ABOUT US
ROOTED IN QUALITY | GUIDED BY NATURE
MISSION STATEMENT
We show up when we say we will, communicate through every stage of a project, and think carefully about how a landscape will grow long after we've finished. Your property is your home, your business, your investment. We treat it with the care it deserves.
CORE VALUES
INTEGRITY
Integrity means our values guide every decision we make. We strive to act with honesty, transparency, and professionalism, offering thoughtful recommendations and building relationships founded on trust. Our goal is to make decisions we can stand behind today and be proud of for years to come.
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RESPECT
When we're working on your property, we're your guests. We treat you, your family, your neighbors, and your home with courtesy and professionalism by maintaining a clean job site, minimizing disruption, and respecting the trust you've placed in us. Respect is at the heart of every relationship we build and every landscape we create.
CRAFTSMANSHIP
We believe great landscapes are created by skilled people who take pride in their craft, from our design team to the builders and maintenance technicians we work alongside. Every material we choose and every detail, from setting stone to placing plants, is approached with care and intention. Our goal is to create landscapes that are beautiful, durable, and built to be enjoyed for years to come.
STEWARDSHIP
We design landscapes as living systems, considering soil health, water, plant relationships, wildlife, and long-term resilience. We use organic gardening methods whenever possible and follow integrated pest management principles, prioritizing prevention and the least disruptive response. Our goal is to establish healthy ecosystems that support life, use resources thoughtfully, and grow stronger over time.
MEET THE TEAM
MICHELE FONZI
FOUNDER | PRINCIPLE DESIGNER
With nearly two decades of experience in horticulture, landscape architecture, permaculture, and water-wise design, Michele creates landscapes that are rooted in place and built to last. Since 2007, her work has taken her from New York City and Michigan to Southern California and Central Texas, giving her a broad understanding of plants, construction, and site conditions. She works closely with each client from design through construction, creating outdoor spaces that fit the way they live and will continue to thrive for years to come.
CHRYSTAL WEBB
STUDIO OPERATIONS | PROJECT SUPPORT
Chrystal keeps projects moving by coordinating communication, tracking details, and supporting both the studio and the job site.
She works closely with clients, contractors, and the design team, handling everything from site visits and project updates to schedules and day-to-day coordination. Outside of landscape work, Chrystal studies oil painting, dance, meditation, and interpersonal communication.
MARLO WEEKLEY
PROJECT & OPERATIONS COORDINATOR
Marlo brings a background in ecological design, regenerative systems, horticulture, and permaculture advocacy. She supports every stage of a project, from client communication and budgets to design input, plant selection, and project coordination.
With a visionary mind, Marlo spends her time outside of work dreaming up a future in which the end result is life, and more proper methods of natural resource management are the norm.
FOUNDER'S STORY
CONSCIOUS CREATOR
Michele grew up in Buffalo, New York, gardening with her mom and both of her grandmothers. Coming from a big family, the garden became her refuge. They taught Michele how to tend plants, grow vegetables, and appreciate the simple joy that comes from watching something you care for flourish. Buffalo also happens to be home to a park system designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, the father of American Landscape Architecture. She grew up playing sports and hanging out with friends in the parks that he designed and driving through the streets of Buffalo that are laid out in a unique radial pattern. Olmsted’s designs shaped her in those coming-of-age years.
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Another vivid memory from that time was when her dad's best friend built a flagstone patio in her backyard. The way he started with a pile of rocks, and one by one, put each one together like a puzzle fascinated her.​
While in high school, Michele decided she wanted to go into the landscape industry because it combined her interests in art, science, and human history. She went on to study Ornamental Horticulture at Finger Lakes Community College before completing a degree in Landscape Architecture at Cornell University. Since entering the landscaping profession in 2007, Michele has had the opportunity to work in New York City inspecting street tree plantings, manage large estates and work on water features in Michigan, explore the incredible plant diversity of Southern California, and eventually planted roots here in Austin, Texas.
"I started Michele Fonzi Designs because I wanted the freedom to create landscapes that reflected my own values. I wanted to design spaces that were sturdy, beautiful, and deeply personal to the people who would live in them. One of the most important lessons I learned came from a retaining wall project early in my career. I underestimated the complexity and the budget, and although the finished project was beautiful, I learned some expensive lessons along the way. There was even one section of wall that finished half an inch higher than the adjacent sidewalk. It was a tiny detail that most people would never notice, but I did. That project changed me. It taught me that beautiful design isn't enough. Every drawing has to become reality. Every decision has to respect the budget, the site, the people building it, and the people who will eventually call it home." - Michele
This philosophy still guides every project we take on today. One of our favorite landscapes we installed began with what looked like a drainage problem. Instead of hiding it, we transformed it into a dry creek bed that became the centerpiece of the entire front yard. We formed a natural stone bridge to cross the creek, added native plants to soften the edges, and water was allowed to move through the landscape beautifully. Years later, that same family invited Michele back to redesign other parts of their property as their lives evolved. That's easily her favorite part of this profession. Landscapes aren't finished the day construction ends. They continue to grow alongside the people who live in them. Families get bigger. Children discover new places to play. Trees mature. Gardens become traditions that can last generations.
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Today, here at Michele Fonzi Designs, we create residential and commercial landscapes throughout Central Texas with a focus on delivering results, ecological responsibility, and timeless construction. Michele's background in horticulture, landscape architecture, permaculture, and water-wise design allows her to create spaces that are both beautiful and resilient. Outside of work, you'll usually find her swimming, hiking, practicing yoga, tending her own garden, or volunteering to restore native habitat here in Austin.
"Nature has always been where I go to recharge, and I believe everyone deserves an outdoor space that offers that same feeling. I work to create places where people gather, celebrate, heal, slow down, and reconnect with the natural world. To me, that's what great landscape design has always been about." - Michele
