About Us

Hello, I’m Rebecca Winter. 

A career horticulturist since I was 18 years old, I spent 15 years working for other garden and landscape businesses, observing their methods before creating my own garden company. 

I recognized that the best and most successful approach to landcare is to work with the Earth and not against it. I am proud to eschew antiquated methods of conquering the planet with domination and chemicals in favor of nurturing plants in support of all life. 

When I started this company  I had a choice to make: I could keep doing things the way I was taught, or I could do better.

 Eco friendly landscape companies didn’t exist during my tenure in greenhouses and nurseries; if I wanted to work at one, I would have to create it. And so, Smartyplants was born. 

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I wanted to actively manage gardens and redesign them to focus on helping the planet. And I wanted to spend my winter season traveling in search of new plants to trial in my northeast gardens. I have blended these goals and now create gardens in Connecticut all spring and summer and then in winter, I migrate to Florida where I seasonally update client gardens in ways the HOA companies simply aren’t capable. 

When my winter adventures conclude, I pack up the plants I’ve amassed to bring home to trial in the New England summer landscape.

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Through my adventurous life I have learned that the more diversity we embrace, the more we can potentially learn. Continual learning is an integral life experience in order to grow. 

Growth is the whole point. 

As we spend more time with people who are different than ourselves, the more we find we have in common. At Smartyplants Design, we promote a culture of inclusivity. Because gardening is for everyone. 

Gardens should be a place of sanctuary for all beings. We approach land care with a commitment to sustainability, selecting plant material that will flourish with minimal resources and contribute to a healthy, diverse ecosystem. 

In an era of unprecedented global pesticide and herbicide use, it is rare to find a company that exclusively utilizes only the safest techniques for people, pets and pollinators. Wellness begins in the garden and we are conscious of our role in keeping the planet and all of its occupants healthy.

We’re purposefully cultivating ecosystems and caring for the creatures living within them. We listen intently to our clients and adhere to their preferences while offering ecologically sound advice and guidance. We pay attention to the details. We want our clients to have a successful and healthy garden because we want to be invited back to assist in the next garden project. And the one after that! We may be in the garden business but we recognize that what we really do is build relationships. 

If this is the type of company you’re looking to work with, we look forward to hearing from you. 

We are a small business. We do not function like a large firm and we like it this way. We take our time and get to know you in order to customize your gardens to your specific tastes and preferences. What sets us apart is our plant knowledge. When we approach a new design, the world is at our fingertips. We regularly work with a vast array of materials seldom acknowledged by most landscape companies. We have fostered relationships with local growers throughout the state of Connecticut and as a result, we have access to a diverse selection of materials.