Award Winning
Landscape Design
The corporate integrity and ethics demonstrated by our staff is described by the many testimonials on our site. Our guarantees are backed by 32 years in the landscape design and construction industry.
Joanne Kostecky APLD is the owner and President
of her Landscape Design Company
Biography of a landscape designer
Her outstanding designs have coupled with a unique business model to bring national renown to her landscaping installations and garden designs. She is past president of the American Nursery and Landscape Association. In 2007 she became the first woman president of that organization in its 132-year history. She also served as president of the National Landscape Association. Her other organization service has included terms on the board of directors of the Pennsylvania Nursery and Landscape Association (PLNA) for eight years as well as membership on its Awards and Long Range Planning committees. She is a charter member of the Association of Professional Landscape Designers.
Landscape Industry Recognition
In February of 2005, Joanne received the Hall of Fame Award from the National Landscape Association. She is the first woman to ever receive this award in its 54-year history. She also received the Pennsylvania Landscape and Nursery Association's Hall of Fame Award. She is the first woman to receive this award in its 101-year history. There is no connection between the two awards. They are awarded to members of the green industry for lifetime achievement. There is only one person recognized in any year.
Landscape and Landscape Design Association Membership
American Nursery and Landscape Association (ANLA)
National Landscape Association
Perennial Plant Association
Association of Professional Landscape Designers
Pennsylvania Landscape and Nursery Association
Liaison to the European Landscape Contractors Association (ELCA)
Member of Commercial Real Estate Executive Women (CREW)
Distinguished Business Honors
Joanne was the recipient of the governor's award for 50 Best Business Women in Pennsylvania. She was presented the Girl Scout's Women of Distinction Award. She was given the 2004 Spotlight Award by the Eastern Pennsylvania Business Journal in recognition of her many and varied years of community service. She is also an Associate Member, Worldwide Who’s Who (Inducted November 2012).
Landscaping Awards and Excellence in Business
Her company has been recognized with the Excellence in Business Award from the Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce and nationally by Working Woman Magazine. Additionally, Garden Design won a record 23 Merit and 5 Honor Awards from the national Perennial Plant Association; more than 35 Gold, 24 Silver, 11 Bronze, and 7 Honorable Mention Awards for design excellence from Pennsylvania Landscape and Nursery Association; 3 Gold, 6 Silver, and 3 Bronze design awards from the Association of Professional Landscape Designers; and numerous Lehigh Valley Builder's Association's recognition of Excellence in Landscape Design. Over the years, the company has also been rewarded with Most Creative/Best of Show and Most Educational trophies for their booth displays in Home Show.
Landscape Publications and Periodicals
Pictures of several of her gardens have appeared in "Perennials," a coffee table book published by Rodale Press. She has been a featured speaker at Pennsylvania Landscape and Nursery Association/Penn State's Winter Nursery Conference, Perennial Plant Association's International Symposium, American Nursery and Landscape Association Management Clinic, Landscape Ontario, Mid Atlantic Hardy Plant Society, Iowa Landscape and Nursery Association, Region II Garden Writers Meeting at the Philadelphia Flower Show, and The Garden Writers Association National Symposium, The Ohio Short Course at CENTS in Columbus Ohio as well as a variety of other regional green industry conferences.
Lehigh Valley Community Service
Joanne has been involved in her community: She served as president of the Junior League of the Lehigh Valley. She was founder of outlets for high school students after hours. She was a member of the board of directors for the Pennsylvania Stage Company-a Lort D professional theatrical company. She raised funds and worked to purchase the second shelter through the Junior League for Turning Point, a shelter for abused women.
Landscape Design Education and Certification
Joanne has attended Rutgers University. She is a Certified Professional Landscape Designer, APLD (from the International Association of Professional Landscape Designers) and a Certified Landscape Design Critic (from the National Federation of Garden Clubs.) She is currently the Public Commissioner for the Certified Association Executive Accreditation of the American Society of Association Executives based in Washington, D.C.
Kirk R. Brown is the Business Manager
for Joanne Kostecky Garden Design, Inc.
Business Honors and Landscaping Awards
Kirk is a recipient of the Pennsylvania Nursery and Landscape Association "Green Achiever" Award for advancing horticulture in Pennsylvania. In 2008, he was inducted to the "1885 Club" as a distinguished alumnus of Bangor Area High School.
National Landscape Publication
His book, "Landscape Contractor" is distributed to high school guidance programs throughout the US and Canada.
International Landscape Association Affiliations
Kirk is an executive committee member and secretary for Garden Writers Association of America. He has served in the past as Chairman of the Membership Committee, Region II Director, and many other committee positions. He has served on the National Symposium Committee for the Brandywine Valley. As such, he served with directors and managers from Longwood Gardens, Chanticleer, Morris Arboretum, Conard Pyle, Rodale, PHS, and many other local green industry organizations. As national director, he has organized meetings and tours at the National Arboretum, National Botanic Garden, American Society of Landscape Architects, Phipps Conservatory, Shakespeare Library, Hunt Botanical Library, Rutgers University Arboretum, The New Jersey Grounds for Sculpture, Mount Vernon, Longwood, Chanticleer, Conard/Pyle, J. Franklin Styers, Morris, Jenkins, and Haverford Arboretums, Laurel Hill Cemetery, Mount Cuba, Nemours Mansion and Gardens and Hagley Museum. He has produced an annual meeting at the Philadelphia Flower Show with attendance of over 200 members for the past eight years.
