
  • Press
  • Contact

Events

marypalmerdargan

Join us for a LIVE garden design workshop at the B Join us for a LIVE garden design workshop at the Bascom! Together, participants will design a site-specific, stunning and functional garden concept. ��Kick off the morning activities with an enlightening lecture on art elements and garden design principles, the backbone of design. Students learn the fundamentals of creating beautiful and timeless gardens and begin to see landscapes the same way an artist views a canvas.

Students then break into two design teams. Each team creates a design concept for a specific destination on the Bascom grounds. Teams use lightweight, colorful props to model their concepts while using their new design knowledge.

We will draw a map of this creative moment for future use and send a copy to participants. Thus, these inspirational gardens can be brought to life for everyone to enjoy in the future!

- Live Garden Design Workshop -

The Bascom Center for Visual Arts
Highlands, NC 

Thursday, May 11th
10 AM to 12:30 PM

Follow the link in my link tree for tickets. Space is limited!
Hugh and I are sitting around a mountain fire remi Hugh and I are sitting around a mountain fire reminesquing about Shirley… we just drove in .

her Celebration of Life was yesterday. Internment afterward. Perfect. So many family, extended family, friends from all aspects of her life. Old Nashville. 

Back in Cashiers, headed to camden… life now moves on with wonderful Memories. 

So appreciative of your support. in awe of it all… transitions are big stuff.
- Live Garden Design Workshop - The Bascom Center - Live Garden Design Workshop -

The Bascom Center for Visual Arts
Highlands, NC 

Thursday, May 11th
10 AM to 12:30 PM

Follow the link in my link tree for tickets. Space is limited!

Can you imagine visiting the Bascom grounds and getting to say,� 
“I helped design that garden!”
�Can you imagine spending a morning designing a garden outside with the help of a pro, all while learning the secrets to incredible landscape design in real time?

Well, this May is your chance! On Thursday, May 11th the Bascom will be hosting the design workshop of a lifetime.

We will split into two groups of 10 (The workshop is limited to 20 participants), and each design a pocket garden to be installed at the Bascom!

This is a beautiful opportunity to learn design in action and have fun while doing it.
An Invitation from the Bascom Do you recognize th An Invitation from the Bascom

Do you recognize these pocket gardens from the Cashiers Village Green?

Workshop attendees designed them! What once was a mulch lot is now a set of durable and beautiful gardens that our whole community enjoys.

Over the course of an afternoon workshop, students learned design principles and applied them in real-time. Then their design was installed and brought to life! 

If this sounds wonderful, I have some exciting news for you. On Thursday, May 11th, the Bascom will host the design workshop of a lifetime. We will split into two groups of 10 (The workshop is limited to 20 participants) and design 2 pocket gardens to be installed at the Bascom!

This is a wonderful opportunity to learn garden design in action and have fun while doing it.

- Live Garden Design Workshop -
The Bascom Center for Visual Arts | Highlands, NC 
Thursday, May 11th | 10 AM to 12:30 PM

Follow the link in my link tree for tickets. Space is limited!
1 | The perfect brick pattern that inspired our ha 1 | The perfect brick pattern that inspired our hardscape design details in gardens in Charleston and Atlanta

2-4 | Some of my favorite classic fountains reminiscent of William Kent’s water features at Rousham and the Spanish Alhambra Gardens

5 | Live jazz in the gardens

6 | Kicking back to enjoy the jazz!

7 | Post symposium bites New Orleans style
The gorgeous designs of fellow Longue Vue Symposiu The gorgeous designs of fellow Longue Vue Symposium speaker Pedram Pasha Taheri showcased among the iconic southern live oaks of New Orleans
Arielle McIntyre of Dargan Landscape Architects on Arielle McIntyre of Dargan Landscape Architects on 
Mary Palmer, Longue Vue and the Ellen Biddle Shipman Design Legacy

"I believe that Mary Palmer Dargan embodies the Ellen Biddle Shipman legacy of female artistic empowerment and innovative yet timeless design. Mary Palmer has championed and mentored women in professional landscape design and architecture throughout her career. She has uplifted home gardeners and budding designers all over the country and beyond. 

At the heart of the Longue Vue mission is to bring joy and inspiration through lifelong learning. Mary Palmer champions lifelong learning and offers her expertise at every opportunity. We at Dargan Landscape Architects are so happy to have her honored at the Longue Vue 2023 Design Symposium and for her to share her garden design wisdom in the Crescent City!”
Longue Vue and the Ellen Biddle Shipman Design Leg Longue Vue and the Ellen Biddle Shipman Design Legacy | A Brief History 

The legacy of Longue Vue Gardens is a legacy of female artistic empowerment. Famed landscape architect Ellen Biddle Shipman (1866-1950) designed the oasis of elegant beauty that is the historic Longue Vue Gardens. Named “Dean of Women Landscape Architects” by House & Garden magazine in 1933, Shipman worked at Longue Vue between 1935 and 1950, in close collaboration with owners Edith and Edgar Stern. 

