Melissa MacDonald, Landscape Architect

We live in a custom built home, completed at the beginning of 2020. For the last three years, our landscaping was very bare-bones, and frankly didn't look intentional or complete - it was kind of the bare minimum given our budget at the time. The trouble spots included: a steep slope front to back that created drainage issues (and was a pain to mow), a cliff-like dropoff from the space immediately behind the house to the rest of our 1-acre lot, a generator that stuck out like a sore thumb, and a walkout basement with no inviting outdoor space to walk out to. It needed a professional eye and a vision. Melissa worked with us to develop a full vision for our lot, something that looked like it was designed intentionally, took into account the peculiarities of the lot, and would be much simpler to maintain. She was a great listener, quickly understood the aspects of the lot that we found difficult, and came up with a great set of plans that could be constructed in two phases. We appreciate the degree to which she understood our aesthetic preferences and worked those into the plans, both in terms of what features we would have and where they would be placed. Once we had a finished plan, Melissa also helped us bid the project to a number of contractors she has worked with in the past. We ended up going with the low bidder, but he did such a great job that you'd never know he was the low bid! Melissa was able to stay in the loop during construction to ensure that what was being built stayed true to the vision. Overall we're very happy with the results - we now have a gorgeous outdoor space to enjoy and have solved most of the landscaping challenges of our property. We will be building the second (final) phase of the project in the next year or two, following Melissa's plans, and hope to work with the same contractor. If you need to re-imagine your outdoor space and want a pro with a great eye to draw up the vision and help you through the process, Melissa is just who you want to work with. We heartily recommend her for landscape architecture projects big or small.

Melissa MacDonald successfully rescued our large landscape project that had stalled midway due to contractor challenges. Melissa translated our existing schematics into new and modified landscape plans and construction drawings. We greatly appreciate that Melissa stayed true to our original hardscape design intentions while encouraging us to think bigger - recommending and designing a beautiful new front walkway (an idea we had previously abandoned) and proposing substantial improvements to our softscape plans. Melissa sought and received bids from three landscape contractor relationships (all full-service and high-quality professionals). We ultimately chose one of her recommended contractors, and the outcome exceeded our expectations. We are excited to see our new plantings come to life in the Spring. Thank you, Melissa!

Melissa designed a landscaping project which transformed our side/back yards from a rarely used space into a beautiful garden and recreation area that we now love spending time in. Melissa provided many wonderful ideas, and her design did an excellent job of reflecting our conversations throughout the process. She incorporated our requests into her plan, including utilizing a large proportion of native New England plants. The project included: - New wood fence - Patio suitable for dining / entertaining - Small pea gravel multi-purpose area - Driveway re-paving / redesign for elevated gardening beds - Beautiful selection of trees, shrubs, and plants that are easy to maintain - Drip irrigation system In addition to the design, Melissa helped identify potential landscape contractors and conducted the bidding process. During the project, she came by on multiple occasions at different stages to check-in on the progress and direct plantings. Melissa's design has not only made our yard much more beautiful and functional, but the space also feels larger as well. The results have been nothing short of amazing, and we are enjoying our new yard every day.

Melissa transformed our outdoor space, not once but twice. For the first project, completed in July of 2020, she created an amazing patio oasis that accommodates a dining and lounging space. The plants she chose are beautiful and easy to maintain. They also look good throughout the summer. Each month, I think that the garden must be at its peak, and then the next month new flowers emerge and the space is even more beautiful. She also transformed the feel of the space when she suggested moving our shed, changing the layout of our stairs, and added some mood lighting. We trusted her judgment completely, and have never regretted that decision. For the second project, completed in June of 2021, she transformed the public side of our house. Our neighbors compliment it often. One of my favorite things about this second project is what she did with the parking/devil strip. She turned an 18-inch scraggly piece of lawn into a visually interesting and colorful plant/rock garden. The best part is that the plantings are hardy and don't need water or any attention from me.

