About Us
GENERATIONS IN THE SOIL
OUR LANDSCAPES ARE CRAFTED WITH
Horticulture expertise and
masterfully skilled hands.
Hortus Gardens is a design-build and fine gardening firm located in central Kentucky and centered on excellence in horticulture, project implementation, and client care. Hortus emerged from seeing gaps in the green industry that left our design projects, and consequently our clients, without the expertise they deserve. Our mission is to identify and fill those gaps, drawing on our founders’ collective 65+ years in the industry. We seek to raise the standard, crafting the finest gardens possible within the parameters of each project’s goals.
The most elegant landscapes cannot exist nor endure without proper implementation and horticultural expertise. Whether providing design, consultation, or full-service installation and maintenance, we strive to deliver a positive client experience. We hope our passion for horticulture inspires and elevates those we are fortunate to serve.
+ Behind every exquisite garden is a team who treats it like their own. +
Leadership
-
For Joseph, a landscape design is an exploration; it’s the culmination of his many passions—horticulture, fine arts, science, craftsmanship and design. Authenticity to place and architecture is essential in Joseph’s approach to design; his landscapes translate the built environment to the natural world and connect people with the land. Creating gardens is a vocation for Joseph, not merely a profession—one that continually excites and inspires him.
Hailing from a family with a horticultural tradition dating back to the 1700’s, Joseph’s passion for plants is his Hillenmeyer birthright. It was clear from an early age this lineage would pass through Joseph as well. Shadowing his father Louis in the family nursery, he learned the value of work and begun experimenting with plants on his own. This robust heritage set a foundation from which Joseph could depart and define his own career in horticulture. He spent time in Tennessee working with renowned horticulturalist Don Shadow, then sought unconventional opportunities for a rich and varied education. After two years of college, Joseph left to travel extensively throughout Europe, New Zealand, and Turkey. In New Zealand Joseph worked in a perennial plant nursery and as a gardener on a horse farm, then spent a year at the Karaca Arboretum in Turkey, a 33-acre sanctuary just south of Istanbul. During these years abroad, Joseph began formulating his own aesthetic, gathering wisdom from classical design and diverse microclimates and mentors before returning to his horticultural heritage in Lexington.
Today those seminal experiences help shape each project, in which the principal intent is to create innovative yet timeless gardens for his clients. In 2013, Joseph reoriented his business away from a conventional landscaping model to a design-centered firm, marshalling his strong relationships with nurseries, artisans and craftsman to develop and manage the creation of fine gardens. He’s since been the recipient of the David E. Laird Award and his work has been featured in a number of local and national publications. Joseph’s projects are rooted in tradition, those of his family and of his craft; however, just as a landscape evolves and grows, always responding to new input, so does his vision and love for the landscapes in which he works.
OUR TEAM
-
At Hortus Gardens, we know creating a beautiful landscape depends on skilled execution, clear communication, and devotion to detail. Each project is about the people we serve.
Sammy leads our team under this ethic, carrying over 20 years of experience to his keen pursuit of excellence. Whether interacting with clients, crews, or contractors, Sammy knows that listening is as important as talking, demonstrating is clearer than telling. Sammy’s insight for team dynamics and operational logistics always elevates our work. Most notably, though, it is Sammy’s warm character that defines his role at Hortus Gardens.
-
As Director of Horticulture, Kristin Landfield brings over 20 years of experience to the Hortus Gardens team. Her expertise in a diverse array of plants, styles and microclimates stems from having worked across a broad range of projects and locales. Kristin loves a layered landscape, believing that lush gardens enrich our lives. Gardens should communicate a sense of grace and ease.
It is with that intuition and an artist’s eye that Kristin helps guide our team. She knows that the best designs emerge as they are being built and tended, an ethos that governs every project at Hortus.
Design
-
In 2023 Anna Del Rio joined the team as an intern while studying Landscape Architecture at University of Kentucky. She quickly established herself as a talented addition, skilled in both technical and artistic aspects of landscape design. Upon graduation, Anna became a full-time member of Hortus’ design studio.
During her time at the University of Kentucky, Anna worked on diverse projects within her training, including as a sustainability intern for the Office of Built Environment, an internship with LaGuardia Design Group in the Hamptons, and on a study abroad in Monterey, CA. She also served as president of the University of Kentucky’s chapter of ASLA. When Anna is not bringing her curiosity and attention to detail to design projects at Hortus, she enjoys oil painting, hiking, and playing guitar.
-
In his 48 years practicing Landscape Architecture in the Bluegrass, Bill’s expertise in the industry and his impact on local landscapes are uncontested: it is impossible to drive around the region without encountering his work. After a long history as friends in the industry, Joseph reconnected with Bill, hoping to collaborate and further solidify the teams’ place as the standard-bearer for Central Kentucky’s landscapes. By joining our team in April 2024, Bill’s path has in a sense brought him full circle. Before partnering in 1999 with Gordon Demark to found Lexington-based Henkel-Denmark, a full-service landscape company, Bill worked in design-build for Hillenmeyer Nurseries from 1976-1999. It was in Joseph’s family’s business that Bill first fostered his impressive repertoire in local horticulture.
Bill’s long-term client relationships reflect a devotion to their needs that rivals his talent for garden design. With a distinct ability to listen to clients, then translate their goals into a living landscape, Bill distinguishes himself as a leader in the field and as an active mentor for the team. Throughout his long arc in the trade, Bill’s enthusiasm to convert client wishes to three-dimensional realities has yet to waiver.
JOIN OUR TEAM
We are always seeking motivated team members in Lexington and Louisville as we continue to grow.