State and National Landscape Association Service
He has been chairman of the Penn State/PLNA winter education conference committee, also serving on the marketing committee, education committee, and long range planning web task force. He has served on the marketing committee for the American Nursery and Landscape Association.
Professional and Horticultural Association Memberships
Garden Writers Association
Pennsylvania Horticultural Association
Cornell Alumni Association
Alpha Delta Phi Fraternity
Horticultural Judge
For eight years he has served as a judge of major exhibits for the Philadelphia Flower Show. He has also judged exhibits for the Penn Allied Nursery Trade Show and the Allentown Flower Show.
Major Garden Design Awards
Gardens that he installed and maintains at Asbury United Methodist Church were presented with a Pennsylvania Green Award by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and the Pennsylvania Green Commission in 2008.
Professional Experience
As an actor and playwright, Kirk has appeared in, produced, directed, and designed over 100 productions in the years since his appearance at Bangor in 'Bye, Bye Birdie' (in 1968 where he met his future wife, Sara Stine, playing Rosie to his Albert). He has served on the board of Civic Theatre in Allentown, founded ACTS (Asbury Chancel Theatre Society) where he has produced an original drama or musical every year for the last 25 and also serves on Asbury's Arts in Worship Committee. He is a volunteer at the State Theatre in Easton, PA. He is a leader, Merit Badge and Eagle Scout counselor for the Boy Scouts of America.
John Bartram Lives
He has combined many of the great passions in his life by writing a biographical sketch of America's premiere horticulturist, John Bartram. His one man show has been given for both green industry organizations and garden clubs as a performance, and for churches as a meaningful religious worship service. His delivery has received outstanding reviews:
Horticultural Speaker Plaudits
"Kirk's portrayal of America's first world-class plantsman is a masterful blend -- passionate, humorous, moving, educational but never pedantic. Meticulous research and an obvious affection for the subject enables him to fully inhabit the role, not just the costume. John Bartram took a skeptical audience first by surprise and then by storm." John Friel - Yoder Bros/.Program Chair PPA.
John Bartram Appearances:
He has presented John at The Smithsonian, The State Botanical Garden of Georgia, The Philadelphia Flower Show, The Botanic Garden of North Carolina, The Kalmbach Memorial Lecture Series, Asbury United Methodist Church, Newman College, Perennial Plant Association, Millersville Native Plant Conference, National Federated Garden Clubs Design Course, Monmouth Museum, Medford Leas Horticultural Lecture, and numerous garden clubs, service organizations and private gardens.
Biographical:
A graduate of Bangor High School and Cornell University, he lives with his wife Sara, and has two sons, Logan and Evan, and two cats, Ponch and Niko.
Chet Lubrant, ASLA, CLA
is the latest addition to Joanne Kostecky Garden Design, Inc. design and sales team.
Professional Profile
A graduate of West Virginia University, Chet received his Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture. He has been in the landscape industry for over twenty years. Since the late ‘80’s, he has worked for another mid-sized design/build firm with the intention of owning his own company.
Throughout the ‘90’s Chet developed and operated a multi-faceted landscape design/build company, Landscape Concepts, in South Jersey that emphasized the much-undervalued and often-overlooked importance in the quality of design leading to the final landscape. He became proficient with AutoCAD and introduced a graphic digital imaging interface to his landscape clients.
As the company developed, hardscaping grew to be a leading element of his designs as it was becoming a driving force in the industry. Chet tackled the challenge head-on. Designing and installing master plans in backyard outdoor living spaces became a hallmark of his work. By the end of the millennium, a two-man start-up company became a five-crew powerhouse that covered all phases of the design/build industry. It included landscaping, hardscaping, low-voltage lighting and irrigation. The company was sold in 2001.
In the early 2000’s, Chet was employed as a design/sales manager and helped develop another small landscape maintenance firm, Bulldog Landscaping LLC, into one of South Jersey’s premier landscape design/build landscape/hardscape companies.
Chet’s own company, Design Concepts, was involved primarily in the design and consultation of landscapes working directly with contractors and homeowners in Southern New Jersey. His relocation to the Lehigh Valley in the spring of 2009 allowed him to combine his talents with Garden Design’s record of achievements.
Business Development and Achievements
Developed and implemented DOS and Windows-based bidding, estimating and job costing programs
Customized and integrated Quick Estimator software program in company systems and practices
Designed and maintained multiple landscape company web sites
ICPI Certified (Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute)
NJ Licensed Irrigation Designer and Installer
NJ Licensed Landscape Architect (CLA)
Pro Landscape Imaging Software Certified
Nightscape and Vista Lighting Certified
Associations and Memberships
NJLCA (New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association
NJIA (New Jersey Irrigation Association)
ASLA (American Society of Landscape Architects)
WVU (West Virginia University Alumni Association)
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