Jean came to Georgetown, South Carolina after graduating from the University of Georgia School of Landscape Architecture in 1983. Moving into the historically rich area allowed Jean the opportunity to employ her personal and professional philosophy of "whole design"-seamlessly incorporating new construction into an existing environment.

An ideal opportunity to illustrate this philosophy presented itself in the form of the Moose Lodge property on Broad Street in downtown Georgetown. The more than 6,000 square foot structure, parts of which were dated to the 1820's was beyond repair. Waccamaw Landscaping bought the property and after working with city planners and the architectural review board for more than two years, removed the structure and began an ambitious new building project. Two years later, four houses designed to match surrounding historic structures were built, sited among original trees and shrubs, including the county's oldest camellia.

The project won a national Merit Award from the American Society of Landscape Architects in 1991, recognized as an example of successful urban infill in an historic district. In the competition, the project was cited for "intimacy of the gardens and the relationship between the houses...while maintaining the architectural 'rhythm' of the Historic District".

The Georgetown Broad Street project focused on matching existing structures and the streetscape. A new design was created to blend into an established environment. New development presents the very same challenges and Waccamaw Landscaping's design strategy can be seen in numerous successful developments along the coast.

Charleston Grant at Litchfield By The Sea, The T.P.C. at Prince Creek in Murrells Inlet, Weymouth Plantation in Georgetown, the Rainey House in Georgetown and The Grande Dunes Club on the ocean in Myrtle Beach are new developments, situated in environmentally sensitive areas. As part of the original design team, Waccamaw Landscaping was instrumental in the final "look and feel" of these projects.

"We work with engineers, architects, landscape architects, and the developers in the early stages of the decision making process, says Rothrock. "We become the environmental managers, merging development plans with the natural assets of the property to site buildings, walkways, driveways and appropriate plantings. We are trained to take the technical engineering elements, the amenities of the development and the new structures to create a pleasing coordination between the new and the existing."

"As the development progresses, we act as a filter for the tremendous amount of environmental information that must be considered. We evaluate from the impact of salt-spray on grass and plant material, to adequate forest canopy for the wildlife to run-off from paved areas and building sites. All of these factors go into the equation to create visually interesting planted areas to complement an already desirable environment." Public projects undertaken by Waccamaw Landscaping have added challenge of very restricted budgets. Waccamaw High School at Pawleys Island, The Convention Center at Myrtle Beach, and the Ruby Forsythe Garden at Pawleys Island are examples of adapting resources to the needs. "The greatest challenge in designing a large scale public or commercial project is to make it fit its surroundings successfully with limited funds" says Jean. "We strive to create an appealing environment while also addressing the project's requirements for parking lots, lighting, sidewalks and utilities. That means strategic use of the materials that are part of the project as well as capitalizing on the natural advantages of the site."

The Ruby Forsythe Memorial exemplifies this strategy. The memorial to a women who educated thousands of disadvantaged children on Pawleys Island was a community volunteer effort that involved numerous artists, professional and dedicated citizens. The design from Waccamaw Landscaping uses the canopy of live oaks as a shelter for the simple cross-shaped garden, that features a small fountain and a bronze bas relief sculpture of "Miss Ruby".

"I believe our success is because we are able to stay focused on what we know best," says Jean. "We deliver a very high quality product that has a great deal of thought and discussion going into it before the drawing ever begins. By listening to what the client wants, we are able to translate those ideas into a finished product that works."

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