Meet Our Team
Leslie Needham
Founder & Designer
Leslie is engaged in all projects that come to the studio, ranging from large country estates to city rooftops. She was accredited by the New York Botanical Garden Landscape Design Program, where she has taught landscape design. Her degrees also include a Master Compost certificate from UConn and a BA from the University of Virginia.
The work of Leslie Needham Design has been featured in numerous publications, received award and recognition from the ASLD. Her personal garden, River Hills, is one of sixteen gardens featured in Larry Lederman’s book ‘Garden Portraits Experiences of Natural Beauty’, which in the words of Judith Tankard, “This book is an exceptional personal record of some of America’s most important gardens now.”
Andrea Spunberg
Senior Designer
Andrea is a New York Botanical Garden-certified horticulturist and landscape designer, with a passion for sustainable design and ecology. Her design approach incorporates an understanding of the ecological setting and clients goals to create immersive spaces that enhance connection to nature and each other. She believes that each garden is an opportunity to make gentle yet meaningful progress towards a healthier living environment that fosters a sense of peace, inspiration and relaxation.
Andrea’s lifelong love of nature grew from her childhood summers spent exploring her grandparents’ gardens and orchards in her native Hungary. With family that stretches across continents, travel and cultural exchange are also a big part of her life. In her free time, Andrea loves observing and learning from nature, as well as sharing small wonders of beauty and discovery with others.
KATY KELLY
Studio Manager
Kathleen “Katy” Kelly is the Studio Manager at Leslie Needham Design working alongside the team on client projects and studio events. She received a Bachelor of Arts from Columbia University in New York City. Katy has a devoted passion for nature, design and responsible land stewardship. She has worked together with her husband in his construction and millwork company in Manhattan managing Human Resources and Accounts payable for the past several years.
A resident of Bedford, New York for 18 years, Katy enjoys tending her organic garden, raising free range chickens and producing maple syrup from the 23 Sugar Maples on her property. She is also active in the community and has been responsible for leading fundraising efforts to benefit the enhancement of the Bedford Elementary School landscape.
BretT Gilman
Summer Intern 2022-2024
Brett Gilman is a student at Middlebury College pursuing a BA in Socio-Ecological Studies in Landscape Architecture. A certified Organic Land Care professional, Brett has over ten years of experience in organic farming and a passion for native plants and ecological landscape design.
Brett’s studies are focused on the intersection of landscape architecture with conservation biology, fine arts, philosophy, and environmental policy. He is interested in how these elements intersect to cultivate a mastery of a new landscape architecture that regenerates ecosystems and biodiversity. Brett has completed studies abroad in Landscape History at Oxford University and urban design at Copenhagen. Here at LND, he is involved in formulating and implementing client projects, managing the gardens, and preparing conceptual analysis. We are pleased to welcome him back for his third season during the summer of 2024.
Summer intern program
Summer Interns
Every summer we offer an internship to a college student interested in the field of landscape design and gardening. This job offers an immersive experience in every aspect of our collaborative design studio, from mapping out planting plans, sourcing plants and materials , client site visits and hands on gardening. We are thrilled that our past interns are now on their way to continuing their studies in the field of landscape architecture. To learn about our interns click here
If you are interested in finding out more about our Summer Intern Program, please click here to fill out our Summer Intern Questionnaire.