Today we’d like to introduce you to Sara Smith.
Hi Sara, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
For me, landscaping has always been about much more than plants. I started The Girls Landscaping 26 years ago from a genuine love of being outdoors, working with my hands, and appreciating the beauty found in nature. Over the years, that love has grown into a passion for helping my clients create outdoor spaces that feel like a natural extension of their homes.
I love getting to know my clients—their homes, their style, and how they want to live in their outdoor spaces—and then bringing those ideas to life. My goal is to create gardens that are not only beautiful, but functional, welcoming, and personal.
One of the things I still enjoy most after 26 years is the creativity of landscape design. There is something incredibly rewarding about taking an ordinary or overlooked space and transforming it into a garden that makes someone stop and appreciate the beauty of nature. A beautiful garden shouldn’t just complement a home—it should make you want to step outside and be part of it.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Absolutely, there have been a few—but I’ve always loved a good challenge.
When I started my landscaping business 26 years ago, there simply weren’t many women working in the industry. Interestingly, women became some of my biggest supporters. They appreciated having someone who noticed the details, listened to what they wanted, and—maybe most importantly—made sure everything was cleaned up when the job was finished!
There were certainly people who questioned whether a woman could handle the physical side of landscaping—lifting heavy plants and shrubs, working long days, and doing the demanding work the job requires. That just made me work harder and prove that I could.
I’ve never been afraid of hard work. If anything, being underestimated gave me a little extra motivation. And 26 years later, I think I can safely say I stuck with it. 😝
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I feel incredibly fortunate to have a team that has been with me for many years. That consistency is a big part of who we are. My employees know our clients, they know their properties, and they learn the little things each client likes—or doesn’t like. I think that kind of personal attention has become harder to find, and it’s something I’m very proud of.
Over the years, we’ve also become especially known for our boxwood care. Changes in our climate, along with increasing disease and pest pressures, have made maintaining beautiful boxwoods much more challenging. I’m fortunate to have several people on my team who are very knowledgeable about keeping them healthy, vibrant, and looking their best.
My personal favorite, though, has to be seasonal pots and planters. That’s where I really get to play! I never want to repeat the exact same look year after year. I love experimenting with different colors, textures, plants, and combinations so that each season feels fresh and each client’s home has its own personality.
I also love the design side of the business because good landscape design begins with getting to know the client. I want to know what they love—and just as importantly, what they don’t love. One of my favorite questions is, “Which rooms in your home do you spend the most time in?” Then I’ll ask to see the view from those rooms. If that’s the view they see every morning over coffee or every evening from their favorite chair, I want to make that part of their landscape beautiful.
Today, The Girls Landscaping provides landscape design, installation, seasonal plantings and ongoing maintenance, but I think what we are really known for is something much simpler: knowing our clients, knowing their gardens, and caring for their properties as if they were our own.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
After 26 years in business, I’m incredibly grateful that all of our growth has come through word of mouth and referrals from longtime clients. To me, that is one of the greatest compliments we can receive.
I also enjoy collaborating with homeowners, builders, designers and other professionals who believe, as I do, that the landscape should complement the home and the way the people living there actually use it.
The best way to support a small local business like mine is really very simple—recommend us when you love our work, share our name with friends and neighbors, and give us the opportunity to create something beautiful.
I’m always excited to meet a new client, walk their property, hear their ideas and see what we can create together.
