Our History

My grandfather was my idol growing up. He built custom homes in Ringgold, Georgia, and from the time I was about six years old, I would follow him around his job sites whenever I visited. Sometimes there was nothing there but red dirt and freshly dug footers. On the next visit there might be a floor, then walls, then another stage of the house taking shape.

Grandpa would explain what was happening at each stage and why it was being done that way. I was too young to understand every construction detail, but I understood the larger lesson. The finished house depended on all the work that happened before anyone could see the finished product.

Something else he told me stayed with me. People around town sent customers to him because he tried to build better than expected. His goal was not to build the biggest house. It was to build the best house he could. That taught me to care about the methods behind the work, not only the appearance of the finished project. It is where the Strength part of our philosophy really began for me.

I like to think the creative side came partly from my grandmother and partly from spending so much time looking at nature. As a kid, I would look at lawns and landscapes that caught my attention and try to figure out why one property looked better than another. Then I would experiment on my parents' yard and see if I could recreate some of what I had noticed.

Years later, that interest became professional lawn maintenance. Caring for properties week after week and season after season taught me lessons that still influence the way I design today. You begin to see what grows well, what struggles, what becomes too large, where water collects, how sunlight changes, and how a landscape actually ages.

I also learned a great deal from some of the homeowners whose properties I maintained. One property had an exceptional garden that appeared in Southern Living several times. Whenever I had the opportunity to talk with the owner, we would discuss the garden as well as landscapes and designs I was working on elsewhere.

Those conversations changed the way I thought about planting design. I had already paid attention to color, but I began looking much more closely at texture: the size and shape of leaves, the density of plants, fine foliage against broad foliage, evergreens beside softer plant material, and the way those differences give a landscape depth even when nothing is blooming.

That was an important step in developing my own design style. I continued learning by reading, visiting gardens, studying landscapes I admired, talking with people I respected in the industry, and watching what happened to landscapes after they were installed. I do not think good designers ever really finish learning.

From Lawn Maintenance to The Dreamscapes

What began with an interest in lawns eventually grew into The Dreamscapes, founded in Acworth in 1995. Since then, the work has expanded from lawn maintenance into landscape design, landscaping, hardscaping, outdoor living, drainage, lighting, and the long term care of the properties we design and build.

Maintenance has remained an important part of how we learn. When you continue caring for landscapes after installation, you see which plants perform well in certain locations, how they respond as they mature, and how decisions made during design affect the property years later. Our landscape maintenance work gives us that long term view, while our landscape design work benefits from what those years of observation have taught us.

Over time, I also came to see landscape design as much more than arranging plants around a house. The soil, contours of the land, architecture of the home, mature size of the plants, drainage, views, movement through the property, and relationship between open and planted spaces all contribute to the result.

Healthy soil is part of the design. Preparing and amending planting beds gives trees, shrubs, and perennials a better place to establish and grow. The shape of the land matters too. Rather than forcing every property into the same layout, I prefer to work with the existing terrain and use plants and built features to strengthen what is already there.

I learned Strength from my grandfather and construction. Customers, gardens, observation, and curiosity helped teach me Beauty. Years of working with landscapes taught me the importance of Purpose: every element should have a reason for being there and should contribute to how the property works as a whole.

More than 40 years in construction and landscaping have reinforced the lessons I first learned walking job sites with my grandfather: understand the process, know the materials, pay attention to the details, and never stop learning.

Our Philosophy Today

When we begin a design, we look beyond the area that is being changed. We consider the house, its architectural style and scale, the natural terrain, existing trees and plantings, views from inside the home, drainage, access, and the way one part of the yard connects to another. A landscape should feel appropriate to the property rather than like a collection of attractive features chosen separately.

We also explain our ideas as the design develops. I want clients to understand why we are recommending a particular layout, plant, material, or construction method. Our customer process begins with education because the best projects happen when both the homeowner and our team understand the goals, priorities, and reasoning behind the plan.

I actually encourage homeowners to speak with more than one company when choosing someone to design and build an important project. Look at previous work, read customer experiences, ask how the designer approaches the property, and pay attention to whether the person can explain not only what they recommend but why they recommend it.

A landscape is personal, and the designer should be a good fit for the homeowner as well as the property. Style matters, but so do construction knowledge, horticultural experience, communication, and an understanding of what the landscape will require after installation. Those are the qualities I would look for if I were choosing someone to work on my own home.

The Dreamscapes has changed considerably since its early days, but my basic philosophy has not. Build for strength. Design for beauty. Give every part of the landscape a purpose. Then continue learning from the property long after the original work is complete.

Thank you for taking the time to learn a little more about me, where The Dreamscapes came from, and how I approach this work. Choosing someone to design and build your landscape is a personal decision, and I hope understanding the experiences behind my work helps you decide whether The Dreamscapes is the right fit for your property.

Richard W. Allen
Owner, The Dreamscapes