MJ McCabe-Garden Design

Janie McCabe created a garden on the north side of our house that brings us joy every time we look at it. Janie has the eye of an artist and the know-how of an experienced horticulturist. She is also a joy to work with, as she takes into consideration our own needs and wishes as she develops her designs. Her love for her work shows in everything she does and says. I cannot recommend her highly enough!

Janie is a true artist -- I can't even begin to express how happy I am to have found her. I first heard about Janie after admiring gardens she designed for a friend. Janie's work really stands out -- her garden designs are enchanting, yet surprisingly easy to maintain. She has an amazing sense color, heights and textures, and she did a brilliant job layering plants to be sure we had something beautiful to look at from spring to fall. She'll use plants you love and incorporate some you've never seen before to give your gardens an element of surprise. She's designed several projects for us over the least few seasons -- strategic plantings to showcase the property, beds near the driveway to give visitors a nice show, and wonderful beds and container gardens around our large flagstone stone patio that make it the perfect backdrop for entertaining or just relaxing.

After months of winter hibernation, the Owenego’s gardens awaken gently each spring with a blanket of colorful tulips. Then, much as fireworks burst light into the night sky, bright pops of purple allium further awaken the gardens from their slumber, announcing the arrival of another new season at The O. From there, the gardenscape is an ever-changing show of color, with the waterfront garden providing a magical backdrop for members and wedding celebrations. Once the allium fade, the gorgeous hydrangeas take the helm, with pink roses waltzing around them in the wind. And so it goes, right through the fall, when the tall grasses sway gently in the breeze and rock the gardens back to bed. The beauty within these gardens reflects the beautiful spirit of the woman who designs and maintains them, Janie McCabe. Janie checks in on the gardens throughout the season, nurturing them throughout, keeping them ever-photo ready for wedding photographers. Similarly, Jane’s container gardens greet members and guests to the O, providing a cheery welcome at our main entrance and on the decks. Jane has worked with us for many years, both at The Owenego and at our home, and we are beyond grateful to her. Throughout the years, Jane has become an extended member of the Owenego family – she even volunteers with our crew each summer for Camp Rising Sun. And one year, when Hurricane Irene bit into the earth, swallowing the entire waterfront garden into the raging sea, Jane worked tirelessly with us, assembling a team to rebuild the bluff and the garden. We cannot begin to express our gratitude toward Janie, and we cannot possibly recommend her highly enough.

We moved to our new home in May. Our property had mature trees, shrubs, stone walls, a lot of mud, a walkway but minimal landscaping. We asked Janie to create a colorful, beautiful, 4 season landscape including a variety of flowers, local grasses, a hummingbird and butterfly garden. She listened to our requests and promptly created a design concept, working closely with our contractor and lighting specialist. Her crews trimmed trees, installed irrigation, soil, mulch, plants, new trees, shrubs, flowers; stone masons added winding paths. The work was completed (as promised) by the end of June. Our garden became more than we ever anticipated; it enhances our home, giving us endless hours of beauty and enjoyment. We are now anxiously awaiting spring when hundreds of new bulbs will explode with fragrance and color. Jane McCabe is the consummate artist, a knowledgable professional who takes personal and professional pride in her work. We are so very grateful to her!

I have had the total pleasure of knowing Janie for many many years-She is a "master" at bringing your property to life with her excellent choice of plants,design color and appropriate arrangement for the property -with respect to it's exposure and the amount of time an owner would be able to care and maintain- you could never go wrong with Janie and her willingness to hear what you prefer and like- a very easy and pleasant woman with extraordinary skills and would NEVER hesitate to give her a very high recommendation to anyone

We have had a very positive experience working with Janie. Her low key approach works well for us. We originally contacted her to refresh our existing garden and to help plan & install a new patio and walkway to replace an old, uneven one. Her plans and vision for our space were spot-on. She encouraged us to go larger with the patio than we thought we wanted. We are extremely happy that we trusted her advice. It looks perfect, accommodates more people and is holding up well, no dips or settling issues. Janie is super nice to deal with, communicates well and she only sub-contracts with other super-nice people. We decided to continue have her come a few time during the year to assist with upkeep and continual enhancements. We also hired her assistant, Grant to be our snow plow guy.

I cannot say enough about the beautiful gardens that Jane designed and planted. For the first time in ten years I am so proud of my yard/gardens. When she came for a consultation I was afraid she would not be up to the challenge, but she assured me something could be done to improve my yard and she did make miracles happen. I am so impressed with Jane and Grant with the designs and plantings, that I am proud to show off my gardens. There is not a day that I am not out enjoying the gardens she designed and they installed - I am in awe that these are my beautiful gardens! She was punctual for our consultation, would show up on the days she indicated and kept in contact during the project. She was a pleasure to work with. In my 70 plus years, living in different homes, I have hired many garden designers, but Jane's gardens impressed me more than any other.

Jane is a class act, a true professional in her field, a rare breed. . Her work is impeccable. Not only does she have excellent taste, but she has true attention to detail. She has done a wide variety of jobs for me, and whether small in scope or a total renovation of gardens, her commitment and attention remains the same. Both she and her team are driven toward perfection in execution , sensitive to the environment and surroundings, and understand of the clients budget and taste.

I have completed a number of projects with Janie. Her designs are beautiful and it's always a pleasure to do business with MJ McCabe Garden Design. Karl Kaufmann Kaufmann Masonry LLC

Janie McCabe of MJ McCabe Design is a highly creative and imaginative landscape designer who brings a signature aesthetic to projects, in addition to her practical no-nonsense know how and approach. Her color sense is delightfully fresh; she also takes the tried and true and shakes things up a bit with interesting combinations. I especially like what she has done with Japanese-inspired gardens and shade gardens as well as container gardens. Her use of bulbs and tulips is one of her signatures and has that WOW factor. I am the editor of a local shelter magazine for a newspaper here on the Connecticut shoreline. Janie has written many stories for us on some of her projects and informational pieces as well. We have also featured her projects in our magazine and local newspaper The ShoreLine Times. I would happily recommend her to anyone looking to hire a landscape design professional. ShoreLine Times and Coastal Homes editor Susan Braden

Janie McCabe was the first person we called when we moved into our home 18 years ago. Janie collaborated with us and offered practical advice to create the cottage gardens we envisioned. We now have a series of beautiful garden rooms, that over the years have developed, because of Janie's artistic ability to create and design. Janie listens to her clients' wishes and offers suggestions for laying out beds, creating structure, and choosing plants.

MJ McCabe has worked on my garden for many years and has transformed it from something ordinary into a beautiful retreat. Two shade gardens and three flower beds have been created and a fourth flower bed has been enlarged. Improving the garden is a work in progress - a little bit at a time. All plans and plantings are discussed beforehand. The fact that there is a limited supply of water is taken into account and plants are chosen accordingly. Projects have always been completed on schedule and everyone works well together MJ McCabe is garden artist - her choice of flowers, foliage, and shrubs reflect this. What pleases me the most is that everything looks so natural and beautiful. Most recent project date: June 2013