011 - Building A Great Garden - Brooks Garcia

Brooks Garcia is fulfilling his dream in the Northeast Georgia Mountains. The sun awakens him every day to his new adventure at Villa del Sole. A Tuscan style home and garden complete with long vistas to far mountain ridges. He designed and built his Georgia version of a Tuscan style home complete with a clay tile roof and wood burning fireplace. When the sun slips behind the ridge Brooks celebrates another fulfilling day building his garden with a swimming pool soak. In our conversation Brooks reveals the key to unlocking Georgia’s red clay soils and growing flourishing healthy plants in your garden. Designing and building his “last great garden”. He talks about his favorite plants and how to use them in garden design. Some you won’t believe. He shares his hands in the dirt experiences building award winning gardens at the Chelsey Flower Show, Southeastern Flower Show, and Foxhall Flower Show. Brooks worked for Ryan Gainey as his personal assistant where he helped create many outstanding gardens in Atlanta, Long Island and abroad in France. For 25 years Brooks created gardens for his fellow Atlantans through his company Fine Gardens. Brooks attended the Lovett School and upon graduation went on to the University of Georgia earning his BLA in Landscape Architecture. Brooks has given his time restoring historical Old Clarkesville Cemetery, Hills and Dales in LaGrange and Historic Oakland Cemetery.