North Highland: A Timeless Southern Classic
The 1323 North Highland project was designed to create a "Southern-classic" landscape that feels as established and refined as the home itself. Aiming to enhance the vision of architect Linda McArthur and the craftsmanship of builder Michael Ladisic, the team at Garden Atlantic set out to deliver a structured, elegant exterior defined by a restrained palette of greens, whites, and soft pinks. The goal was to ensure the landscape felt intentional and perfectly integrated with the home's sophisticated architecture from day one.
To achieve this foundation, designers Cole Stewart and Michael Ladisic utilized a layered approach. Structured boxwoods and azaleas provide a classic base, while Slender Silhouette trees introduce verticality and balance to the property. Seasonal interest is woven throughout the garden using Limelight hydrangeas and textured autumn ferns. A centerpiece of the design is the preservation of a 200-year-old magnolia tree, with the surrounding landscape carefully crafted to respect its immense scale and history. To further honor the home’s heritage, the team repurposed original brick from the property to create vintage walkways and landscape edging, reinforcing a sense of authenticity and continuity.
The landscape’s architectural backbone is defined by massive boxwoods—some reaching six feet in height and width—which provide year-round structure and Southern formality. These are contrasted by abundant rhododendrons and hydrangeas that introduce seasonal color and a softer, mountain-driven character. To add a sense of grandeur and verticality, Slender Silhouette trees were strategically placed across the front and rear yards, while over 20,000 square feet of sod and a clean carpet of dwarf mondo grass unify the expansive estate.
The primary challenge of the project was sourcing plant material at a scale that would make the landscape appear mature and naturally evolved rather than newly installed. Through careful planning and precise coordination, the team overcame this hurdle, delivering a full, established look immediately upon completion. The final result is a lush, cohesive sanctuary—tied together by a carpet of Kentucky bluegrass—that serves as a timeless tribute to Southern elegance and architectural harmony.
Judges' comments about this project
- Clean lines, the plant selection fits the time period of the house very well, and make the house the focal point.
- Like the brick along the sidewalk.
- Understand the concept of planting for immediate impact, but judges feel that the over planting may not be best for plant health.
We transform Atlanta’s finest properties into enduring sanctuaries — through uncompromising craftsmanship, thoughtful design, and a commitment to beauty that stands the test of time.
Cole launched Garden Atlantic after more than a decade working on some of Atlanta’s most distinguished private properties learning, firsthand, what it takes to earn the trust of homeowners who have every reason to be exacting. Those years shaped a philosophy built on three things: listening deeply before designing, building with materials that improve with age, and never treating a client’s investment as a transaction.
Today, Garden Atlantic serves Atlanta’s finest neighborhoods — Buckhead, Brookhaven, Druid Hills, Sandy Springs, and beyond — bringing together a team of in-house designers and master craftsmen who share one standard: work that endures, and clients who become lifelong advocates.
