The story of Schönheit Gardens starts in 2001
on the other side of the globe...
Schönheit Gardens was founded in 2002 by wife and husband team, Heidi and Peter, who were inspired to create a landscaping business after spending time abroad working in horticulture. Peter, from Northern Germany, and Heidi, from Northern Wisconsin, met in New Zealand while working for farms, floral shops, and plant nurseries. After refining their horticultural education in Australia, the pair returned to Wisconsin and started Schönheit Gardens.
The name that Heidi and Peter chose for the business is a nod not only to Peter’s roots, but also to the guiding principle of our company. The word Schönheit is a German word that roughly translates to optimal beauty or very beautiful. This concept has guided our team’s work since we started in 2002 and continues to represent our commitment to making every outdoor space the most beautiful version of itself.
Over time, Schönheit Gardens grew from the roots up into a team of more than 40 talented and passionate landscape professionals. The company has earned a reputation for creating unique and eye-catching landscape designs, for delivering top-quality garden maintenance services, and for beautiful hardscape construction. Schönheit Gardens also opened a charming garden center at its headquarters just 3 miles east of Madison which serves as a great source both for high quality annual flowers as well as unique perennials, trees and shrubs.
In 2019, Heidi and Peter sold their business to the current owners—a group of family and friends who share the same passion for creating and fostering the natural landscapes and horticultural expertise that Heidi and Peter first envisioned for Schönheit. Rich McMenamin and his wife Patty Mulvihill, along with her sister Carol Mulvihill, and their longtime friends Mohammad and Sara Azim came together to invest in and continue the Schönheit legacy. As fate would have it, Rich was born in New Zealand and spent his youth in Australia where his father’s passion for gardening made a lasting impression. This admiration and respect for the gardener’s craft has stayed with Rich throughout the years.
McMenamin Family patriarch, R.J., and three eldest children Standing in front of their
beloved garden. (1949)
R.J.'s approach was to get the whole family involved in gardening, no matter the age!
Today, Schönheit Gardens continues to deliver on its promise of creating beautiful outdoor spaces for its clients. We are a company based on a deep commitment to creativity, teamwork, and excellence. Whether you’re interested in beautifying your garden with colorful perennials and annuals, adding a patio to your outdoor living area, or just need a little help with garden maintenance, our team’s artistic vision, horticultural expertise, and hard work can bring your own ‘Schönheit’ garden to life.