They supported and enlisted the help of famed botanist and author Caroline Dormon to choose plant material for Longue Vue’s Wild Garden, which is known for its extensive collection of plants indigenous to Louisiana, including its seasonal Iris Walk and Camellia Walk.

After Edgar Stern’s death in 1959, Edith maintained the property on her own and continued to activate it as a headquarters for garden clubs, cultural events, and political activism. She opened the gardens to the public on a regular basis beginning in 1968 and began to convert the house into a historic museum in the late 1970s.

Go to the link in my bio, to get tickets to the 2023 Longue Vue Design Symposium!
📸 Photo Courtesy of Longue Vue Gardens Grab y 📸 Photo Courtesy of Longue Vue Gardens 

Grab your picnic basket, your springtime finery and set out with a sense of adventure, ready to be inspired by the wonderful offerings of the 2023 Longue Vue Garden Design Symposium! Join us this Wednesday & Thursday (April 20th and 21st) in New Orleans, Louisiana for a spring event to remember. 

Follow the link in my bio for tickets!
An Invitation from Longue Vue Gardens Hello garde An Invitation from Longue Vue Gardens

Hello garden lovers! With spring upon us I have so many wonderful gatherings and events on the horizon to share with you. I want to share a very exciting event coming up this month… For all of our friends in Louisiana (or for anyone looking for an excuse to visit New Orleans in springtime), I have a wonderful garden gathering invitation for you!

The historic Longue Vue Gardens in New Orleans, Louisiana is hosting a Design Symposium April 20th & 21st, and I will be giving a very special design lecture! 

Follow the link in my bio for tickets to the 2023 Longue Vue Gardens Design Symposium!
YOU'RE INVITED: SYNKD 2023 In landscape design th YOU'RE INVITED: SYNKD 2023

In landscape design there is a saying, “There is magic in the edges”. The margins where two unique spaces meet, like fresh water to salt water, create unique opportunities. 

That is how we feel about the emerging SYNKD event.

This Monday and Tuesday we will be in Atlanta at a multi-sector event called SYNKD.

SYNKD
February 6th & 7th
The Cobb Galleria

It’s the first event of its kind to bring together leaders in horticulture, landscape architecture, maintenance, design/build contractors. This event is here to facilitate the magic of the margins.

It aims to bring intersecting industries together to create new solutions and raise the bar for the landscape industry. ��Even if you can't make it in person, you will be able to see it all if you purchase a general admission ticket.� 

To Find Out More & Get Tickets | https://synkd.io/live-event

Come by for a visit and get the latest buzz on garden design!
The Evolution of Fernwood in Pictures The final a The Evolution of Fernwood in Pictures

The final and most important phase: ENJOY!

Today is the last Day to Join the 2023 Placemakers Academy Garden Design Immersion

This week we are rolling out the green carpet for our 2023 garden design immersion students. If you’re ready to turn your most vivid garden dreams into an actionable plan, don’t hesitate to join this incredible immersion. Wherever you are in your garden design journey, this course will give you the tools to dream big and make it happen. - link in bio

Let us demystify the process of bringing your dream garden to life!
The Evolution of Fernwood in Pictures Phase 3: IM The Evolution of Fernwood in Pictures

Phase 3: IMPLEMENT

Craft a master plan and action steps to make it happen. 

“If you’ve never experienced the joy of accomplishing more than you can imagine, plant a garden.” – Robert Brault

Last Day to Join the 2023 Placemakers Academy Garden Design Immersion

This week we are rolling out the green carpet for our 2023 garden design immersion students. If you’re ready to turn your most vivid garden dreams into an actionable plan, don’t hesitate to join this incredible immersion. Wherever you are in your garden design journey, this course will give you the tools to dream big and make it happen. - link in bio

Let us demystify the process of bringing your dream garden to life!
The Evolution of Fernwood in Pictures Phase 2: CR The Evolution of Fernwood in Pictures

Phase 2: CREATE

As you learn more about what makes timeless gardens tic, you hone your design eye. Then, you can unleash your creativity on your own space and make garden magic!

“It is not ignorance but knowledge which is the mother of wonder.” Joseph Wood Krutch

Last Day to Join the 2023 Placemakers Academy Garden Design Immersion

This week we are rolling out the green carpet for our 2023 garden design immersion students. If you’re ready to turn your most vivid garden dreams into an actionable plan, don’t hesitate to join this incredible immersion. Wherever you are in your garden design journey, this course will give you tools to dream big and make it happen. - link in bio

Let us demystify the process of bringing your dream garden to life!
The Evolution of Fernwood in Pictures Phase 1: OB The Evolution of Fernwood in Pictures

Phase 1: OBSERVE

Every great design starts with observation. You have to get to know the land to understand its unique potentials and constraints. 

