--- title: "Elizabeth Gourley Design — Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers | Houzz" canonical_html_url: https://www.houzz.com/professionals/landscape-architects-and-landscape-designers/elizabeth-gourley-design-pfvwus-pf~1954691057 markdown_url: https://www.houzz.com/md/professionals/pf~1954691057.md entity_type: LocalBusiness business_name: "Elizabeth Gourley Design" category: ["Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers"] image: https://st.hzcdn.com/fimgs/eb037fcf006c8c1f_9468-w400-h400-b0-p0--.jpg address: "1 Sherman St, Belmont, Massachusetts 02478, United States" latitude: 42.4128 longitude: -71.2044 phone: "(617) 429-3020" website: http://www.elizabethgourleydesign.com rating: 4.9 review_count: 37 best_of_houzz_awards: 7 followers: 63 last_updated: 2026-09-22 --- # Elizabeth Gourley Design Original Houzz profile: [Elizabeth Gourley Design](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/landscape-architects-and-landscape-designers/elizabeth-gourley-design-pfvwus-pf~1954691057) ## Professional summary - **Primary category:** Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers - **Location:** Belmont, MA - **Serves:** Boston, Cambridge, Newton, Somerville, Waltham, Brookline, Medford, Arlington, Lexington, Watertown, Needham, Wellesley, Belmont, Reading, Winchester, Concord, Wayland, Weston, Charlestown, West Concord, Lincoln, Carlisle, Auburndale, Chestnut Hill, Needham Heights, Newton Highlands, Newton Lower Falls, Newton Upper Falls, Newtonville, North Waltham, Wellesley Hills - **Houzz rating:** 4.9 out of 5 (37 reviews) - **Best of Houzz:** 7 awards (2014–2023), for Service. ## About ### Houzz Badges - Star Houzzer - Recommended on Houzz - 1,000 Ideabook Saves 4X Best of Houzz Service Award Winner! Elizabeth Gourley Design LLC is a small landscape architecture design studio creating distinctive, functional and site sensitive residential and institutional landscape designs. Project work includes master planning, site design, planting plans, construction documentation and administration and hourly consultations. Every project undertaken is a highly collaborative process between the client and designer. Each project begins with a thorough understanding of the client’s needs and wishes as well as a careful examination of the site’s opportunities and constraints. Clients can expect a high level of individual attention and service during all phases of design and construction. Each project undertaken by EGD is unique and strives to meet and exceed the client’s expectations and provide beauty throughout the seasons. Towards achieving these goals, EGD believes in working to the greatest extent possible to integrate native and edible plantings as well as utilizing sustainable building practices and materials into their projects. ### Services Provided - Landscape Design - Garden Design - Hardscaping - Landscape Plans - Patio Design - Drought Tolerant Landscaping - Site Planning - Custom Fire Pits - Pool Landscaping - Custom Water Features - Swimming Pool Design - Deck Design - Drafting - Organic Gardens - Edible Gardens - Custom Bocce Ball Courts - Construction Drawings - Driveway Design - Edible Landscaping - Masonry - Master Plan Design - Native Planting Design - Schematic Design ### Areas Served - Boston - Cambridge - Newton - Somerville - Waltham - Brookline - Medford - Arlington - Lexington - Watertown - Needham - Wellesley - Belmont - Reading - Winchester - Concord - Wayland - Weston - Charlestown - West Concord - Lincoln - Carlisle - Auburndale - Chestnut Hill - Needham Heights - Newton Highlands - Newton Lower Falls - Newton Upper Falls - Newtonville - North Waltham - Wellesley Hills ### Typical Job Cost $15,000 - 250,000 Every project is different as are client needs. Each project is tailored to the client's budget. ## Business Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Business Name | Elizabeth Gourley Design | | Address | 1 Sherman St, Belmont, Massachusetts 02478, United States | | Phone | (617) 429-3020 | | Website | http://www.elizabethgourleydesign.com | | License Number | CA 4361; MA 4016 | | Followers on Houzz | 63 | **Social profiles:** - LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-gourley-78797b14 - Blog — http://www.elizabethgourleydesign.com/ ## Contact - **Houzz profile:** [Elizabeth Gourley Design](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/landscape-architects-and-landscape-designers/elizabeth-gourley-design-pfvwus-pf~1954691057) - **Website:** http://www.elizabethgourleydesign.com - **Phone:** (617) 429-3020 ## Credentials **Certifications & Awards** - LEED Accredited Professional - Licensed Professionals - Best of Houzz Customer Service Award, 2014, 2017, 2018 & 2019 - **Best of Houzz:** 7 awards (2014–2023), for Service. ## Reviews **Overall rating: 4.9 out of 5 — 37 reviews** *Aspect averages:* - Work Quality: 50.0 - Communication: 50.0 - Value: 50.0 ### Reviews **★★★★★ — cabouzeid, Nov. 2022** > Wonderful landscape designer! Talented, professional, very easy