Episode 156: Finding Design Inspiration with Jay Sifford

Jay Sifford is an award-winning landscape designer based in North Carolina. Several of his garden designs have been featured in Fine Gardening, including a one-of-a-kind modern meadow garden and a series of beautiful, functional dry creek beds.

Jay’s immersive, naturalistic landscape designs are based around four cornerstones: art, magic, story, and horticulture. In this episode, Jay offers insights into the ways that these elements can be incorporated into a truly personal garden space.

Jay sees this modern meadow garden as a stylized version of nature where fantasy and reality collide. 

Grasses and perennials planted in large masses and punctuated with unique conifers give the meadow garden its unique appeal. 

In winter, evergreens and grasses add structure and interest to the snowy landcape.

Another view of the meadow garden at the peak of summer. 

A dry streambed designed to manage stormwater doubles as a dynamic visual element. 

Gravel pathways were the perfect solution for this pet-friendly landscape. 

Every garden design that Jay creates includes a little bit of magic.