Beauty, the quote says is in the eye of the beholder.  Making beauty for others to enjoy, brings me joy!   Landscape Design is now my medium as is Botanical Illustration.

The love of plants started as a childhood passion while walking the woods with my father searching for wildflowers.   Besides helping with tending the plants, I  tried building streams in our  garden.  AT age 12, the Dayton Daily New interviewed me as I showed them around the family garden, describing all the native azaleas and rhododendron.   Getting to this final career has been interesting, first as a professional ballet dance in NYC and Europe, a fashion designer and technical fashion designer/director for Jones NY and Ann Taylor.  

Going to Columbia University and getting the MS in Landscape Design was amazing and a wonderful way to change careers "offically" .   In reality, all my careers have been closely related and use the same core talents -  line, form, color along with attention to details  for an end to please the client and get the best possible design.  And the most important of all is making something beautiful and sustainable.   

___________________________

resume:

Articulate, imaginative and multi-dimensional designer seeks Landscape Design position.  Recipient of a silver award from LINLA for mini-scape design.  Detail oriented designer of high-end landscape designs: concept to completion, within budget and schedule.  Artistic hand and computerized renderings.  Low key, effective communicator with clients, contractors and co-workers.  Problem solver.  (Former award winning fashion designer)

       • Sustainable Green Roofs   • Green Walls   • Terraces & Roof Tops   • Urban Pocket Gardens   

                       • Suburban Residential Sites    • Hands on Plant knowledge   • Master Plans

Day to day responsibilities at kokobo greenscapes & Hicks: (along w staff directions & management, e-mails, follow-ups)

• Initial interviews with perspective clients addressing desires and needs.  Site analysis and measurements  

• Presented preliminary concept designs for acceptance for final design.  Most times original concept was picked “as is”

• CAD layouts noting hardscape, plants, accessories, drywells, retaining walls and debris removal   Construction docs

• Rendered perspectives and sections done by hand,  Sketch-Up and CAD

• Issued Design & Build Contracts with pricing.

Professional Experience

Hicks Nursery, Westbury, NY                                                                                        April 2014- Dec 2014

Senior Designer - Project Manager

•Private Residence, Locust Valley, NY: Design and sold 3-phase project of 10 acre estate  1st phase installed 6/16/14

•Private Residence, Kew Gardens, NY: Design and sold rock garden and a back yard revamp.    Installation 8/7/14.

• Hick’s Nursery Yard: CAD renderings for renovations of nursery yard including a fountain

•“Flower Show:  Designed “Modern Family” area for annual flower show.  CAD, hand and 3D renderings

•“Flower Show:  Redesigned other designers areas so designs work together as they opened onto walkways.  CAD & 3D for all

Kokobo greenscape, New York, NY boutique design and build landscape firm                   2011 - 2013

Designer and Project Manager

Solely responsible for following projects, plus at least 7 projects not listed below

•Private Residence, West 76St, NYC:  Client: East Hampton hotel owner.  Criteria: a flower garden, lawn and dining area in for  shady brownstone back area.  Client selects concepts.  Client’s partner desires to add a hot tub, table for 8 and storage shed to my design.  Discussions followed as the couple disagreed.   I negotiated solutions, sending revised layouts.  A final layout package, 3 D rendering and PDBA presented.  Dining area with a “banquette” with planter,  deck, hot tub, custom play house/storage shed with green roof  of herbs, flower bed and small lawn for children.          

•Private Residence, Queens, NY:  *Silver Award from LINLA.  Tudor house with run-down outdoor space.  Year long project, with design and contract approved in a timely manner.   Expeditor to handle permits to remove common garage wall to neighbor’s garage & asbestos inspection lengthy ordeal.  Design: small freeform sitting area of bluestone.  Curved planter wall softens the linear lines and negates the boxy feel of space.  Crushed bluestone between the planter wall and patio improves drainage. Outdoor Kitchen: runs into the curved wall and acts as a divider to “dining” area has granite top counter with extension for bar stools.  Rustic black iron pergola, with custom designed light fixture makes an intimate dining area.  Layered  evergreen plantings in different heights soften the room on 2 sides.  Linear bricks in-between the textured concrete flooring, brings the “house bricks” into the garden. Beige tinted stucco wall camouflages neighbor’s garage.  “existing porch” redesigned and installed.

•Green Walls, NYC:  Handled all green walls projects for kokobo.   Chose best type of green wall system and plants per site.   Designer and Project Manager for NBC commissary, Lombardy Hotel, Corian showroom

•Rooftops NYC:  Designs for 4 Co-ops communal areas, NoMad Hotel & 2 private residences: Each roof top with different exposures and needs leading to an Outstanding knowledge of roof top plantings

•Private Residence, Union Square, NYC:  3rd floor terrace Criteria: Japanese motif, dining area, play area, rainwater collection. Design: custom banquette with planters, pergola, ODK, Ipe decking with river rock inlays.  A Stewartia pseudocamellia as focal point from  interior view.  Original design accepted as submitted.  On hold due to building repairs with scaffolding on deck      

•Private Residence, City Island, NY:  Criteria – “Key West” garden incorporating new driveway, patio, plant beds and front entry walkway – ie total outdoor space.  On initial site visit, I noted plants to remain in place, incorporating  into new design.  Original layout plan loved by clients but wanted a swimming pool to replace original reflection pool.  Researched swimming pools and building codes and designed a lap pool with bridge crossing over far end of pool to hot tub.