to work with. She transformed our back yard from a mud pit full of dead flowers and weeds to a gorgeous lawn with a spacious patio and easy to maintain flower beds. She also matched us up with one of the best contractors we have ever had. Highly recommend her. **★★★★★ — ptssws, Nov. 2020** > Liz was a delight to work with. Responsive, creative, and organized - a complete package. She helped us to conceive what was possible with our space, aided in sourcing and evaluating contractors, and helped to make sure the project turned out as we hoped it would. We would recommend Liz to anyone (and are doing so here!) . **★★★★★ — Elizabeth Albert, Nov. 2020** > Elizabeth expertly helped us design our wonderful new side yard patio/landscape space. She was fantastic to work with - coming up with a well thought out and sophisticated design. On top that, she was always very responsive and is extremely knowledgeable about plantings. She was also always available during the construction process to pop by and check out how things were progressing -- which I very much appreciated. I highly recommend Elizabeth if you are looking for a landscape designer. **Comment from Elizabeth Gourley Design:** > Thank you Liz! It was wonderful to see your yard transformed and work with you both during the design and installation process. Here's looking forward to summer! **★★★★★ — Mary Lou Barbagallo, Nov. 2020** > I am more than satisfied with Elizabeth Gourley Design. The plants she chose and the placement are perfect and look lovely. Everyone is admiring the work. **Comment from Elizabeth Gourley Design:** > I am so pleased to hear you are enjoying your new landscape! May they continue to provide much enjoyment year round!! **★★★★★ — J L, June 2020** > We worked with Liz to design the landscaping for our side yard on a corner lot. We had a vision for what we wanted but we didn't know how to pull it together into a cohesive design. Liz worked with us to understand how we wanted to use the space and the types of plants that were important for us to be part of the design. Liz incorporated our key elements and introduced accent plants into a design that transformed the space. Liz also helped locate and coordinate the purchase of plants. We are very pleased with Liz's work and we enjoy our outdoor space immensely. **Comment from Elizabeth Gourley Design:** > Thank you! It was indeed a wonderful collaboration between your initial evergreen planting vision and how we made it a reality on your particular site. I am so happy to hear you are enjoying your outdoor space and how it is growing in. Enjoy! **★★★★★ — Jeff Eckman, May 2020** > Liz was recommended to us by our architect, Keith Miller of Miller Design here in Belmont, and we are so grateful! Liz was (and is) such a pleasure to work with. She created several landscape design options for us that we would have never imagined could be possible, and ensured our landscape installer got everything done to her specifications. We now have an outdoor setting that we enjoy and are proud of, and we receive frequent compliments from our neighbors and even people who stop as they are driving by. But it is the joy that we have in using our new outdoor space as a family that is most important. Thank you, Liz! > > Finally, I should mention that Liz is responsive, and takes great care in what she does. It is evident that she takes great pride in her work. Choose Liz—you will NOT be disappointed! **Comment from Elizabeth Gourley Design:** > Thank you, Jeff! It was a pleasure working with you and I am so excited to see you landscape evolve as your plantings mature. Hope the new patio is providing you with a beautiful space to relax - especially now. Be well! **★★★★★ — J & B, Jan. 2020** > Elizabeth helped us with design plans for the landscaping around our small corner-lot colonial. Our yard was in relatively good shape, we had some drainage issues, but overall it was just boring. We hired Liz to provide us a series of ideas and drawings that we would leverage in transforming our yard over a 1-3 year period. > > We found Liz to be very responsive and professional. We worked with her through a series of designs. She would visit with us every couple weeks until we had the plan we all agreed upon. The final deliverable was a full yard plan with pictures of design elements and a planting list. We started executing those plans shortly after working with Liz. We have since recommended her to a number of friends and would certainly recommend her to anyone else. > > Thank you again Liz! **Comment from Elizabeth Gourley Design:** > Thank you for your review and recommendation. I am so pleased to hear you are making progress with your master plan design. Looking forward to seeing how things are moving forward! **★★★★★ — J Kim, Dec. 2019** > Liz helped us to design our outdoor pathways. She gave us several fun, creative options. Once we chose the plan, she also helped to secure a team who got the work done. Everything from start to finish was very easy. She is