Symbiotic Ecological Design

I asked Micah Slavkin/Symbiotic Ecological Design to develop a design that would create a welcoming entrance to our home which sits in the center of a large meadow. The house and out buildings on the site were new construction and the property had not been landscaped previously. In this context, we discussed how the gardens and lawn could merge into the native meadow and how permaculture principles would help accomplish the goal of an integrated habitat. Micah was responsive to my questions and concerns throughout the design process. His suggestions added value to the design. Although I decided not to dedicate a substantial portion of the design to permaculture gardens, I will use his insights to continue the health of the meadow. It was a pleasure to work with Micah. He is knowledgeable. His work is professional and timely. I heartily recommend him.

I used Symbiotic Ecological Design to design plans for the exterior of my home. This included hardscape as well as the establishment of multiple native gardens. Micah was incredibly patient and detail oriented and took the time to understanding the land and our objectives for design and sustainability. Micah's formal training and passion for permaculture really aligned to our vision. Micah delivered on time and in budget, with his beautiful design for our property.

Micah Slavkin was very professional and thorough in taking on my landscape design project. He is a very conscientious yet artistic plant enthusiast and I found his design to be creative yet perfectly fitting to my needs, accommodating stringent Homeowners Association requirements as well as a natural pond. One challenge was using the water feature while engineering the correct drainage flow. Micah was able to bring the project to an attractive, functional and environmentally sustainable fruition.

I am on the grounds committee for Canal Shores Golf Course in Evanston and Wilmette. Micah donated his time and expertise to design a Butterfly Garden for an approximately 5,000 sq ft area of the course. He was very knowledgeable on Native plants. His design met our stated goals and made great suggestions to make the design more engaging with the community residents that will enjoy it.

Micah is an exceptional professional designer. Upon starting my property redesign, Micah spent a lot of time listening and developing a plan that suites my family's lifestyle. We are conservation minded, we wanted to improve the ecology in the neighborhood. Micah drew a plan that is beautiful and sustainably sound. We loved it and would recommend Micah for any size project.