 “We begin by asking, what will nature allow us to do here? What will nature help us to do?” Wendell Berry 

Last Day to Join the 2023 Placemakers Academy Garden Design Immersion

This week we are rolling out the green carpet for our 2023 immersion students. If you’re ready to turn your most vivid garden dreams into an actionable plan, don’t hesitate to join this incredible immersion. Wherever you are in your garden design journey, this course will give you the tools to dream big and make it happen. - link in bio 

Let us demystify the process of bringing your dream garden to life!
My wonderful man, Hugh Graham Dargan, celebrated h My wonderful man, Hugh Graham Dargan, celebrated his birthday at the BSS National Field Trial watching  little Meade run his first trial!
"Gardening is how I relax. It’s another form of "Gardening is how I relax. It’s another form of creating and playing with colors." –Oscar de la Renta

Do you want to color your winter with a creative project and develop your own garden design style?

Unleash your creativity and join our Placemakers garden design immersion, we still have a few spots left! Link in bio and below:

https://theplacemakersacademy.com/winter-2023-enrollment-open/

 #OscardelaRenta #Creativity #Create #Gardendesign #Landscapedesign #diygarden #placemakers
Make a wish... What are your three 2023 garden wi Make a wish...

What are your three 2023 garden wishes?

There’s something powerful about writing your intentions down. The first step to actualizing your garden dreams, is to allow yourself to dream. Today on this full moon is a potent day to put pen to paper and write down your 2023 Garden Wish List. 

Take a moment to consider three things you would love to see come to life in your garden this year, then write them down.

The power of dreaming, naming, and setting an intention is often underestimated. So take time to allow yourself to dream, you deserve it!

 #2023 #firststep #gardendreams #diydreams #gardendesign #homegarden #fullmoonintentions #placemakers #placemakersacademy
Winter, the Season of Form *Find the full article Winter, the Season of Form
*Find the full article at theplacemakersacademy.com*

All landscapes are beautiful works of art, already in progress. We, as part of nature, can lend our intention, creativity, and artistic expression to this beautiful work already in progress. 

To empower you toward your own creative design potential and your New Year garden dreams, I want to share an exercise to develop your designer's eye:

APPLYING THE ELEMENT OF FORM: WINTER WONDERLAND EXERCISE

Winter is the perfect time to see form in the landscape. Much of the complexity of color and texture of other seasons is no longer at play, and so the other art elements of line and form are highlighted. 

1. What major lines do you see in your landscape? What about in the view beyond? 

2. What types of tree and shrub forms do you see? Are there any repeated forms?

3. What evergreen trees or shrubs create visual anchors in your garden? 

I hope this exercise brings you a fresh perspective and empowers you to approach your garden like an artist. If you're ready to unleash your artistic garden vision, we still have a few spots left in the 2023 immersion starting January 19th.

Cheers to bringing out more of your inner artist in 2023!
A Placemakers field trip ! In the mountains wester A Placemakers field trip ! In the mountains western North Carolina, you were often given splendid views, but they’re hidden behind many trees and overgrowth, and it’s too steep to pleasurably stroll for access. 

The creation of low boulder terrace walls and the shaping views by using evergreens and deciduous trees can augment and restore an existing forest that’s languished due to insect dessimation, such as hemlock woolly adelgid.
Load More Follow on Instagram

April

 Mary Palmer Speaks at the Longue Vue Gardens Design Symposium 2023 – Tickets Available 

April 20th to 21st | Longue Vue Gardens, New Orleans, LA

Mary Palmer Dargan will speak on her inspiration for designing “nourishing, flourishing home utopias.” She is honored to be a part of this special event, and to share her insight. It is going to be a special event to remember, featuring other speakers in fine art and design. Longue Vue Gardens’ 2023 Design Symposium will inspire and activate your spring musings! 

EXPLORE THE SYMPOSIUM & GET TICKETS

May

 Placemakers Spring Garden Q&A on Zoom – Free to All!

Thursday, May 4th | 12:00 PM- 1:00 PM EST | Zoom

Join us for our Spring Garden Q&A, open to our whole community. We will get some fresh garden inspiration as we prepare our gardens for spring blooms, and share our garden challenges and triumphs. Come find out and get your year-round questions answered by an expert! If you’re not already on our email list, join the Q&A email list to get your invitation to our seasonal Q&A’s:

JOIN THE Q&A INVITE LIST

Hands-On Garden Design Workshop for the Bascom Center for Visual Arts- Tickets Available 

Thursday, May 11th | 10:00 to 12:30 AM EST | The Bascom: Center for the Visual Arts

Mary Palmer Dargan, principal of the international design award-winning firm, Dargan Landscape Architects, and Arielle McIntyre, apprentice landscape designer, are hosting a LIVE garden design workshop. Together, participants design a site-specific, stunning and functional garden concept. This creative work is intended for implementation on a pre-selected area of the Bascom campus.

