Featured Designer: Nancy Fasoldt

February 2025
Owner and Designer at Fasoldt Gardens, LLC
Member since 2018

This quarter Nancy Fasoldt shares how merging industrial design, sculpture, and landscape design led to the creation of Fasoldt Gardens, LLC.

Nancy Fasoldt, owner and designer at Fasoldt Design, LLC.
Photo: Chloe Fasoldt

When did you start designing gardens? Tell us about your path from then to now.

The process of discovering a career fascinates me, especially when I reflect on my own journey. Like many my path has been shaped by steppingstones, some surprising, but each one leading to the next. Let me share mine.

As a child, I didn’t have much interest in gardening—it was more of a dreaded family chore. However, I found solace in nature, particularly in the woods and in crafting things. While gardening wasn’t my passion then, I was always drawn to nature and creativity.

In middle school I enrolled in a Mechanical Drawing class, where I was the only female student. I loved it! This sparked my interest in architecture. I designed my ‘dream house’ in 1970s Brady Bunch style inspired by a magazine ad. I recall telling my parents I wanted to study architecture at Berkeley—a bold dream for a Midwestern girl.

In high school my focus briefly shifted to international relations. But everything changed when I saw the beautiful renderings of a college interior design student’s portfolio. Inspired, I asked myself “How can I do that?” A local interior designer told my mom I’d need to go to New York City or Los Angeles to study design. This advice led me to apply to art schools, and I attended Pratt Institute in 1985.

At Pratt I began studying interior design but switched to industrial design after realizing interior design lacked the depth I was seeking. Pratt supported my direction, and I joined their Space Analysis program in industrial design, allowing me to focus on spatial design. By my senior year I envisioned myself as an artist creating sculptures and designing public spaces.

After college, I started my architectural model-making business in New York City, applying the skills I developed in industrial design. I worked with artists on public art proposals while exhibiting my own sculptures in Brooklyn. My work incorporated plants and earthwork-inspired designs. Realizing my limited plant knowledge was holding me back, I took horticulture classes at the New York and Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. That’s when the ‘plant bug’ truly bit me! I enrolled as a full-time horticulture student at the New York Botanical Garden and worked with a small company that specialized in rooftop gardens in Manhattan.

In 1996, after having my first child, I moved to Seattle for a better quality of life and more affordable living. It was here that my landscape career really began to take off.

Garden plan and corresponding foam core model of a 4-tiered garden. All designs and installations by Fasoldt Gardens, LLC. All photos by Nancy Fasoldt

Is your focus design? Or do you also manage installation, build, and maintain gardens?

My background includes both design and hands-on garden management. I began with formal training in industrial design and landscape design. I also gained practical experience working in garden maintenance in New York City, which was an important steppingstone. I became the owner of a landscape maintenance business in Seattle, where I spent eight years learning the ins-and-outs of garden design through direct fieldwork. This experience deeply shaped my approach to design, as I gained an understanding of what works in a garden over time.

For 12 years, Dave Fasoldt and I ran Fasoldt Gardens, LLC, as a design+build business, specializing in full yard renovations. We created over 100 rain gardens for Seattle’s Rain Wise program. This hands-on experience with both design and installation taught me the critical relationship between conceptual design and the practicalities of building and maintaining gardens.

For the past two years I’ve focused solely on landscape design, running a business that lets me dive deeper into the creative and planning aspects of each project. I also enjoy designing container gardens and indoor foliage, flower and woodland arrangements.

Construction and finished planting for one of the more than 100 rain gardens created for the City of Seattle’s Rainwise program.

How would you describe your design style?

I don’t like to limit myself to a specific style, but a consistent aesthetic emerges through my work. I approach each project as an unique, abstract space, building it in layers—each decision leading to the next until the overall ‘style’ takes shape.

I like to explore various aesthetics, and my style adapts to each project’s context and vision. The design should be driven by the house, the space, and the client’s preferences. I’m comfortable working with both curves and straight lines. The end result should feel like an extension of the architecture and the people who live there

Walkways, seating and decorative elements are few of the many details that are considered when designing a garden.

What experiences have you found to be most rewarding?

I’m most successful when a project has constraints or parameters. I don’t enjoy working with a completely blank slate. The most rewarding experiences occur when clients have a clear vision for the use of their outdoor space, and trust me to bring their needs to life in a cohesive way.

When there’s flexibility in the budget, I enjoy incorporating elements like sculpture, furniture, or unique focal points. These details can elevate a design and give it more personality. One project I’m particularly excited about is a lavender labyrinth I designed that is currently under construction. It’s a unique feature I’m thrilled to see come to life.

Do you collaborate with other designers?

Yes! While running Fasoldt Gardens, LLC, I had the opportunity to work with several talented designers, including APLDWA members Heidi Fehr, Cindy Hazard, Heidi Walther, and Kathryn Neumann. Cindy and I worked together on rain gardens for Seattle’s Rain Wise program. I enjoy collaborating with other designers, especially on public or residential projects where my expertise adds value. I particularly enjoy creating planting plans, sourcing plants, project management, and integrating elements like sculpture into a design.

What would your ideal project be?

Ultimately, I’d love to return to the inspiration that first led me to study plants: designing public spaces and creating large-scale land and plant-related artworks. I’m interested in designing artful walking meditation gardens—spaces that foster slowing down and reflection. I’d love opportunities to merge art and landscape on a larger scale.

For now, my focus remains on residential landscape design, which has been both fulfilling and rewarding. I take great satisfaction in helping clients create meaningful and beautiful outdoor spaces, and I’m excited to continue my journey of creating spaces that connect people to nature.

Creating container designs and planting plans are ways that Fasoldt Gardens connects their clients to nature.

Nancy Fasoldt
Fasoldt Gardens, LLC
https://fasoldtgardens.com/wp/
Contact: fasoldtgardens@gmail.com
Instagram.com/fasoldtgardens