Horticulturist? Ever wonder about endorsements in the landscape industry? Why

should I hire a C.P.H. for my landscape needs? Learn more here . . .

To become a Certified Professional Horticulturist there is a 3-part exam consisting of about 3 hours of testing that includes 282 plants to identify, general horticultural knowledge and a landscape design portion. Once all three parts of the test are passed, then two thousand work hours must be approved and fifteen annual hours of continuing education credits per year

maintain the professional credentials and skills. Annual fees also apply.

Besides the Certified Professional Horticulturist endorsement, there are a few other professional endorsements that are equally valid.

Hiring a C.P.H. is your insurance that your landscape professional staff is dedicated to ongoing education in the landscape industry. Not only does Peter Atkins, the landscape professional, have a base of education to rely on but also can easily be in contact with other industry professionals and support staff willing to assist when questions arise. This verification of knowledge and skill through the C.P.H. endorsement is a marker of understanding local plant growth conditions, invasive species, diagnosing plant problems as well as design fundamentals and mature sizes.

It has been a joy to maintain my C.P.H. endorsement for almost 25 years! Not only is the ongoing education inspirational but having the opportunity to learn from others in the industry is invaluable. This professional certification promotes research-based approaches that allows me to

best support you and your landscape. Know a pro. Hire a pro! Hire a Certified Professional Horticulturist.

Thank you for finding our website. We are thrilled that you have arrived. This portfolio consists of projects that span over twenty five years of business in the hamlet townships that exists in Upper Westchester and Lower Fairfield County.

Dedicated Individual Service:

Your needs and expectations are unique. So is your property. That is why we offer personalized service to meet each of our clients' expectations. Our services range from pruning, garden care, vegetable gardens and design and build services. All of our services are are customizable to meet your landscaping needs, budget and time frame.

Our expertise includes the Installation and Construction of complete landscapes, Fine Garden Care, Property management and Seasonal enhancements including parties and holidays.

We offer a 30 minute discussion at your property to introduce us to you and listen to you how we can help you with your landscape challenges. Peter Atkins will summarize the meeting and make recommendations for the next steps when you are ready to move forward.

Please Contact us at (914) -234-0161

PeterAtkinsandAssociates@gmail.com

Thank you.

Most people shy away from creating their own new gardens for fear that, after all the time and money spent, it just may not turn out as expected. Designing a garden properly takes a great deal of knowledge and creativity and labor to do the job correctly.

If you feel though you would benefit from professional help, we suggest that you read through the website site and see if the focus of our work would be a perfect fit for your next project.

We are highly trained, passionate and creative professionals that would like to put a smile on every client’s face by enhancing their built environment and quality of life.

We suggest you interview us and see if we can help you with your next Design, Build and Fine Garden Maintenance projects.

1.INITIAL CONSULTATION

Our process starts with an initial consultation. We meet you on site to walk the property, learn your needs and desires for the outdoor spaces, understand your aesthetic and functional preferences, and discuss ideas.

2.BUDGET & PROPOSAL

From there, we determine whether to provide a budget for maintenance work, an estimate for a simple construction and/or planting project, or a design proposal.

As a rule of thumb, installation budgets should be considered to start at 10% of the value of the home when landscaping the entire property. You may choose to complete the installation in phases or all at once.

3.DESIGN

Once we have submitted a design proposal and the client has accepted, we complete a site analysis and develop a design. Budget proposals for installation work are provided once the design is approved.

4. INSTALLATION

Once we finalize a design plan and a budget, we will project manage and schedule a time for our team to come to your property and implement the design into your space.

5. MAINTENANCE

After the installation is complete, our team of gardeners will take care of the gardens. To ensure we do not develop a plan that is unattainable for design, build and maintain implementation, overall budgeting will be discussed at the initial consultation.

We are not a "mow and blow" operation! We are garden craftsmen. We create and build sustainable gardens with strong foundations in the soil. We keep plants healthy through proper holistic garden care. 

After spending thousands of dollars with Veterinarian offices a light in our minds was alerted that our dogs were in danger walking on our customer home lawns. For a long time, not one customer questions how we maintain our client lawns. All that was necessary. "We want a green, weed free lawn".

Scarlett our Ruby Cavalier and Ginger our black and tan was diagnosed with Lymphoma (Cancer) They went with Mary Ann and Peter everywhere. Animal scientist were pointing finger that chemicals in lawn applications was making dogs and cats very sick because they were licking their paws and digesting the toxic chemicals from lawn applications.

In 2010, Peter Atkins attended the CT-NY NOFA School (Northeast Organic Land Care School in Hartford, CT ) and became Accredited to teach, apply and follow the core laws for organic land care for lawns, plant health care and property management. Peter teaches daily and speaks publicly when asked.

