Foliage First Landscape Design is a Toronto-based garden design studio run by Jing Howard.

Jing believes in the transformative power of landscapes and biophilic design. Drawing on current research in designed ecology and inspiration from the grasslands of southwestern Saskatchewan, Jing specializes in creating beautiful and emotionally engaging landscapes that have a sense of well-being and a healing effect.

Trained in landscape design at the University of Guelph and George Brown College, Jing is a passionate advocate for ecological design and increased biodiversity in residential gardens and public spaces. She combines immersive composition and simple materials with a naturalistic planting style to achieve visually compelling, ecologically functional, and self-sustaining designs.

Before founding Foliage First, Jing had a successful career in evidence-based medicine, working on complex projects that improve healthcare quality and health system performance. She brings strong research and project management skills as well as curiosity to her work as a landscape designer. She is a plant nerd and gardening addict!

Unlike traditional landscapers, Foliage First Landscape Design focuses on a plant-driven approach for dynamic landscapes. We see planting design as an art form, tuned to nature. We are assertive that this “artful ecology” is the future, and where the need is the greatest is in the urban and suburban context.