In landscape designer Pearce Butcher’s home, the family doesn’t play Scrabble. Instead, they play a game she created called Plant ID, where she announces the Latin names of plants and challenges her husband and children to guess their common names. Truly, she is as serious about play as she is about her work, which takes her all over the Upstate. From expansive multimillion-dollar homes in The Cliffs, Lake Keowee, Hartness, and Montebello to charming courtyard gardens in Greenville, Butcher focuses her discerning eye on beautifying the outside of each client’s space.
“I enjoy getting to know each homeowner individually and figuring out the best use of their outdoor space, then making sure it all works together, whether it’s a kitchen, pool, deck, or dining area. I see myself as an architect for the outdoors,” she says.
Perk up your yard
These tips can help spruce up your yard.
- Remove overgrown shrubs and add fresh mulch.
- A large pot filled with seasonal colors can do wonders.
- Always plant in odd numbers.
- In foundation beds, space out plants for a five-year growth cycle so they’re not crowded.
- Beware of free plant giveaways as the plants they offer are often invasive.
Good Design is key
Butcher comes to her career with a degree in art and environmental science from Furman, and a graduate certificate from George Washington University in Washington, D.C., where she was one of the youngest students in a unique program that allowed her to take courses at the U.S. National Arboretum.
With her fine art background, she approaches each project with the fundamental principles of good design—order, balance, repetition, scale, texture, and color. Along with design principles, Butcher brings environmental science to her custom designs. Whether landscaping, hardscaping, or creating edible or drought-resistant gardens, her goal is “to make the client feel great when they look or go outside.”
Thanks to botanists and horticulturalists, a never-ending supply of genetically engineered plant varieties keep Butcher constantly in the market for something new. Her plans for the future include appearing in an episode of a real estate reality show for a major network and teaching a course on landscape design. You can find the show airing this fall, and the seminar will be on the international creative site Domestika.com. There’s undoubtedly a lot sprouting for Pearce Butcher.
(864) 275-4060, pearcebdesigns.com/
Photography by Bonfire Visuals
