---
title: "Spring Lake Garden Design Inc"
description: "On its Houzz profile, Spring Lake Garden Design says its gardens are designed and planted by principal owners Ian Gribble and Catharine Cooke, on propertie"
doc_version: "2026-10-19"
last_updated: "2026-10-19"
---

# Spring Lake Garden Design Inc

**Trade:** Landscaping · **Address:** 47 Church Rd, Sherman, CT 06784 · **Phone:** (860) 354-6390 · **Website:** http://www.springlakedesign.com/ · **Languages:** English

**Rating: 3.2/5** (medium confidence) — from 11 reviews across 5 sources.
100% of sentiment-scored reviews read net-positive. Last 6 months: 0 reviews, 0 negative.

## The honest read

On its Houzz profile, Spring Lake Garden Design says its gardens are designed and planted by principal owners Ian Gribble and Catharine Cooke, on properties in the Connecticut/New York areas. A local paper has described Gribble and Cooke as a Sherman husband-and-wife team who own the firm, and its website says it has been in business 50 years.

It holds a 5.0 rating from 11 Houzz ratings. A 2015 Houzz customer said Spring Lake designed and installed the entire landscape plan when they essentially rebuilt their house, including earthmoving, plant selection, irrigation, and stone patios, walls and pathways. That 2015 customer also said the firm coordinated all subcontractors, had maintained the plantings since installation and replaced underperforming or dead plantings with no quarrels.

A 2016 customer wrote that the firm created an entry for a home that had no walkway to the front door, with heated walkways and a sculpture garden in pea gravel made from old farm tools found on the property. A 2015 reviewer described 12 years of design, installation and ongoing maintenance on their property, plus design and construction plans for a back deck, front porch, horse/car barn, circular driveway and stone wall.

A 2015 reviewer said they had worked with the firm every year for over 14 years on two Connecticut properties, on projects from raised gardens to a "ha-ha" to relieve water from a steep hill behind the property. That 2015 reviewer also said they had always found the pricing fair. A 2016 customer said several other landscaping firms had failed to address their request for a redesign of an over-planted garden, and that Spring Lake's redesign significantly reduced the time and expense of maintaining it. A 2016 reviewer wrote that Catharine and Ian gave a schedule and stuck to it.

Connecticut lists its home improvement contractor registration, HIC.0581453, as active, held by Spring Lake Garden Design Inc.

**Strengths:**
- Full landscape build — a 2015 customer described earthmoving, irrigation and stone work
- Ongoing garden maintenance — a 2015 reviewer described 12 years of design and maintenance
- A kept schedule — a 2016 reviewer said they gave a schedule and stuck to it
- Fair pricing — a 2015 reviewer said they always found the pricing fair

## Claims & citations

Every claim below is backed by real evidence rows — uncited claims are dropped in code before publication.

