Learn more about Carole Gardens and founder Meg McCollister
Carole Gardens is a woman-owned small business with a deep commitment to the land and our community. We were founded in 2013 by horticulturalist Meg McCollister, and named after her mother who ran a similar small gardening business when Meg was young. With years of expertise and a firm belief in the power and beauty of nature, Carole Gardens works to bring that beauty to the homes and businesses of Philadelphia.
We are a full-service gardening business offering garden design, installation, maintenance, and seasonal planters in the Philadelphia metro area. As an independently owned small business we establish close working relationships with all our clients, providing individualized services tailored to each client. With Carole Gardens you can expect expert service that fits you and your garden’s needs.
As owner and operator of Carole Gardens, Meg is deeply involved in every aspect of business, from drawing each design by hand to hauling nearly every yard of mulch to your garden. She is assisted by her three dedicated and capable employees Kevin, Josh, and Fiona. Together they work to ensure that client’s needs are front and center in every decision made, and that the happiness of the client's garden remains their unwavering goal.
Meg grew up with a deep love of art and nature, gardening alongside her mother at their home in New Jersey and drawing plants and trees plein air. While studying drawing and painting in college, Meg's passion became increasingly focused on horticulture and garden design as she worked in several community gardens, as well as The Farm at Awbury Arboretum.
Meg enrolled in the horticulture program at the Barnes Foundation, studying horticultural science, methods, theory, and design. Upon completion, she began a two-year apprenticeship with a seasoned gardener before setting out on her own.
In the decade since Carole Gardens was born, Meg's passion and commitment to the community have only deepened and grown. Her designs can be seen beautifying large swathes of NW Philadelphia as this small business has blossomed into a mainstay of Mount Airy and the surrounding areas.
