About Us
Starting in 2023, Canterbury Landscaping became a design only company. Today we provide clients with the same design expertise as we have since our company’s inception.
Michelle Pekko-Seymoure
Canterbury Landscaping’s Principle designer, studied Ornamental Horticulture and Landscape Design at Cal Poly Pomona. She joined Canterbury Landscaping in 2006 after working for several years in the landscape field. Michelle’s specialty is California Native and Mediterranean climate plants although she has extensive experience in all styles of landscape design. She has been a featured designer at the Pasadena Showcase House of Design for four years including a re-design of the front of the Boddy House at Descanso Gardens in La Canada-Flintridge. She also was an Exterior Committee Advisor to the 2009 Showcase House. Michelle did a complete design for the grounds of the new corporate headquarters of Trader Joe’s markets in 2013.
Ken Bilheimer
Ken started landscaping in 1979. He retired at the end of 2022 after installing hundreds of residential landscapes in many different styles, but continues in an advisory role. He has been a featured designer at the Pasadena Showcase House of Design for twenty years and Exterior Committee Advisor for two. His winning design is featured on HGTV’s Landscaper’s Challenge
What people say about us…
“Michelle’s design is like no other: it is dynamic and has a “flow.” Her plant placement is asymmetrical yet strategic and harmonious; different angles provide unique views, all beautiful. Our yard looks much bigger than before although it remains the same size.
Before, the front lawn was just a space that separated our house from the street. Now it is part of our living space. We sit outside to watch hummingbirds, have a drink, go over mail or simply relax. We take a walk in and around the front yard and make new discoveries every morning. Michelle said that a native garden is a place for exploration; it is so true.
The benefit of a native garden is more than just a reduced water bill. It lets you reconnect with nature. A successfully landscaped garden has a sense of mystery; it keeps luring you in. Canterbury created such a garden for us.”
“Michelle created a design with which we instantly fell in love. She is an artistic genius who not only creates a natural and balanced visual symphony but also creates a thoughtful design to increase your quality of life.”
“Our finished landscape project is my idea of perfection. This is not surprising perhaps given the very thorough vetting process Michelle undertakes at the outset. She asks a lot of questions, but more importantly, she asks the questions that enable her to distil an inarticulate expression of my “vision” into a design so spot-on that we implemented it almost without alteration. I spoke in generalities (“I want it to look like that movie “Howard’s End”) and Michelle brought it to life in my front yard. Actually “front yard” is no longer an appropriate descriptor- I now have a front garden replete with lush perennial beds punctuated by meandering gravel pathways, a parterre, and horticultural delights too numerous to recount.
Michelle’s talent and creativity and her equally important ability to listen to and assimilate a client’s inexpert musings into a cohesive design are unique.”
“I could not be happier with how the yard turned out. The thoughtful design, which incorporated existing stepping stones, is peaceful and clean, with a touch of whimsy. The transformation has been truly amazing and makes me happy every time I walk outside.”
“Michelle’s a true artist with an artist’s palette- but she’s also a superior botanist. She really does know what goes where- not just aesthetically but organically and how to prevent anything from clashing.
We had some pretty odd plant requests- I wanted a garden with a lot of black/dark plants including Schwarzkopf Aeoniums and Michelle incorporated ALL of our whimsical demands and somehow made everything gel. Quite a feat. She does not impose her own design. She actually listens to you and what you want / need- and then exceeds your expectations by a notch or three.
The design was head and shoulders above what we received from other companies in terms of how well it matched our requests, its style and the plant selection. Our front yard was literally transformed. It’s an absolute pleasure to come home to our new yard and we are very excited to see it grow. Our neighbors have already given us a lot of great comments.”
“Michelle worked very closely with us to come up with a beautiful, almost completely California Native design that we couldn’t be happier with. Her plant knowledge is astounding. She’d be happy to hear that the butterfly, dragonfly, and bird population is already up!”
“We couldn’t be more pleased with our water-wise front yard! I don’t consider myself a creative type, but I do appreciate beautiful surroundings. I had no vision for the front yard- I just knew I wanted the lawn out and I wanted the new landscaping to be beautiful and inviting. Michelle asked a lot of questions and I didn’t realize until she brought the conceptual plan for review just how closely she was listening and how she asked the right questions to ascertain a vision for me.”
“Michelle’s design is dynamic and harmonious, providing unique views at different angles. Our new yard is not just a beautiful place to look at but also an exciting place to wander around in. We spend more time in our front yard now watching birds, finding new blooms, and simply relaxing in the middle of nature.”
Cities we serve:
Alhambra
Altadena
Arcadia
Bradbury
Duarte
Eagle Rock
Highland Park
La Canada-Flintridge
Monrovia
Pasadena
San Gabriel
San Marino
Sierra Madre
South Pasadena
Whittier
(Please enquire for availability in other cities).