Elissa May Design + Landscaping

Hello, and thanks for stopping by! I am a freelance Landscape Designer, who is also a certified Journeyman Landscape Gardener and a Red Seal Landscape Horticulturist working in Calgary, Alberta. In 2007 I got my first taste of Landscaping by cutting grass and weeding gardens for a maintenance company in southern Ontario. I immediately fell in love with the hard, labour-intensive work, the instant satisfaction of beautifying an outdoor space, and coming home covered in dirt! After moving to Calgary in 2009, I began working as a crew lead for a garden maintenance company. My eyes were opened to just how much there was to learn about plants in regards to their regular care and maintenance, and I loved the continual learning my job provided. I enrolled in the Journeyman Landscape-Gardener Apprenticeship program at Olds College and completed my first two years as an apprentice in garden maintenance. To balance my growing knowledge of plant identification and maintenance, I decided to spend some time on a Landscape Construction crew and learn the in's and out's of building a yard from the ground up. For three seasons (and my third and fourth years as an apprentice) I worked closely with the owner of a Landscape Construction company and gained first-hand experience installing fences, decks, irrigation systems, water features, patios, and retaining walls as well as all softscaping components. Landscape Design combines two of my life long passions: drawing, and being outdoors. I am able to let my years of onsite experience inform my design choices. I've had opportunity to see mature yards rejuvenated and brought back to life. On the other hand, I've seen the value in starting with a blank slate, and creating something totally new and re-envisioned! I love that I am able to be creative while problem solving, and in the end make a space not only look beautiful, but be completely functional and smart in it's design. If your yard is in need of a fresh start, I'd love to hear from you! In my spare time I can be found running, biking, hiking, or cross country skiing with my husband and our young daughter. I love to get outdoors and enjoy whatever the season brings - sun, rain, or snow!