To make your garden sustainable adopt some of the recommended gardening practices shared on our website and contact Peter Atkins for your individual garden invitation.

Sustainable garden is one that gives back rather than takes from its surroundings. Planted with nectar rich native plants and other eco friendly garden ideas means it will be more self-sustaining, requiring little energy or water to make it grow healthily – and certainly no chemicals.  Instead, it should rely on local and natural ways to flourish – from self-grown mulches to home-made composts. An eco-friendly garden should benefit local wildlife, too, providing food and shelter for everything from small animals to essential pollinators.

Sustainable planting includes using native plants and right plant, right place so that they need less maintenance because they are happy where they are positioned.

Organic gardening is all about working hand in hand with nature.

Peter Atkins took a traditional landscape and transferred it into a show landscape rich with texture, color and a variety of texture. The front of the house is formal and the rear is relaxed and in tune with gardens surrounded by conservation land. At the entry, a formal look with a large driveway entrance wall that was designed so that the driveway wall is in alignment to how the house was set on the hillside. The double white gates leads the vehicle up a windy driveway past a new orchard of Washington Hawthorns. There are farmer walls on the property that have been left and mature planting of viburnum and Witchhazel trees that welcome spring with yellow buds. The planting around the house were tweaked but we kept the same footprint when the house was purchased. Boxwood, azalea, Japanese maple, mugo pines and new stewardia trees are set on either side of the front door.

The back of the house is dedicated to experiencing the great outdoors.

An abundance of color and interest blooms from April right through to September.  Daffodils, hellebores and magnolia in spring are followed by hundreds of tulips and Spanish bluebells.  The Kitchen Garden is plentiful all season – spinach and herbs are joined by beans, soft fruits and artichokes then squash, strawberry and more … an absolute feast. In later summer dahlias and gladiolus take over the garden in a riot of dazzling colors lasting right through into autumn.

The large native pollinator-friendly perennials that lead down hill using large stone tread as raisers in the sloped bed. The bed has hydrangeas planted at each step and a large grouping of variegated liriope which bloom in October when most of the gardening is fading. As you sit on the flagstone patio and look into the large perennial garden that spans 95 feet, a Sweeping herbaceous borders is filled with hot reds, oranges and gold, pinks and whites; a bumbling fountain which is surrounded from rainbows of perennial and roses to keep the garden in constant motion. A beloved family destination for morning coffee, watching the dogs, vegetable gardening and star gazing.

We understand that our best work is done when we design and build the landscape projects ourselves. To guarantee the garden once installed we must also be responsible for its care. Customers also ask us to maintain an existing garden or have purchased new plants and need the labor to have it installed At Peter Atkins and Associates no job is too big or too small. And our experienced installation teams will ensure your landscape beds are planted correctly and in a timely fashion.

It is our belief that the design and the construction of your landscape should complement one another. The traditional construction process inadvertently separates owners, designers and builders in ways that distract from the original vision for the project. Focusing on a more holistic process, Peter Atkins and Associates offers you greater skill, knowledge, and experience.

Our years of experience and accumulated knowledge sets us apart from our competitors. We have designed and worked on a variety of different landscaping projects each customized to fit the needs of the customer. Our expertise allows us to ensure that you get exactly what you want – and we’ll even back it up with a guarantee.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT KIND OF LANDSCAPE SERVICE FIRM

Peter Atkins and Associates began this business with the reality that some properties deserve special attention in how they are maintained. Some properties have lots of beautiful shrubs like azaleas, rhododendrons, boxwoods, flowering trees that require attention with proper pruning. Other properties have perennial gardens that require deadheading, staking, dividing, soil amendments and other landscape gardens require many services from lawn cutting, mulching, cleanups.

The reason we are different is that we selects properties that we wish to maintain with home owners who have invested time and finances into their property and wish to have it maintained by a accredited horticulturist and his team of supervised gardeners.

Top-notch garden care makes the difference between a garden that flourishes in all seasons and one that doesn’t live up to its potential.

Mosses are an often-overlooked landscape choice, Especially useful to homeowners with lots of shade. Yet contrary to conventional wisdom, “many mosses tolerate a certain amount of sun.” They’re also good for erosion control and create a natural water-filtration system, slowing down rain as it moves into the groundwater table. And “they are habitat for an array of beneficial insects, spiders, worms and salamanders,” “Birds gather mosses for their nests.” The plants keep their color all year long. Moss does not die back in the winter.

Moss is ideal for places where nothing else grows. It is a nice alternative to turf and is low maintenance, We do not t have to cut it, just weed a little. And it’s pretty,” It is several different shades of green, can be walked on and its a stunning landscape ground cover.