Landscape Artistry by JGalle, New York, NY

Built Designs by Jean Galle                                                                                                            2009 –2011

•River View Terrace Co-op, Red Bank, NJ:  Planting design for entry “plaza” of co-op with harsh environment.  Mix of existing hexagonal and irregular built in raised planters.  Sourced plants at local nurseries   Project Manager                                                                                                                       4/2011

•Private Residence, Dayton, Ohio:  Cottage garden in front of house.  Full sun.  4 concept plans submitted including a symmetrical knot garden and a freeform curvilinear plan.   All layouts had easy access to planting beds, a “path” to wander, with corner to sit and drink morning coffee.  Major issue - the septic within the garden layout.  I installed freeform garden design for clients, so they could lay path and plant plants according to plant list  Clients delighted                           2010/2011

•Gowanus Canal, NYC: Teamed with 3 architects and 1 engineer to enter the “Gowanus Lowline Competition”

“Urban Estuary” Pairing the functionality of a Tidal Estuary with Community Development” using rain gardens and tidal areas as bio-remediation and water management.   (Not built)                        6/2011

•Chocolate Factory Condo, Brooklyn, NY:  Interviewed Board President. Criteria for 100’ x 140’ Sustainable green roof, to meet NYC tax abatements requirements: social areas for tenants and walkway to rooftop gym.   Original design with walkways, sweeping mounds of grasses between flat sedums areas built.     Can be seen on google earth                                                                     9-12/2009

•Private Residence, East 81St St., NYC: Criteria – Transformed bare walled space into an evergreen oasis.  Low budget and child friendly.  Acer japonica, the only deciduous plant, as focal point for descending interior stairs and ascending outdoor stairs.   Monthly maintenance still done on garden                                        5/2009

C. Whitmore’s Nursery Amagansett, NY.   Nursery and Landscape Company                                  2009

Nursery Sales and Customer Service

Developed repeat retail clients, advising on plant selections and design ideas for planter and sites within their gardens. Open and close cash register and tallied daily intake.  Entered plant orders, received plant deliveries from wholesale nurseries

Columbia University Masters of Science in Landscape Design 2009 - 2010

•Times Square Re-designed, NYC: Graduation presentation: Criteria – Re-design “Broadway” Times Square into Urban Park referencing Historical NYC as starting point.  Received “Kudos” from jury for “thinking out of the box” for design 

•Beacon, NY:  Master Plan of 35-acre river front park -done as a team effect.  Team lacked unity, after disagreements and Instructor’s threat of failing us all,  I took over the leadership.  Presentation of designs was at Robert AM Stern offices:  Crit from the jury on your final design  “ A very usable and workable master plan” 

•Beacon, NY: 8 acre detail plan as individual project.  I transformed an existing river cove into a pedestrian eco walk and marina.  A mounded sitting and viewing area over looks a boardwalk and marina with sustainable and native plantings.   Quote from the ALSA jury member on design, “I could see this plan being made”

•Alzheimer’s Healing Garden: Criteria: 200 x 400’ school lot in Brooklyn be transformed into healing garden for Alzheimer’s hospital.  Client: a classmate, with a Mother with Alzheimer’s.   For this design to be successful, open views for staff observation, multi-sitting areas, interesting “spots” to spark lost memories, no visible fences and most of all, a peaceful atmosphere for visiting family members.   Quote from Director of the LSD Program at Columbia, “amazed at the research done about the disease to create her design”

                                                                                       Education

              Columbia University, New York, NY     Masters of Science Landscape Design                 2010                    NY  Botanical Gardens, New York, NY       Certificate of Horticulture   Flower Garden Design      2011      

                                                                            Professional Affiliations

                                   • ASLA    • APLD    • Metro Hort    • New York Horticultural Society    • NYBG

                                              Chelsea Flower show, London England     Attended 2014

                                                                     Life before Landscape Design

• 7th Avenue Garment District:  Entrepreneur, Fashion Designer and Technical Designer for Ann Taylor, Jones NY, Galle,

• Director Technical Design:  Created technical design department for Kellwood, NYC managing 15 professionals

• Professional Ballet Dancer:  NYC and Europe  

• Wandering the woodlands of Ohio searching for wildflowers, helping my father tend his seed grown Azaleas, Rhododendrons and visiting Uncle Fred Galle, Landscape Director for Calloway Gardens                            ages 3 – 14