The Art of Gardening, The Cultivation of Art.
About Kylin Mettler, Owner.
I've been dancing with horticulture since 1999. My degree is in sculpture from Rhode Island School of Design, a degree that comes into use daily while pruning, planning and designing gardens. I began my horticultural two step at Chanticleer gardens each summer between college years. Their staff is world class and I was lucky to work under their tutelage. I waltzed with three other small gardening companies as worker and manager before starting my own business in 2008. I have completed thousands of jobs, some, like a spring ephemeral, a beautiful momentary surprise. Others like a long-lived perennial starting more than a decade ago and still being shaped. Gardening has taught me about time, how to think in seasons and years yet still appreciate the awe of each moment. Gardening has also humbled me. Soil science, plant anatomy, chemical relations, environmental impact, designing in four dimensions, invasive plants, native plants and ecosystems could each take a lifetime to truly know. I believe that any entity including myself is either growing or dying, therefore I endeavor to continue my learning forever. Currently, I am filling that need by attending classes at Longwood Gardens.
About Kylin Arts.
Our Story.
After working in the horticultural world since 1999 first at Chanticleer for three summers then for various small gardening businesses as a manager, I started my own business In 2008. The business began on a wing and a dream out of the back of a station wagon with only a few tools and a business partner, Eero Hagen. Though my tech genius business partner is now cultivating IT systems instead of plants, we still rely on each other as friends. Hundreds of customers, thousands of jobs and millions of plants later our fleet has grown to two fully equipped trucks, and a staff of 10 but the basics are still the same. I love the people as much as the plants, and watching a greenspace transform remains magical.
Our Logo.
The word Kylin (or Qilin) comes from Chinese mythology. The Kylin is a chimerical creature with a deer body, fish scales, antlers, the tail of a lion and the head of a dragon. This mythical creature is said to be good luck, so powerful it can burst into flames to protect the righteous, yet so gentle it floats above the grass in order to avoid harming a single blade. Our logo depicts the Kylin, hovering above a garden, watching over it, and perhaps adding a little magic.