Our Philosophy
At Landsong, our work is guided by wonder, sustainability, and a deep respect for the natural world and its rhythms. We believe that landscapes are more than ornamental backdrops: they are living spaces that provide shelter, sustenance and solace — for humans and wildlife alike.
Landscape design
Our work aims to connect people to the natural world by using a holistic, artistic and sustainable approach to landscape design. Every garden is shaped by two things: the land, and all the lives it shelters — from the smallest creatures to the humans who wander its paths.
So we begin, always, by listening: to the site, to our clients, to the quiet rhythms of nature. This site-specific approach helps us design functional outdoor spaces that embrace our clients’ lifestyles, while creating gardens that support wildlife, reduce maintenance, and celebrate the seasons.
THE process
Resilient and vibrant landscapes take time — to design, to build, and to grow.
Our process typically begins with a site consultation, where we visit your property and offer suggestions, answer questions, and help you assess your landscape needs. If you are looking for general guidance and some DIY project ideas, this may be all that you need!
If your project scope warrants an actual design plan, we will follow-up with a proposal tailored to your needs, and enter the design phase, a collaborative and creative journey that can take several months depending on scope.
Once the design is finalized, we help our clients find the right contractors, and the right time of year, to execute their landscape. We guide our clients through the construction process by assisting with pricing, permitting, and providing site visits during construction.
Working with the seasons
When it comes to reducing maintenance, timing is everything. At Landsong, we work with our clients and contractors to align planting with the natural growth cycle of plants and seasonal patterns.
Planting during the dormant or shoulder seasons is a gentler transition for plants, giving them plenty of time to establish healthy roots and letting them wake up naturally in spring, before the summer heat. Additionally, capitalizing on cooler temperatures and regular rainfall significantly reduces watering needs, making it easier on our clients – and on the planet.
Photo credit: Tim Lytvinenko
Meet Claire
Claire Craven is the founder of Landsong and an outdoor kid at heart. She grew up in the countryside of France, where she spent most of her childhood up in a tree, reading and drawing. Claire moved to the US to attend the University of Tennessee, where she received her professional degree in Architecture and graduated summa cum laude. She then spent seven years working for award-winning architecture firms in New Haven (CT) then in Raleigh (NC), where she currently lives. Designing modern homes gave Claire a unique awareness of things like sightlines, scale, patterns of light and shadow... as well as the key role landscapes play in making both buildings and people feel like they belong in a place. It also made her realize that what she liked best about buildings was looking out of them; and that she yearned to design the views outside of their great windows. So in 2022, she combined her architectural knowledge and design skills with her passion for the natural world, and created Landsong.
Happiest when she is outdoors —surrounded by wind and birdsong— Claire sees gardens as love letters to both people and our planet, and believes that any day spent outside is a day well spent.