5 Best Garden Design Services in New York (2026)

Independently ranked by our review of ratings, reviews and reputation · How we chose

By Brad Smith, Home Services Expert · ✓ Data verified July 2026 · 8 min read

A New York backyard is often a slab of concrete, and a rooftop is just tar and vents until someone with a plan gets involved. Garden design services in New York carry some of the tightest ratings on the site: all but one of the names below sit at a perfect 5.0, and between them they have logged more than 150 Google reviews on rooftop, terrace and brownstone-yard projects across the boroughs. The real decision is not who designs well, since nearly everyone here does. It is who designs for your kind of space.

Short answer: Metropolitan Garden Design leads with the deepest track record among design specialists, 4.9 stars across 54 reviews, mostly for Manhattan rooftop and terrace work. Modern Urban Design Landscaping and Landstylist: Landscape Design are both rated a perfect 5.0, one built around Brooklyn hardscape-and-planting projects, the other around remote and in-person design consultations. Expect a design consultation fee before installation, with full rooftop or backyard projects running well into five figures depending on scope.

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1. Metropolitan Garden De…
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3. Landstylist: Landscape…
4. Christina Brown Garden…
5. New York Plantings Gar…
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Garden Designers Side by Side

#	Business	Rating	Reviews	Best for
1	Metropolitan Garden Design	4.9 ★	54	Rooftop & terrace design	View ›
2	Modern Urban Design Landscaping	5.0 ★	28	Design with custom hardscape	View ›
3	Landstylist: Landscape Design	5.0 ★	27	Design consultations & DIY plans	View ›
4	Christina Brown Gardens	5.0 ★	22	Native planting & pollinator gardens	View ›
5	New York Plantings Garden Designers and Landscape Contractors NYC	4.2 ★	38	Restoration & repair design	View ›

5 Best Garden Design Services in New York (2026)

The design specialists worth calling

#1 Overall🕑 Open 7 days↩ Responds to reviews

Metropolitan Garden Design

4.954 Google reviews

Metropolitan Garden Design is a full-service urban landscape design and construction company built specifically around New York's rooftops, terraces, backyards and sidewalk plantings. The Upper East Side firm designs both residential and commercial spaces, pairing planting plans with custom drip irrigation and landscape lighting so a garden survives a New York summer without constant hand-watering. It also runs seasonal maintenance packages, from pruning to plant health care, to keep a design looking finished well past install day.

What people praise

Praised for turning rooftops and small terraces into genuinely usable outdoor rooms
Owner Ben is described as hands-on, punctual and dedicated to the craft
Strong repeat-client relationships for ongoing seasonal maintenance
Custom irrigation and lighting built into the original design, not bolted on later

Worth knowing

One reviewer was told the firm was not taking on small standalone repair jobs outside full design work
Best suited to design-and-build projects rather than one-off fixes

Reputation scorecardrank in New York

Rating4.9 / 5

Review volume54 · 97th

Confidenceearly

Recency4 months ago

Info completenesssite · phone · hours

Rating breakdown96% 5-star

✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: The deepest review history of any pure design specialist on this list, almost entirely about turning tricky rooftop and terrace footprints into gardens people actually use. If your space is unconventional, this is the first call.

Website +1347-325-1720 Directions

22 E 88th St, New York, NY 10128

#2🕑 Open 7 days

Modern Urban Design Landscaping

5.028 Google reviews

Modern Urban Design Landscaping, known to clients as M.U.D., is a Brooklyn design-and-build firm that pairs landscape design with carpentry, masonry and fencing so a plan does not stop at the planting bed. For garden design specifically, reviewers describe a collaborative process: the team listens to a rough idea, then sketches and builds custom features like benches, planters and trellises around it. Every review on file gives the full five stars.

What people praise

Design process described as genuinely collaborative, not a fixed catalog
Custom-built elements (benches, planters, water features) integrated into the design
Clean, considerate crews even inside occupied apartments
On-time delivery and thorough final walkthroughs

Worth knowing

Design work is bundled with build services, so a design-only engagement may be a smaller part of what they offer

Reputation scorecardrank in New York

Rating5 / 5

Review volume28 · 87th

Confidenceearly

Recency6 weeks ago

Info completenesssite · phone · hours

Rating breakdown100% 5-star

✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: The pick if your design needs custom carpentry or masonry worked in from the start, not added after the fact. A perfect rating across every review makes it hard to argue with.

Website +1917-692-2054 Directions

260 Cumberland St, Brooklyn, NY 11205

#3🕑 Open 5 days/wk

Landstylist: Landscape Design

5.027 Google reviews

Landstylist: Landscape Design, founded by New Yorker Julie Farris, focuses purely on the design side: virtual and on-site consultations, concept plans, and DIY guides for people who want a professional plan but plan to hire their own installer or plant it themselves. The Brooklyn-based practice covers Manhattan, Brooklyn, upstate New York, the Hamptons and Connecticut, and Farris has picked up regional design awards for her residential garden work.

What people praise

Virtual consultation option works for anyone, even outside the immediate NYC area
Praised for translating a vague idea into a concrete, buildable plan
Recommends trusted contractors and vendors for the install phase
Every review on file is five stars, several citing responsiveness

Worth knowing

Design-first model means you will likely need a separate contractor for installation
Smaller practice, so lead times may run longer during peak planting season

Reputation scorecardrank in New York

Rating5 / 5

Review volume27 · 82th

Confidenceearly

Recency4 years ago

Info completenesssite · hours

Rating breakdown100% 5-star

✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: Best for someone who wants a real plan on paper before deciding who builds it, especially if budget or DIY ambition is part of the equation.

