Tara is a San Antonio-based award-winning landscape architect, writer and educator, passionate about eco-friendly solutions and growing her own food. She knows all it takes to help you create a sustainable backyard retreat that combines blissful charm with a modern take on landscaping.

Highlights

• Hands-on experience with plants gained thanks to a family tradition of horticulture and during more than a decade of work in the landscaping business
• Holder of numerous awards, including The Garden of the Year Award received in 2009
• Speaker at international gardening conferences and long-time mentor for garden design students

Experience

With countless projects to her name, Tara is an expert in creating environmentally-friendly, people-oriented garden architecture. Her work has been featured in magazines nationwide and abroad, including Country Living, Carolina Home+Garden, and D Magazine.

As a student, she had the opportunity to observe the most prominent garden architects at work, and now serves as a mentor and educator herself. She has been a guest speaker for various garden interest groups and horticulture societies, always sensitizing people to the mutually beneficial yet volatile and vulnerable relationship of man and the land.

Education

Tara’s formal studies include a BFA degree in fine and studio arts obtained from Texas Tech University, as well as an MFA in design and visual communications. The studies gave her a strong theoretical background and knowledge of the industry, but she felt her place was not in the office.  

Growing up in rural Texas, Tara spent many hours helping her farther plant trees and revegetate farms. This first hand experience of the seasonal cycles imprinted upon her a strong sense of connectedness to the land and gave her a deep understanding of the man–nature relationship.

It was only natural that her next step was to seek training in landscape architecture. She completed several horticulture and garden design courses, expanding her knowledge of plants, materials and sustainable solutions.

• Texas Tech University
  Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) Field Of Study Fine and Studio Arts
  Dates attended or expected graduation 1990 – 1995

• Parsons School of Design
  Master of Fine Arts (MFA) Field Of Study Design and Visual Communications, General
  Dates attended or expected graduation 1999 – 2001