Melissa MacDonald was the landscape architect on the project to completely transform our grubby uninspired urban backyard into a magical tranquil oasis. This was a tall order, but Melissa's design made the dream come true. Our desires required Melissa to incorporate many design elements on a small yard footprint, and she succeeded admirably to provide for: - outdoor dining and entertaining space - grill location - tranquil seating spot - beehive space - small fountain - enhanced privacy for hot tub - increase in permeable surface - improved drainage - beautified entrance - elimination of grass in favor of plants - bike shed Even though the space was small, she created varied functional spaces without the design becoming fussy or contrived. Her overarching design concept (after testing some options with us) was transformative: she completely opened up our back deck with wrap-around steps down to the bluestone patio and hot tub area. The entertaining and dining area feels much larger and more open, while areas of privacy are enhanced. Melissa was easy to work with, and she not only did the design, but also helped with bidding and identifying landscape contractors. And she also came on site to direct the specific plant-by-plant location for plants. Thanks to Melissa's design, we spend much more time in our outdoor space because it is now delightful -- it's like having a huge addition on the house at a fraction of the cost. Brava!

Melissa came up with an incredibly beautiful design for us. We had a huge project which encompassed the entire plot of land around our home, (including new pathways, steps, ourdoor kitchen, etc), and she pulled everything together in a stunning way. And she came through for us by providing paperwork in an expedited way when we were in a pinch. We are thrilled with our result.

Melissa was delightful to work with and made a beautiful landscaping design. She incorporated some interesting varietals. Looking forward to watching the design through the seasons.

We had a nice-sized backyard that was never used because it was unappealing and hot. We had no idea what we could do with the area, so we turned to Melissa MacDonald. Melissa completely transformed our backyard. It is now a place we use every single day--we work out there, we play out there, we hang out there. She listened carefully to all our wants and needs--fenced-in for the dog, shaded area that didn't block sunlight into the house, area for a vegetable garden, privacy from neighbors, and lots of plants. She came up with a few designs and worked with us to revise them to include everything we wanted. She was terrific about reusing things we already had (the bricks of an old patio were used elsewhere, trellises we already had were incorporated). She thought about things we hadn't even considered (drip irrigation, automatic lighting). She was easy to work with and meticulous in her follow-through. Highly recommended Melissa as a landscape architect!

Melissa created a landscape design for our house that was both tasteful and distinctive. The project was a large one. She was able to reuse a number of mature shrubs and specimen trees is a creative way, complimenting them with new plantings. She was great to work with, not only a wonderful designer, but collaborative, budget-conscious, and timely. We'd engage her again!

Great experience from design phase, getting quotes to project execution. Detailed plans helped in getting competitive bids. Melissa visited the site multiple times to check on progress and to make sure that quality work was being done. She also provided help with getting approval from the wilderness commission. Overall, very happy with our new backyard. Would hire Melissa again and recommend her without reservation.

We hired and recently completed a combined hardscape and landscape project with Melissa MacDonald. She is a total professional and understood what we were trying to achieve and her proposed plans fit perfectly into those requirements. Its rare to meet professionals who can deliver on what they promise. Melissa is one of those people. She is on time, very knowledgeable and intuitive, listens well and excelled with her part of the project. We needed someone to help us take 1/4 acre lot with house and help us make it inviting (curbside appeal) while making it relatively easy for maintenance and most importantly, make it beautiful to enjoy while we spend time outside. The other criteria that Melissa brought to the project is her thorough understanding of plants and trees. We love flowers and wanted to make sure we had blooming plants through out the Spring, Summer and Fall while keeping within a certain color palette. We are completely happy with her plant choices, size of the patio and placement of plants, trees and bushes and custom shed for additional privacy sight lines from neighbors. We are excited and looking forward to next Spring and Summer to watch the different areas of the garden bloom and grow. We definitely had a set budget and could have done a lot more, but we were lucky to find an excellent landscape/ build company who did everything we needed for almost 1/2 the price of many landscapers we got estimates from. Melissa worked well in several meetings with the landscaper and advocated for our combined vision of the property.

We hired Melissa to help us overhaul our entire yard. We knew we wanted to redo the two beds in the front, create a bluestone patio on the side of the house and add some trees. Melissa helped us find ways to refresh the plantings throughout the yard and make the new features work together. She put the project out to bid and we were able to contract with a fantastic landscaping company. We couldn't be happier with the end result. We would highly recommend Melissa if you are looking for someone to help bring your landscaping ideas to the next level!