South Fork Studio Landscape Architecture, Inc.

South Fork Studio Landscape Architecture focuses on custom residential design on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Principal D. Miles Barnard founded the firm in 2003 and is the principal designer on every project.

An extensive portfolio includes small, in-town gardens, large private estates, non-profit educational foundations and private institutions like Washington College—but Barnard is most drawn to residential clients and the rewarding relationships that develop from those close collaborations. Design services include swimming pools, fire features, small buildings, lighting, planting and paving design, master planning, and permitting. “Almost all our projects are within the Chesapeake Bay Critical Area,” Barnard observes, “so we are expert at navigating the rules that exist to protect tidal waters.”

After 23 years of working on the Eastern Shore, Barnard relies on a strong design process, as well as on many close working relationships with the best contractors. “For me, it is all about function first—a space has to be useful,” he says. “Then we add the unique details, classic materials and native plants to create beautiful, timeless landscapes. There’s no greater compliment than when someone says, ‘It looks like it has always been there.’” 

The firm has received numerous design awards from the Potomac and Maryland Chapters of ASLA.