BUILT WITH EXPERIENCE.
ROOTED IN DESIGN.
Carmel Gardens is a Lake Norman landscape design and installation company creating outdoor spaces that feel personal, natural, and built to be enjoyed.
Founded by Sara Martin, Carmel Gardens grew from an unconventional path into landscape design. With a background in high-end residential construction in Southern California, Sara spent years working on some of the West Coast’s most distinctive homes. That experience shaped her approach: understand how a space is built, then bring creativity and beauty into how it is lived in.
A lifelong love of the outdoors eventually led her from construction into the garden. After moving from the West Coast to Lake Norman, Sara brought her eye for design, construction expertise, and hands-on approach with her.
Today, Sara and her in-house team create landscapes that go beyond simply filling a space with plants. They consider how you live, how the garden will grow, and how each element works together—from the structure and pathways to the plants and places to gather.
Thoughtful design.
Practical experience.
Gardens that feel like they belong.
THE OUTDOORS HAS ALWAYS
CALLED MY NAME.
Some of my earliest memories are in the garden—playing among the flowers, watching bees, collecting rocks, and being captivated by nature.
My dad grew vegetables wherever he could find a patch of soil. I still remember the enormous zucchini he grew and the wonder of realizing that something so small could produce something so extraordinary.
That childhood curiosity grew into a lifelong love of gardening. Today, I continue to cultivate gardens and explore the many ways we can work with nature—and I love sharing that passion with others.