Website Directions

195 Montague St, Brooklyn, NY 11231

#4🕑 Open 5 days/wk↩ Responds to reviews

Christina Brown Gardens

5.022 Google reviews

Christina Brown Gardens is a Brooklyn-based full-service garden design and maintenance company specializing in native and pollinator-friendly plantings, roof decks and building entranceways. The company designs, sources and installs plants, then maintains what it plants, including multi-year relationships caring for building entrances and private backyards across Brooklyn neighborhoods like Prospect Heights and Cobble Hill.

What people praise

Strong focus on native, pollinator-friendly plant selection
Praised for adjusting cost plans fairly around a client's budget
Long-running relationships, including one building entrance maintained since 2017
Every review on file rates the work five stars

Worth knowing

Small team, so availability can tighten during spring and early summer

Reputation scorecardrank in New York

Rating5 / 5

Review volume22 · 76th

Confidenceearly

Recency5 months ago

Info completenesssite · phone · hours

Rating breakdown100% 5-star

✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: The clear choice if the goal is a garden that supports local pollinators and plant life, not just a nice-looking layout, with the same designer sticking around to maintain it.

Website +1917-391-8806 Directions

250 Park Pl, Brooklyn, NY 11238

#5🕑 Open 7 days↩ Responds to reviews

New York Plantings Garden Designers and Landscape Contractors NYC

4.238 Google reviews

New York Plantings Garden Designers and Landscape Contractors NYC has operated since 1999, specializing in penthouse terrace gardens, rooftop and townhouse landscape design, drip irrigation and landscape lighting across Manhattan. Beyond new design, the team is regularly called in to restore gardens damaged by construction, scaffolding or neglect, evaluating what survived and rebuilding the planting plan around it.

What people praise

Praised for restoring gardens after storm or construction damage
Long operating history, over two decades in NYC penthouse and terrace work
Responsive follow-up on irrigation and seasonal plant health
Handles custom planter fabrication alongside the design

Worth knowing

Rating trails the rest of this list at 4.2, with a handful of reviewers flagging inconsistent experiences
No public street address listed, so confirm the service area covers your building before booking

Reputation scorecardrank in New York

Rating4.2 / 5

Review volume38 · 92th

Confidenceearly

Recency9 months ago

Info completenesssite · phone · hours

Rating breakdown79% 5-star

✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: Worth a call specifically when a garden needs to be rebuilt or rescued, not started from scratch. It ranks lowest here on rating, so weigh that against the restoration specialty.

Website +1347-558-7051 Directions

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Watch: 5 Best Garden Design Services in New York (2026)

How we rank these

Every number on this page comes from public Google data on the date shown, not opinion or payment. Rating is each firm’s live Google star average. Review volume shows how many customers have rated them, measured against the other garden designers on this page. Confidence weighs the rating by that volume, so a 5.0 from dozens of reviews counts for more than a 5.0 from a handful. Recency reflects how recently people are still leaving reviews. No business can pay to change these numbers.

How much does garden design cost in New York? (2026)

Garden design pricing in New York depends heavily on square footage, site access (rooftop versus ground level) and whether the fee covers a concept plan only or a full design-and-build package. Several firms on this list bundle a paid consultation into the process before quoting the full project.

Serving all of New York

These garden designers work across Manhattan, Brooklyn and the wider metro, from Upper East Side rooftops to Cobble Hill backyards and Long Island terraces. Searching for a garden designer near me? Every listing below shows a live phone number and directions to the closest option.

What to ask before you hire a garden designer

Does the fee cover a concept plan only, or design plus installation?
Have you designed rooftop or terrace spaces with similar sun, wind and weight constraints?
Who sources and installs the plants, and do you offer ongoing seasonal maintenance?
Is irrigation or lighting included in the design, or quoted separately?
Can I see photos of a completed project similar in size to mine?

Frequently asked questions

How did you choose these garden designers?

We started from garden design businesses in New York with a public Google presence, then ranked by rating, review volume, consistency and recency. See How we rank these above.

Are these rankings paid?

No. Rankings come from the public Google data in the scorecard. A business can pay to be a Featured Partner, which adds a badge and top placement, but that never changes another business’s score or position on the underlying data.

How often is this updated?

The data carries a verified date (July 2026 on this page). We refresh listings periodically so ratings and review counts stay current.

Do I need a permit for a rooftop or terrace garden in New York?

Some rooftop installations, especially those involving structural weight, drainage or fixed planters, may require building or co-op board approval. Ask your designer whether your project needs sign-off before work starts.

What is the difference between a garden designer and a landscaper here?

Garden designers on this page focus on planning, planting selection and aesthetics, often working with a separate installer or contractor. If you need construction, hardscaping or a full-property build, see our landscaping companies page instead.

The bottom line

Metropolitan Garden Design is the safe default for most rooftop and terrace projects, with the deepest review history of any design specialist here. If your garden needs native, pollinator-friendly planting, Christina Brown Gardens is the stronger fit. Either way, get a written scope before the first shovel goes in.

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