Summers spent mowing lawns as a kid led Ed Ball to a job at a local landscape company. “That’s when I gained an interest in landscape architecture,” he recalls. “I’ve always been a creative person, so melding the two interests made sense as a career path.”

After earning degrees in landscape architecture and horticulture, Ball founded Ed Ball Landscape Architecture in 2007 and now employs a team of 20.

He considers clients’ needs to be the main driver of the company’s creative engine. “Since every customer is unique,” he explains, “I don’t have a one-size-fits-all approach. We work hard to balance client desires, the architecture of their home and how the site speaks to us.”

When embarking on a new project, EBLA seeks ways to minimize its environmental impact. “We look at drainage and determine if there is a way to return water to the groundwater table,” says Ball. “We also try to use native plants and establish gardens as quickly as possible to reduce water needs.”

Ball relishes meeting the challenges a new job site presents. “I love projects that challenge my creativity, whether it’s finding ways to make a small space feel bigger or a large space feel more intimate yet connected,” he says.

Ball and his colleagues keep communication open throughout every project so clients remain in the loop. As he reflects, “That’s the key to a design that homeowners will enjoy for years to come.”