Plants from childhood
I started planting as a child in Bronxville, New York, in a yard full of hydrangeas, dogwood, peonies, forsythias, hyacinths, lilacs, and rhododendrons.
About Cynthia Bond
Experienced Austin landscape designer with a lifetime in plants
Since 1996, Cynthia has helped Austin homeowners sort through plants, layout, shade, soil, water, and the practical decisions that make a garden work.
Meet Cynthia
Decades of Austin landscape design, plant knowledge, and practical site guidance
Austin landscape designer since 1996. Capital Area Master Naturalist. Fine arts and botany background.
Fine arts, botany, and UT Austin
After moving to Texas, I earned a Zoology degree from UT Austin and studied fine arts and botany. That mix still shapes how I look at proportion, plant habit, color, and site conditions.
Nurseries and plant work
My plant work included Weingartner's Nursery in Houston, Old Towne Nursery in Austin, and Allied Emerald Plants, a tropical plant leasing business for commercial interiors.
Crew and installation experience
For 16 years, I ran a landscape crew, learning the installation and maintenance side before focusing on design and consulting. That keeps the advice practical: what can be sourced, planted, phased, and cared for.
30+ years of professional landscape experience
Capital Area Master Naturalist
Background in art and botany
Central Texas plant & soil knowledge
On site
What Cynthia brings to a garden walk-through
A good Austin garden starts with what is already there: light, drainage, tree roots, soil, slope, architecture, and clear direction for what should stay, change, or wait.
Choosing plants for Austin heat, shade, pets, wildlife, water, and limestone soil.
Balancing lawn, beds, paths, outdoor rooms, and maintenance.
Evaluating what should stay, what should change, and what should wait.
Giving installation contractors clearer direction before plant sourcing and installation begin.
Garden inspiration
Landscape inspiration, translated for Austin gardens
Favorite places shape how I look at a site. Structure, shade, water, plant habit, and seasonal change all matter before a planting plan starts.
Courtyards, shade, water, and structure
The Austin translation is not copying a palace garden. It is using structure, shade, stone, water, and framed views so planting can feel calm without becoming stiff.
Need help with an Austin garden? Send a brief note and start with a focused landscape consultation.
Plan a Consultation
Ask about your Austin garden
Send a brief note about the site, the neighborhood, and what you are trying to decide. One paragraph is fine; two short paragraphs max.