Rewild Your Garden. Restore the Earth
Native plant gardens designed with intention, beauty, and care — creating living landscapes that support life and belong to this place. Based in Winston-Salem and serving the Piedmont of North Carolina.
Rooted in nature. Guided by instinct. Designed by hand.
Fairnilee is the garden practice of Lydia Hastings — gardener, designer, and lifelong student of the natural world. Lydia grew up in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, surrounded by forests, streams, and wildflower meadows. Her earliest teachers were birds, plants, and the rhythms of the land.
With a background in ecological guiding, historical restoration, and garden making, Lydia brings a rare blend of deep knowledge, artistry, and hands-in-the-dirt experience to every project. She works with the land — never against it — crafting native plant gardens that feel like they’ve always belonged.
Whether you’re tending a small urban yard or restoring a rural landscape, Lydia designs spaces that invite pollinators, nourish songbirds, and grow in harmony with place and season.
Every garden begins with a conversation — and grows from there.
At Fairnilee, we approach each project with care, flexibility, and deep listening — to the land, to the client, and to the plants themselves. Our services are tailored to meet your space where it is, and help it become what it wants to be.
Consultations
Discover what’s possible.
The first step in every project. Lydia visits your space to listen, observe, and help you uncover the garden’s potential. She’ll walk the land with you, answer questions, and share insights on what to plant, what to remove, and how to move forward.
Whether you need a fresh set of eyes, ideas for improving an existing garden, or a deep dive into native plant principles — this is where the vision begins.
Design & Installation
Crafted in the moment. Rooted in intuition.
Lydia’s designs are alive — shaped by the seasons, the site, and what plants are thriving and available. Rather than rigid plans, she creates evolving, intuitive designs that respond to the landscape in real time.
Every installation is a co-creation between gardener, plants, and place. As the garden comes to life, the design continues to adapt — honoring the natural energy of the land.
Maintenance & Stewardship
Tending the garden is part of the design.
New gardens need care to take root. Lydia offers seasonal maintenance and stewardship visits to support your garden through its early stages and long-term growth.
Weeding, editing, replanting, and reshaping — this is how the garden matures. Lydia works with you (or for you) to ensure your space remains healthy, beautiful, and ecologically alive.
Why native plants?
“Your yard is nature’s best hope.” — Doug Tallamy
Native plants aren’t just beautiful — they are essential. Unlike imported ornamentals, native species provide the food, shelter, and habitat that birds, pollinators, and local wildlife need to survive.
By planting natives, you’re helping restore the ecological fabric of your region — one garden at a time.
At Fairnilee, we design gardens that work with natural systems instead of disrupting them. Every plant has a purpose. Every garden is part of something larger.
What People Are Saying
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“Lydia transformed our yard into a living, breathing habitat. We see hummingbirds, goldfinches, and butterflies every day now — and our garden has never been more beautiful.”
a happy client
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“Lydia doesn’t just plant gardens — she restores ecosystems. Watching our yard transform into a haven for birds and butterflies has been pure joy.”
— Sarah W., Chapel Hill
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“What Lydia created feels like it was always meant to be here. The garden is beautiful, yes, but more than that — it feels alive.”
— Tom M., Hillsborough
Let’s Grow Something Together
Your garden can be more than beautiful — it can be alive with purpose.
Whether you’re dreaming of a native meadow, a shade garden full of songbirds, or simply want to start small, I’d love to help you bring your landscape back to life.