For Chantal Bouchard of Nature Design landscape consulting, plants have always been a passion.
Coastal Point • Monica Fleming
Chantal Brouchard of Nature Design is a trained horticulturist who grew up in Montreal, Canada. She now lives in the area and previously worked for the Town of Bethany Beach, before starting Nature Design
“I really couldn’t see myself doing anything else,” she said of working with people to plan their landscapes. Growing up in Montreal, two blocks from the Montreal Botanical Garden, Bouchard was in her element from a very young age.
Now working in the coastal Delaware area, Bouchard tries to do a mix of native plants with ornamentals, while taking into account the homeowners’ wants and needs. She’ll typically meet with the client to discuss their vision and take into account the environment they are working with.
“I try to figure out the goal first. Do they want privacy? Do they want to attract birds? Do they want it to look pretty? Are they trying to hide a problem area? I try to go with what the environment tells you, what the customer wants, and what I think would look nice and blend it all together,” explained Bouchard.
Bouchard, a trained horticulturist, is well versed in coastal Delaware’s native plant species and tries to mix those with ornamentals. She worked for the Town of Bethany Beach before branching out on her own and helped create the native plant demonstration garden at the Bethany-Fenwick Area Chamber of Commerce. She will work with the customer and provide them a mix of what they want, but said she will not plant invasives, such as Bradford pear, English ivy, vinca and barberry, because they are too detrimental to the natural habitat.
“They displace the natives and usually don’t provide for the native birds and insect populations. You’re going against the grain,” she emphasized. “The birds, butterflies and insects need certain foods and, without them, whole species could be eradicated. You’re destroying the natural habitat.”
“We have such a nice climate in Southern Delaware,” continued Bouchard. “We are really lucky that way. I got interested in coastal Delaware and starting mixing the ornamentals with the indigenous. I wanted to do something for the environmental side of landscaping. Palm trees do great here, and I like to mix palms with native shrubs and native perennials. And a lot of natives are already used — people just don’t know they are natives.”
Although Nature Design and Bethany Beach Gardens are separate entities, Bouchard can often be reached at Bethany Beach Gardens’ location on West Avenue in Ocean View. Owner Rick Gentile, who sells plants wholesale and retail, and Bouchard have worked together for three years now.
“I found it hard to get what I was looking for, and here there is a nice wholesale selection and Rick was willing to bring in what I needed. Good quality natives are hard to find, but there will be more and more as people are getting into it.”
Although meeting with the customer to gauge their needs and wants is a necessary part of the job, it is sometimes fun to be able to totally let loose as well, Bouchard said.
“It’s great when the sky’s the limit — when a customer will throw their faith in you — it’s the best thing when they say ‘just do it!’” she said enthusiastically. “It’s better than Christmas. It’s fun when they are willing to try different things.”
Denise and Alan Curtis were recent customers of Bouchard’s Nature Design and are full of nothing but praise for her work. The Curtis’ landscape, although newly planted, boasts proud palm trees, mixed with native river birch, switch grass, holly and yucca.
“We couldn’t be happier,” said Denise. “We watched the DVD with the names of all the plants and the pictures, and saw her portfolio, and just said ‘go for it,’ and the proof is in the appearance. It looks fabulous. We would never have thought to put some of those things together and she really captured the essence of what we like.”
Chantal Bouchard and Nature Design can be reached by calling (302) 858-8586 or by e-mail at gardentech@hotmail.com.