Landscape designer Steve Griggs joins Frank Schaeffer for a raw, funny, deeply human conversation about rising from a working-class New York childhood to becoming one of America’s premier landscape artists — featured in Forbes, WSJ, HuffPost and Bravo’s Backyard Envy.
Steve reveals the truth about designing for the ultra-wealthy, why taste beats money every time, how stonework builds character, what 40 years in the dirt taught him, and why water + fire belong in every garden — from mega-estates to tiny balconies.
Frank and Steve go deep on class, beauty, craftsmanship, fathers, work ethic, climate, art, and the joy of creating a space people never want to leave.
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Steve is not your typical landscape designer. He’s been getting dirt on his hands ever since he was 16, cutting grass to earn some bucks. Working hard got him through school, where he got advanced landscaping degrees from Mississippi State University and SUNY Cobleskill College of Environmental Design and Horticulture.
He founded Steve Griggs Design when he was 25. Having previously worked with his father in the industry, he got some powerful values instilled in him: make no excuses, keep your promises, respect the deadline, and make things happen for the client. But what he saw happening in the industry was a different story.
He decided to change the status quo for good. This customer-centric approach got him the reputation of the best landscape designer in New York.