wonderful to work with and I would highly recommend her! **Comment from Elizabeth Gourley Design:** > It was such a pleasure working with you on your project and seeing it completed. I'm so happy you were pleased with the results. **★★★★★ — Grace Nicolette, Dec. 2019** > We worked with Liz on the landscape design for the front and back yard's of our home in Cambridge. We interviewed so many landscape designers, and even though we don't consider ourselves particularly picky, none seem liked the right fit until we found Liz. Whether it's her approach to design, her careful planning, her ability to make detailed drawings (so great!), her deep knowledge, her strong communication style, and her attention to detail, we were extremely pleased with working with her and would recommend her highly. She is a true professional, and we couldn't be more pleased with our landscaping! **Comment from Elizabeth Gourley Design:** > Thank you very much - it was a pleasure working with you on your new landscape design. You have done so much work with your new home and I am so excited to see how enjoy your new outdoor spaces and plantings in the coming years to come. **★★★★★ — Christina Mamlouk, Nov. 2019** > Elizabeth was easy to work with, pleasant and worked well under a time constraint. She listened to us and helped us understand our vision. She was realistic and presented her design with different price points. Easy to recommend her. **Comment from Elizabeth Gourley Design:** > Thank you - it was such a pleasure working with you on your site design project. I was so happy to see how the front steps came out. **★★★★ — Christine Riley miller, Oct. 2019** > Liz provided a variety of options to consider in both hardscaping and plantings. She carefully considered and solved for the various site challenges. We’re very happy with her work and the subcontractors she recommended. The work was completed professionally and on time. **Comment from Elizabeth Gourley Design:** > Thank you for your review! I look forward to seeing your completed project and hope you were able to use your new landscape spaces throughout the summer. **★★★★★ — karinlehr, Sept. 2019** > Liz designed a lovely landscape for us and we get many compliments. She is very knowledgeable, a great listener and accommodated our budget. We used and liked the landscaper she referred us to. Liz was available and helpful at all stages of our large project. **Comment from Elizabeth Gourley Design:** > Thank you for your review. I am so happy to hear your plantings have been going well - may they continue to grow and evolve over the years. I look forward to seeing how the boulders are fitting into the plantings. :) ## Selected projects - [Arlington Landscape](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/arlington-landscape-pj-vj~2756044) - Location: Arlington, MA - Photos: 5 - [Backyard Entertaining](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/backyard-entertaining-pj-vj~2153852) - Location: Belmont, MA - Photos: 6 - [Outdoor Living-room in Newton](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/outdoor-living-room-in-newton-pj-vj~2828239) - Location: Newton, MA - Photos: 10 - Description: With a focus on outdoor living, this project included a new outdoor patio for both dining and informal seating. The driveway was also removed from the backyard to allow for more lawn and plantings. - [Belmont Woodland](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/belmont-woodland-pj-vj~2040163) - Location: Belmont, MA - Photos: 12 - Description: Fieldstone seat walls enclose a new bluestone patio replacing a pre-existing wood deck. A break in the seat wall provides a path of large stone fieldstone steps that leads visitors up slope to a level lawn area for play and entertaining. - [Newton Backyard Sports Court & Patio](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/newton-backyard-sports-court-and-patio-pj-vj~1537868) - Location: Newton, MA - Photos: 4 - Description: Prior to design, this landscape was composed of one dying ash tree within a field of lawn. The client wanted to activate their backyard and design a space for their growing boys to play basketball and a place for family and friends to relax and entertain. The combination of these opposing needs provided a design challenge that resulted in a highly organized and dynamic outdoor space. Existing steps on the back deck were relocated to be closer to the back door for direct access to the back yard.