- Its Houzz profile names Ian Gribble and Catharine Cooke as principal owners _(confidence: high)_
  - [Houzz](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/landscape-architects-and-landscape-designers/spring-lake-garden-design-pfvwus-pf~2014149903) — “About (Houzz profile, the business's own statement): Gardens designed and planted by principal owners Ian Gribble and Catharine Cooke have t…”
- Says it has been in business 50 years _(confidence: medium)_
  - [Official Website](http://www.springlakedesign.com) — “Self-reported 50 years in business”
- 5.0 stars from 11 Houzz ratings _(confidence: high)_
  - [Houzz](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/landscape-architects-and-landscape-designers/spring-lake-garden-design-pfvwus-pf~2014149903) — “Houzz: 5.0★ from 11 ratings”
- A 2015 customer said the firm designed and installed an entire landscape plan, including irrigation and stone patios, walls and pathways _(confidence: high)_
  - [Houzz](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/landscape-architects-and-landscape-designers/spring-lake-garden-design-pfvwus-pf~2014149903) — “5★ Spring Lake designed and installed the entire landscape plan when we essentially rebuilt our house. This included all earthmoving, plant …”
- A 2015 reviewer described 12 years of design, installation and ongoing maintenance on their property _(confidence: high)_
  - [Houzz](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/landscape-architects-and-landscape-designers/spring-lake-garden-design-pfvwus-pf~2014149903) — “5★ Comprehensive landscape design consultation for the past 12 years: design; installation; ongoing maintenance on our property, including t…”
- A 2015 reviewer said they had always found the pricing fair _(confidence: medium)_
  - [Houzz](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/landscape-architects-and-landscape-designers/spring-lake-garden-design-pfvwus-pf~2014149903) — “5★ Spring Lake Garden design has worked with my wife Ann and me on two properties in Connecticut and consultation on our property in South C…”
- A 2016 reviewer said the owners gave a schedule and stuck to it _(confidence: medium)_
  - [Houzz](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/landscape-architects-and-landscape-designers/spring-lake-garden-design-pfvwus-pf~2014149903) — “5★ Working with Catharine and Ian is the way it should be on every project. They give you a schedule and they stick to it. If there are goin…”
- A 2016 customer described a new entry with heated walkways and a pea-gravel sculpture garden _(confidence: high)_
  - [Houzz](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/landscape-architects-and-landscape-designers/spring-lake-garden-design-pfvwus-pf~2014149903) — “5★ Spring Lake Garden Design created a beautiful entry for my home--before they began, there wasn't even a walkway to the front door. The ne…”
- Connecticut lists its home improvement contractor registration, HIC.0581453, as active, held by Spring Lake Garden Design Inc. _(confidence: high)_
  - [State License Registry](https://www.elicense.ct.gov/Lookup/LicenseLookup.aspx) — “CT hic license HIC.0581453 registry-verified active — registry holder of record: SPRING LAKE GARDEN DESIGN INC”
- Specializes in Landscaping _(confidence: high)_
  - [Houzz](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/landscape-architects-and-landscape-designers/spring-lake-garden-design-pfvwus-pf~2014149903) — “5★ We brought in SLGD to assist us with the redesign of our garden which was over- planted, poorly laid out and expensive to maintain. Prior…”
  - [Houzz](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/landscape-architects-and-landscape-designers/spring-lake-garden-design-pfvwus-pf~2014149903) — “5★ Spring Lake designed and installed the entire landscape plan when we essentially rebuilt our house. This included all earthmoving, plant …”
  - [Houzz](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/landscape-architects-and-landscape-designers/spring-lake-garden-design-pfvwus-pf~2014149903) — “5★ Comprehensive landscape design consultation for the past 12 years: design; installation; ongoing maintenance on our property, including t…”
- Also offers Masonry _(confidence: low)_
  - [Houzz](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/landscape-architects-and-landscape-designers/spring-lake-garden-design-pfvwus-pf~2014149903) — “5★ Spring Lake designed and installed the entire landscape plan when we essentially rebuilt our house. This included all earthmoving, plant …”

## License

Status: **active** (#HIC.0581453, hic) — verified against the official CT state registry on 2026-10-19, never self-reported.
Re-check at the official registry: https://www.elicense.ct.gov/Lookup/LicenseLookup.aspx

## Sources

- [Google](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Spring%20Lake%20Garden%20Design%20Inc&query_place_id=ChIJYYnWXjxf3YkR28dNj4o8nTM): Listed on this source
- [Houzz](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/landscape-architects-and-landscape-designers/spring-lake-garden-design-pfvwus-pf~2014149903): 5.0★ from 11 ratings
- [Official Website](http://www.springlakedesign.com): 50 yrs in business · Self-reported profile and service details
- [Local News](https://www.newstimes.com/news/article/daryl-halls-takes-on-reno-project-in-sherman-4718593.php): Listed on this source
- [Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/asheville/comments/11hzvg1/need_a_garden_designer/): 0 community mentions discussing this business

## Mentions

Unverified third-party mentions found on the open web — relay with attribution ("a Reddit commenter said…"), never as Tavlee's own finding.

