About Us
Founded in 1999, Alex Smith Garden Design, Ltd. has designed and implemented notable gardens and landscapes in Atlanta and throughout the Southeast. We pride ourselves on creating engaging environments that are sustainable, appropriate to place, responsive to architecture, and most importantly, exceed client expectations. With a passion for plants, a sharp eye for detail, and refined artistic sensibilities, founder Alex Smith is recognized for signature landscapes that evoke a sense of unforced grace and cohesion.
Alex Smith is a three-time recipient of the prestigious Philip Trammell Shutze Award, presented by the Southeast Chapter of the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art. Alex’s projects have been featured in Southern Living, Coastal Living, Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles, Atlanta Style and Design, Atlanta Magazine, Better Homes and Gardens, Flower Magazine, Macon Magazine, Luxe Interiors + Design, and Trends. His work is also featured in the following publications: Veranda: The Art of Outdoor Living and Inspired by Tradition: The Architecture of Norman Davenport Askins, and in Summerour: Architecture of Permanence, Scale, and Proportion, and Tradition Made New: Houses with a Sense of Soul and History. Twice his work has been the subject of the long-running PBS gardening show, GardenSMART.
Chamblee, Georgia Office
Our Chamblee, Georgia design studio and surrounding landscape serve as both inspiration and working grounds for the creation of our gardens. Located on a once overgrown lot, the design studio is housed in a renovated 1920s farmhouse that was previously abandoned. Alex and his late father, Cathey Alexander Smith, saw the potential in the neglected property. Instead of demolishing the deteriorated structure, Alex gutted the interior, raised the ceilings, and alongside a team of skilled craftsmen, transformed it into a spacious, light-filled studio with reclaimed heart pine floors and walls.
The entire property was cleared of kudzu and graded to create room for gardening, propagating specimen plants, and support for our maintenance and installation teams. Today the site includes a greenhouse and cold frame for cultivating select plant varieties, a wildflower meadow that changes seasonally, and lush perennial borders. Nostalgic foundation plantings frame the farmhouse and cut flowers from our gardens adorn the studio throughout the year. The grounds reflect our deep commitment to horticulture, creativity, and a profound connection to land and place.
Scaly Mountain, North Carolina Office
In 2018, we expanded into the foothills of western North Carolina in the charming community of Scaly Mountain. Located just southwest of Highlands, our second location serves as a headquarters for projects throughout western North Carolina, the lake region of South Carolina, and north Georgia. The three-acre site houses dedicated greenhouses and a beautifully renovated barn, serving as our creative hub and welcome meeting center. The cool mountain climate is ideal for nurturing young plants and cultivating an exceptional selection of trees, shrubs, and specialty plants curated and nurtured by our skilled gardeners. Our Scaly Mountain location offers expert horticultural maintenance, garden renovations, season color, and facilitates the installation of large-scale design projects.