… - [Santa Paula Art Museum Entry Landscape](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/santa-paula-art-museum-entry-landscape-pj-vj~1537892) - Location: Santa Paula, CA - Photos: 2 - Description: Santa Paula Museum of Art is located in the historic downtown district and housed within a classic 1920’s two-story structure. Its mission is to exhibit and preserve artwork featuring this Southern California agricultural community. My charge was to design a landscape for the museum’s entry that was low maintenance and paid tribute to a well loved patron through the use of roses. Design inspiration came from the California native and drought tolerant plants found prominently featured in the artw… - [Newton Woodland Garden](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/newton-woodland-garden-pj-vj~1537874) - Location: Newton, MA - Photos: 4 - Description: The landscape design for this Newton residence was inspired by the client’s appreciation and desire to retain remaining plants that the client wanted to retain , I selected woodland native plants in from new urban woodland planting features a loose grove of Juneberry trees that span the front of the property buffering it from the street and punctuating new garden beds. Plantings include low growing rhododendrons, itea, oakleaf hydrangea and leucothoe with bands of perennial ground covers creatin… - [Belmont Front Yard Landscape Renovation](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/belmont-front-yard-landscape-renovation-pj-vj~1537870) - Location: Belmont, MA - Photos: 12 - Description: The client requested a landscape design that would remove a large portion of their lawn, include edibles and create places for their young children to play and explore nature. In doing so, I created a front garden that is hinged upon an informal pathway of large Goshen stones leading from the front entry walk to the driveway. Punctuating the path are large moss covered boulders that provide opportunities for rest and play. A single Juneberry tree, which provides edible red berries, is situated w… - [Natick Residence](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/natick-residence-pj-vj~1672924) - Location: Natick, MA - Photos: 3 - [Belmont Backyard](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/belmont-backyard-pj-vj~1672933) - Location: Belmont, MA - Photos: 2 - [Burbank Elementary School Education Garden](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/burbank-elementary-school-education-garden-pj-vj~1537887) - Location: Belmont, MA - Photos: 6 - [Western Massachusetts Landscape Master Plan & Design](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/western-massachusetts-landscape-master-plan-and-design-pj-vj~1537880) - Location: Whately, MA - Photos: 7 - Description: This one and a half acre property in the rolling hills of western Massachusetts features a newly constructed home inspired by tobacco drying barns found in the area. The home and landscape was built without the use of petrochemicals and is set within a clearing in the native pine, oak and beech forest. As such, only organic materials were used throughout construction and planting. The client requested a whimsical landscape that would offer opportunities for heightening one’s awareness of being i… - [Wayland Residence](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/wayland-residence-pj-vj~1558482) - Location: Wayland, MA - Photos: 3 - Description: The New England forest surrounding this mid-century home set the tone for the landscape design. The project included siting a new curb cut, realigning a new entry drive, screening views and designing informal gardens both adjacent to and surrounding the home. In an effort to provide a low maintenance and site appropriate design, a native woodland planting palette was developed that included dogwood, rhododendron, mountain laurel and hemlock. A carpet of spring flowering groundcovers extend the f… - [Brookline Backyard](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/brookline-backyard-pj-vj~1672927) - Location: Brookline, MA - Photos: 10 - [Arlington Oasis](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/arlington-oasis-pj-vj~2041862) - Location: Arlington, MA - Photos: 3 [See all 15 projects](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/landscape-architects-and-landscape-designers/elizabeth-gourley-design-pfvwus-pf~1954691057) ## Ideabooks - [egourley's ideas](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/4675070/list/egourley-s-ideas) — 1 idea [See all 1 ideabook](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/users/egourley) ## Community Q&A **Q: What is the name of the pavers and what company?** *(in Photo Questions)* pavers? A: Hello Kathryn, I believe they are by Ideal Pavers in the Millstone pattern: https://www.idealconcreteblock.com/products/pavers/tumbled/millstone/ **Q: What is the name of the plant that has red flowers? Thank you.** *(in Photo Questions)* The plant that is inside the box. A: Hello, I believe it is a red trumpet vine (Campsis radicans) of some variety. Hope that helps, Liz **Q: what are the flowers in the bottom of picture** *(in Photo Questions)* What are the white flowers in the below front of picture A: The white flowering ground cover plants are Tiarella cordifolia 'Running Tapestry'. **Q: What size is the basketball court area?** *(in Photo Questions)* A: You’re welcome - I don’t have the court sizes handy - but it was a bit smaller than a regulation half court. --- *Source: Houzz professional profile. Reflects the profile as of 2026-09-22.*