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Leslie Ebert and Stonegate Gardens.
An award-winning garden designer who has run her own company in Denver since 2001, and who still works in the field with her crews.
The designer
An artist who found her medium outdoors.
Leslie is a Colorado native who has been drawing since she could hold a crayon. She studied art and graphic design at the University of Southern Colorado and won awards for her illustrations there.
A desk job did not suit her. On a friend’s recommendation she took an entry-level summer job with a Denver landscaping company, fell in love with the work and stayed five years, learning every part of the trade. She worked for several more Denver landscape companies and earned a name for careful maintenance, artistic pruning and teaching in the field.
In 2001 she started Stonegate Gardens, and in 2012 she went out on her own as Stonegate Gardens Corp. Her designs have been published in books and magazines. She still takes a hands-on approach, photographs the gardens herself and drew the Stonegate emblem. She volunteers with Habitat for Humanity, and at her last home she ran a CSA from her own front yard that supplied more than 20 families with organic produce.
Milestones
Twenty-five years of Stonegate.
Awards, press and milestones, each one listed on Stonegate’s own pages or in the publication named.
- 2001
Leslie Ebert founds Stonegate Gardens in Denver after years working for landscaping companies across the metro area.
- 2002
Stonegate takes over care of a four-plus-acre property, now shown on this site as the Natural Garden.
- 2007
Luxe Magazine features Stonegate in its Style Makers section, and Denver Woman Magazine runs “Water. Water Everywhere.”
- 2009
Denver Life Magazine features Stonegate in “Backyard Bliss.”
- 2010
The Contemporary Courtyard and the Potager Garden win Excellence in Landscaping Awards from the Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado. Irrigation & Green Industry profiles Leslie in “The Glass Ceiling Is Broken.”
- 2012
Leslie goes out on her own as Stonegate Gardens Corp.
- 2024
Shoutout Colorado interviews Leslie about starting a woman-run company in the landscape trade.
- 2025
Voyage Denver features her in “Rising Stars: Meet Leslie Ebert.”
In print.
Stonegate gardens have appeared in Denver’s design magazines and in two international books, Ornamental Plants in the Landscape and Landscape Paving.
- Rising Stars: Meet Leslie EbertVoyage Denver, January 2025
- Meet Leslie Ebert, landscape designerShoutout Colorado, August 2024
- “The Glass Ceiling Is Broken”Irrigation & Green Industry, April 2010
How Stonegate works
Organic from the beginning.
Stonegate has been an eco-minded company since 2001, and it is 100 percent organic: no pesticides, no chemicals.
- Plant containers and flats go back to wholesalers
- Electric blowers wherever possible
- All paper products recycled
- Routes mapped to cut drive time and fuel
- Crews chosen with care and trained on the job
- A foreman to answer questions, a supervisor on routine checks
In clients’ words.
From the people whose gardens Stonegate designs and keeps, quoted as they wrote them.
“I have used Stonegate Gardens since their inception as Leslie Ebert was highly recommended to me. Leslie considers the long-term plant maintenance when creating a new garden design. Her expert advice has saved me thousands of dollars from having to replace poor plant selections from other garden designers who were only interested in the first year appearance of a garden.”
“I used Stonegate Gardens for an extensive re-do of my front and back yards, after hearing a glowing referral from a friend of mine. Leslie did a fantastic job from the beginning design to last detail. She worked hard to stay within my budget, and maintained the high artistic quality that she is known for.”
“Leslie created an innovative design for our tight and challenging spaces that transformed our yards into stylish and comfortable garden living areas.”
“Stonegate Gardens was recommended by my lawn service. I had a small job and Leslie listened to what I wanted and then designed and executed the plan. The result was fabulous. The next spring I had another small job and again a fabulous result.”
“I find Stonegate reliable, friendly, always show up when they are supposed to and our yard, front and back always looks wonderful.”
“We have enjoyed the lovely flower pots and flower beds you have created for us. Your maintenance program is tailored to our needs and has worked very well.”
“Having imposed a challenging deadline, they developed a tremendous plan, working with our original dream and bringing new ideas and lots of practical advice on how to structure the space. Refreshingly, they incorporated a lot of the existing materials to maximize our budget and they delivered a perfect garden ahead of schedule.”
“Stonegate has proven to be creative and innovative in designing landscaping in both the expansive and small spaces. Additionally they have been timely and efficient in their work.”
“The team at Stonegate Gardens pays very close attention to detail and is always very responsive to our needs.”
“We have used Stonegate Gardens for many years. Have always been very satisfied with the design of planters and flower beds. The very best quality of material is used. The crew that works with Leslie is cordial, dependable, and very clean.”
“Leslie is a gardener who takes what you have in your garden and love it as if it were hers. I appreciate their knowledge and they always respond to me in a very timely fashion.”
“Stonegate Gardens has been a blessing for me. They are qualified landscape gardeners; quality oriented, conscientious and professional.”
Talk to Leslie about your garden.
You work directly with the owner at Stonegate, from the first visit on.