Partner: Matthaei Botanical Gardens, University of Michigan 

Date: 2019-2021

Assistance Areas: Community Engagement, Site Design, Planting Plan

I collaborated with the Matthaei Botanical Gardens and University of Michigan Campus Farm to develop an edible perennial landscape as a public acknowledgment of the Ojibwe, Odawa and Potawatomi Nations' land on which the University is founded. This project involved in-depth plant research, organizing a public speaker series featuring indigenous ethnobotanists and volunteer planting days to install over 70 new trees and shrubs, perennials and fruit crops.

Partner: St. Joseph Mercy Oakland, Michigan 

Date: 2020-2021

Assistance Areas: Therapeutic Design, Site Design, Planting Plan

At the height of the pandemic, I partnered with St. Joseph Mercy Oakland in Pontiac, Michigan to establish a large cut flower garden as part of Phase 1 of a hospital-based farm. This initial phase focused on a mix of perennials and annuals, with the first year featuring a striking display of sunflowers visible from hospital rooms. The garden created space for healthcare workers to step away from a high-stress environment, volunteer outdoors, and reconnect with nature. It also served as a public thank-you to frontline staff, with countless flowers making their way into hospital rooms and nurse stations—extending beauty and optimism throughout the hospital.

Partner: The Farm at St. Joe's, Ypsilanti, Michigan

Date: 2021

Assistance Areas: Site Design, Planting Plan, Stormwater Infrastructure

Designed a pollinator-friendly planting for a detention pond at The Farm at St. Joe’s in Ypsilanti, Michigan. The project combined 2,000 native plant plugs with a wildflower seed mix and used biodegradable landscape fabric to guide the “boost mix” planting design. Careful research into plant species and moisture tolerance informed a layout that infiltrates stormwater runoff from new construction while supporting blooms, bugs, and birds. This work created a new featured space on the farm, with a natural surface path eventually mown around the exterior to invite visitors to explore and enjoy the area.