RESERVE YOUR SPOT

CLE Live Lecture Series | Home Landscape Design Part 1: Set Yourself Up For Garden Success

Wednesday, May 17th | 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Highlands CLE Lecture Hall

Do you envision beautiful gardens and wonder how to bring them to life? This course will guide you toward developing the ability to observe, map, and analyze a site like a professional landscape designer, which, of course, starts with a foundation in botany, horticulture, and soil science. By the end of Part 1 of this series, you will have the expertise to choose the right plant for the right place and the ability to co-create with nature and employ regenerative design techniques.

RESERVE YOUR SPOT

CLE Live Lecture Series | Home Landscape Design Part 2: Bring Your Garden Design To Life!

Wednesday, May 31st | 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM | Highlands CLE Lecture Hall

This course will give you the context of western garden history and classical design philosophy, a working understanding of art elements and design principles, and a ‘Master Plan’ to share, including a raw, built, living map, and plant list. By the end of Part 2 of this series, you will have the knowledge and tools to implement and bring your design to life!

RESERVE YOUR SPOT

June 

CLE Live Lecture Series | Home Landscape Design Part 3: Concept Map Share, Stump the Experts!

Wednesday, June 7th | 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Highlands CLE Lecture Hall

Need solutions for your landscape design conundrums? Send four photographs of your garden design problem areas. Quick solutions and insights for all your garden woes are shared with the class. Attendance is strictly limited in order to spend enough time on each project, so preference is given to students who have attended the first two sections of this course.

RESERVE YOUR SPOT

Placemakers Immersion Graduation Tour & Party | Placemakers Alumni Only 

Thursday, June 15th | 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM | Cashiers, NC

Join us for a live garden study and graduation party to celebrate your Placemakers Academy journey! We will meet at the Village Green in Cashiers, NC Saturday morning to begin our fabulous day of garden immersion and celebration in honor of our Placemakers Academy graduates. From there we will embark on a private garden study tour of our favorite Cashiers home gardens. We will end our day with cocktails, canapés and a graduation celebration at the Dargan’s “Fernwood Falls”. We can’t wait to celebrate you and take you on this immersive garden study experience! 

IMMERSION ALUMNI GET TICKETS HERE

CLE Garden Tour | Garden Tour and Cocktail Party at Fernwood Falls 

Wednesday, June 28th | 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM | Meet at CLE Lecture Hall

280’ private waterfalls are a rarity and if it’s been raining – this one really thunders! Join us for a special small group cocktail party at Fernwood, the home garden of celebrated landscape architects Hugh and Mary Palmer Dargan. Enjoy their ‘Out of Africa’ dining Pavilion on the banks of the Upper Horse Pasture River, a protected trout stream, right in the heart of Cashiers, NC. Hike up and cross the waterfall and explore the paths along the river or sit and meditate along the shore. Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres are provided to build stamina. Parking is extremely limited, so guests ride together in a coach van reserved specifically for the CLE!

RESERVE YOUR SPOT

August

Couture Garden Design: May your landscape fit your lifestyle like a glove!

Saturday, August 26th | 1:00 PM  | Cashiers Designer Showhouse 2023

Shape your landscape to fit your lifestyle like a tailor creates a custom design for your wardrobe. Learn how to maximize the use of your land by using five long landscape design techniques and the four part master plan. Explore about problem-solving with plant materials and creating outdoor spaces. Surely a must-have seminar for anyone with an outdoor environment.

MORE INFORMATION

 2024

Spring

50th anniversary Lady’s island Golf Course Beaufort

Couture Garden Design: May your landscape fit your lifestyle like a glove!

Shape your landscape to fit your lifestyle like a tailor creates a custom design for your wardrobe. Learn how to maximize the use of your land by using five long landscape design techniques and the four part master plan. Explore about problem-solving with plant materials and creating outdoor spaces. Surely a must-have seminar for anyone with an outdoor environment.

September

Couture Garden Design: May your landscape fit your lifestyle like a glove!

Tuesday, September 10th | Butterworth Center

Shape your landscape to fit your lifestyle like a tailor creates a custom design for your wardrobe. Learn how to maximize the use of your land by using five long landscape design techniques and the four part master plan. Explore about problem-solving with plant materials and creating outdoor spaces. Surely a must-have seminar for anyone with an outdoor environment.

Tri-City Garden Club, Moline, IL

MORE INFORMATION

SEE RECENT PAST EVENTS

Footer

Let’s Get Started on Your Project

Contact us to kick things off. This will be more fun than you think!
Get In Touch

Copyright © 2023 · Dargan Landscape Architects, All Rights Reserved