Reilly Designs Comparative Summary

If you asked him for the defining characteristic of gardens created by Reilly Designs, owner Scott Reilly might say the “Wow Factor.” He uses the term to describe gardens that “delight the senses and often take on dreamlike, ethereal qualities.”

“We want your garden to be a place that brings peace and transports you beyond your day-to-day worries,” he says.

Mr. Reilly is a renowned landscaper whose 20-year reputation traces back to his days attending the gardens of Tudor Place in Washington D.C., whose flora contain cuttings from George Washington’s Mt. Vernon Estate. Having burnished his credentials as head gardener at the Thom Weisel Estate, he started Reilly Designs in 2006 and quickly built a dedicated following in the North Bay.

The company specializes in “conceptual” landscape design that draws on a range of influences, including Asian, free form, contemporary, French, Mediterranean, English, American-style, and native. It embraces an approach that Mr. Reilly calls “artistic and instinctive,” one that brings to bear his staff’s deep knowledge of plants and extensive design experience.

Reilly Design creates hardscapes such as terraces and patios, addition to fences, gates, decks, fire and water elements, outdoor lighting, and pathways. No subcontractors are used; its own staff carries out all masonry, electrical work, carpentry and related functions. It also supplies year-round maintenance services.

The company is shaping up as a family affair. Mr. Reilly’s sister Kerry, a horticulturist and garden designer, is on staff, and is brother-in-law John Marchetto, also a horticulturist. Mr. Reilly also employs a certified licensed technician (CRT) who specializes in designing, troubleshooting and maintaining irrigation. Rounding out the team are skilled and knowledgeable landscapers who take immense pride in their work. They specialize in creating unique environments that stay beautiful and vibrant year-round.

Mr. Reilly collaborates closely with his associate, James Polack, a licensed Landscape Architect. Together they work with the client to achieve their unique landscape vision. Mr. Polack's skills and considerable experience in large-scale planning and design provide the perfect complement to Mr. Reilly's expertise as a plantsman and experience in large estate work. As a licensed landscape architect, Mr. Polack establishes a design program for each project, determining the client's wants and needs, as well as the site's capabilities and potential. His unique ability to see the big picture and create detailed construction documents enables him to uncover each project's potential while providing the technical expertise necessary to support the project's construction. Less concerned with creating portfolio projects than with meeting client's needs and goals, Mr. Polack approaches each project as a collaborator, without imposing predetermined ideas or a signature design. He takes pride in consistently producing creative solutions unique to his clients and the challenges and opportunities of their environment.