City landscaper pursuing urban enhancement through aesthetic improvements
Wambui Ippolito, a renowned landscape designer, is making waves in the horticultural world. Based in New York, she practices her craft primarily on the East Coast, with current projects in the Westchester area.
Her journey into landscape design began in East Africa, where she spent her childhood exploring the outdoors and nurturing a strong connection with the land. This early exposure, combined with her mother's passion for gardening, laid the foundation for Wambui's career. Her mother, a diplomat, was an avid gardener and introduced Wambui to horticulture at a young age.
Wambui's unique perspective, rooted in her non-Western European and American background, has been instrumental in her success. This is evident in her panoramic approach to landscape design, which sets her apart in the industry.
In 2021, Wambui was named by Veranda magazine as one of '11 revolutionary female landscape designers and architects', a testament to her innovative work. The same year, she won a Gold Award and Best in Show at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society's Philadelphia Flower Show.
Wambui's accolades continue to pile up. In 2022, she was invited to design a courtyard garden at the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Richmond, Virginia. She also chaired the Society of Garden Designers' spring conference earlier this year, earning praise for her enquiring approach.
Looking ahead, Wambui has wider ambitions. She plans to use her expertise to beautify cities and municipalities around the world, reforesting large tracts of land in the process. To achieve this, she aims to create more jobs for young people and particularly women by setting up nurseries where native plants can be propagated.
In addition to her practical work, Wambui is writing a book titled Terra Nova, which will be published by Timber Press in 2026. The book will highlight the influence that immigrants' gardens have had on the American landscape.
Wambui is in high demand on the lecture circuit and as a consultant for horticultural programming in institutions and museums. To learn more about her work, visit her website at wambuidesign.com.
While specific details on her future projects related to city landscapes, reforestation, or job creation for young people and women are not yet available, it is clear that Wambui Ippolito is a designer with a vision for a greener, more beautiful future.
[1] Veranda magazine - 11 revolutionary female landscape designers and architects (2021) [2] Pennsylvania Horticultural Society - Philadelphia Flower Show Gold Award and Best in Show (2021) [3] Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden - Courtyard Garden Design (2022) [4] Society of Garden Designers - Spring Conference (2023) [5] Timber Press - Upcoming Book Terra Nova (2026)
- Wambui Ippolito, a distinguished designer known for her panoramic approach to landscape design, has been recognized in Veranda magazine's list of '11 revolutionary female landscape designers and architects' in 2021.
- Notably, she also won a Gold Award and Best in Show at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society's Philadelphia Flower Show the same year.
- In 2022, Wambui was invited to design a courtyard garden at the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Richmond, Virginia.
- She also chaired the Society of Garden Designers' spring conference earlier this year, earning praise for her enquiring approach.
- Wambui is planning to use her expertise to beautify cities and municipalities around the world, reforesting large tracts of land in the process.
- She aims to achieve this goal by creating more jobs for young people and particularly women by setting up nurseries where native plants can be propagated.
