About Earthcare

Earthcare is a full service landscape company, but we specialize in landscape design and implementation.  I am Gordon Fletcher-Howell and I founded and have been the owner of Earthcare for 30 years. I am also a key part of all design and construction projects.

The first step in any landscape project that Earthcare does is for me to go to your house and have a consultation with the homeowners (we are strictly a residential firm).  My method is to first have a walk around the house and property, encouraging all interested family members to give their thoughts about what they like, dislike, and or want to change about their landscape.

I ask questions, and make specific comments on various plants or problems, but I don’t give any ideas until I’ve heard the things that are important to you.  My goal is to help you get the landscape you want, if you had my knowledge; not what I would want if I lived at your house. 

Working with you

Facts about horticulture, pest and weed management, and even new paving and wall products can overwhelm folks when they want to make changes in their landscapes. I try not to overwhelm my clients with more information than they need.

Learning what is important to you requires thoughtful questions and time to absorb the whole of it.  Typically, it takes about an hour for this.  Then I take a little time by myself to think about it.

Finally we come together again and I give some of my preliminary thoughts, and inevitably I’ll have more questions.  The total initial consultation usually takes between 2 and 3 hours. 

If you like the ideas I have, then we would meet again and go forward, which could take one or several additional visits to complete the plan. 

Your new landscape

I do your designs directly on your property using small flags where the major plants will be.  I use ropes to lay out shapes for beds, patio, walks, or driveways, and can mark this with paint when we’re ready to implement.  I find that this allows the project to begin when you decide on the big things, and some details can be left until you can actually see how things look, and thus you can really be much more involved in the process. 

Almost always, new ideas emerge that would not have been thought of otherwise.  Being both the designer and implementer of the project allows this type of interactivity, which you can’t get if you have a separate designer and contractor. 

We work with partners firms when necessary for excavating, big tree work, extensive stonework, and even design ideas.  This allows Earthcare to remain small enough for me to shepherd every project, and still have top quality workmanship on large or small projects.

About Gordon

I got my B.S. in Plant and Soil Science and an M.S. in Entomology (bugs, insects) at Umass at the beginning of my career.  This horticultural knowledge is a basis for all our work, because without trees, shrubs, flowers and lawn, no landscape is people friendly.  Trees must be especially respected, both in their care and pruning, and when digging within their root zone for a walk, patio, or driveway.