“One of my favorite styles is what I like to call the ‘Cottage Garden,’ ” McVicars said. “It’s timeless and green, with subtle details, but not too over the top.”

McVicars and his team at the Tempe-based Refined Gardens works one- on-one with clients during each step of the creative process to make their design dreams a reality. Refined Gardens is committed to providing the finest design and construction services for resorts, boutique commercial exterior spaces, and luxury residential landscapes in the Valley.

McVicars works to complement the natural beauty of the surrounding desert with organic materials and native plants throughout the design and implementation process. 

In accordance with the Arizona Municipal Water Users Association guidelines to prevent water waste, the timeless style of the Cottage Garden employs a diversity of low-water-use plant varieties, like: fruitless olive trees, Texas ebony, hopseed bush, sage varieties, myrtle, Texas mountain laurel, and trailing rosemary, just to name a few.

“The strong massing of plants make this garden come to life,” McVicars said. “For medium-sized gardens, just using six to eight plant varieties really makes the garden feel lush without having too much going on or a hodgepodge of plants.”