2021
right plant,
right place Our readers’ favorite landscapers talk planting roots in Chapel Hill, design philosophies and how to add curb appeal to your home
AM Y STR U N K DE S I G N S While Amy Strunk’s friends were getting their first summer jobs as lifeguards, she chose to work at Merrifield Garden Center in northern Virginia. Her fascination with sun and soil led to a landscaping career in Washington, D.C., where she planted the seeds for a growing clientele. Small-scale residential installations evolved into large-scale commercial projects over the years, and Amy even co-hosted a local television show, “Merrifield’s Gardening Advisor.” Amy and her two children moved to Chapel Hill in 2014, where she BEF OR E founded Amy Strunk Designs the next year. With 26 years of experience, Amy helps residents add value to their properties with sustainable landscape designs and functional outdoor entertaining spaces. “Many [of my] clients are becoming more focused on sustainable options like water management and using native plants and pollinators,” Amy says. “Which is an area that I am passionate about.” One of Amy’s recent clients wanted to expand the natural habitat that already surrounded their property. She enhanced the landscape by removing nonnative plants such as nandina and barberry and adding native plants such as woodland phlox and perennial geranium. Amy added value to another local resident’s property by designing a paver patio and built-in fire pit. The project extended the client’s space by approximately 300 square feet and gave them the opportunity to invite friends and family over for socially distanced gatherings. “With such long seasons, a fire pit is a great investment in this area,” Amy says. “I just added one to my backyard, and my kids and I have been enjoying our evenings catching up after dinner and of course, s’mores!” 90
chapelhillmagazine.com
September/October 2021
A F TE R
LANDSCAPE LOG IC Brian Popp’s father taught him how to landscape, and he has since carried on the family legacy by teaching his own sons, Julian Popp and Luke Popp, how to work with the land. He has owned and operated Landscape Logic for 30-plus years, offering services from aerating and seeding to landscape redesign and renovation. Brian takes great pride in the recommendations he gives clients. “Generally when I am helping a customer prioritize needs and making recommendations based on the condition of their lawn or landscape, I thoroughly enjoy educating them to the facts and exactly what they’re up against from an economic and practical standpoint,” he says. Brian’s philosophy allows customers to make their own informed decisions. He will only accept payment when customer expectations have been met. Today, Brian is in his 41st season working in the landscape industry, Luke works alongside him and Julian recently started his own landscaping company in Pittsboro.