- “Spring Lake Garden Design Incorporated” — hgtv.com — https://www.hgtv.com/decorating/outdoor-spaces/unusual-landscaping-ideas-pictures
- “Sherman husband-and-wife team Ian Gribble and Catherine Cooke, who own Spring Lake Garden Design, are working closely with Hall on the restoration project.” — newstimes.com — https://www.newstimes.com/news/article/daryl-halls-takes-on-reno-project-in-sherman-4718593.php
- “Sherman husband-and-wife team Ian Gribble and Catherine Cooke, who own Spring Lake Garden Design, are working closely with Hall on the restoration project.” — timesunion.com — https://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Daryl-Hall-to-renovate-Sherman-house-4750014.php
- “Cooke and her partner, Ian Gribble, both principals of Spring Lake Garden Design Inc. in nearby Sherman, CT, came up with a solution – a deck off the master bedroom to balance the right side.” — aspiremetro.com — http://www.aspiremetro.com/design/a-lakeside-oasis-of-green-on-greene/

## Recent reviews

- **5/5 · Houzz · Paul Meissner · 2016-12-15**: Working with Catharine and Ian is the way it should be on every project. They give you a schedule and they stick to it. If there are going to be delays as there are with most projects, they don't make excuses, they work to get it resolved as soon as possible. From the design stage right through to t…
- **5/5 · Houzz · David Duffy · 2016-11-20**: We brought in SLGD to assist us with the redesign of our garden which was over- planted, poorly laid out and expensive to maintain. Prior to bring SLGD we had dealt with several other landscaping firms that had failed to address our request for a redesign of our property. They seemed more interested…
- **5/5 · Houzz · Stephanie Warren · 2016-11-16**: Spring Lake Garden Design created a beautiful entry for my home--before they began, there wasn't even a walkway to the front door. The new plantings are easy to tend, and I love that they created a sculpture garden in the pea gravel from the old farm tools we found around the property. It is graciou…
- **5/5 · Houzz · ronitschlein · 2015-11-16**: I had the great pleasure of working with Catharine and Ian from Spring Lake Garden Design for over a year before I left the client company. The site is on a historic farm and we were developing a farm-to-table restaurant with outdoor dining, picnic areas and several public areas for people to enjoy …
- **5/5 · Houzz · johnmcgurk · 2015-03-12**: Spring Lake designed and installed the entire landscape plan when we essentially rebuilt our house. This included all earthmoving, plant selection, irrigation, major stone work including stone patios, walls and pathways. They also were responsible for designing and subcontracting the water feature i…
- **5/5 · Houzz · hmgrob · 2015-02-02**: Comprehensive landscape design consultation for the past 12 years: design; installation; ongoing maintenance on our property, including trees, shrubs, flower beds, rock garden, veggie garden. Various construction projects, including design & construction plans, for back deck, front porch, horse/car …
- **5/5 · Houzz · ratwind · 2015-01-21**: We built a house in CT and hired Spring Lake Garden Design to create our garden. We were so delighted with the first portion that we went on and added two more; I cried with pleasure when I first saw it. We are now building a terrace and a barn and are using SLD again; they are so reliable and elega…
- **5/5 · Houzz · Mark_Ha · 2015-01-06**: Spring Lake Garden design has worked with my wife Ann and me on two properties in Connecticut and consultation on our property in South Carolina. We have worked with them every year for over 14 years. We have done many projects from installing raised gardens to implementing a "ha-ha" to relieve wate…
- **5/5 · Houzz · ctrealestate · 2014-11-22**: I am a CT real estate broker and have represented many homeowners whose gardens were designed and maintained by Spring lake Garden Design. Without exception, each garden was not only extraordinarily beautiful but was a perfect blending of home and house site with its natural surroundings. I have als…
- **5/5 · Houzz · Burlock Interiors · 2014-05-22**: I'm an interior designer and I hired Spring Lake on behalf of my developer clients to work on a rooftop garden in the White Plains area. They came through with a plan that showed that they heard what my client's needs were-especially regarding budget. The people at Spring Lake are friendly, down to …

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Data freshness: last scanned 2026-10-14T00:19:10.598Z.
Cite as: Spring Lake Garden Design Inc — Tavlee (https://tavlee.com/contractor/spring-lake-garden-design-inc-sherman)
Source: https://tavlee.com/contractor/spring-lake-garden-design-inc-sherman

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