Veris- About Us

About Us
philosophy Our customers are our greatest priority and asset. The Veris design process puts you at the center, ensuring an extremely high level of customer satisfaction. We pride ourselves on developing lasting relationships with our clients and are happy to provide you with customer referrals upon request. qualifications Rachel E. Blistein, the founder and owner of Veris Landscape Design, earned a Master's Degree in Landscape Architecture and has been working in the field of landscape design since 1998. Her background in fine art, environmental resource management and large-scale master planning have shaped her holistic approach to design and special expertise in adapting a new landscape to its cultural and natural context. Rachel is also a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA). roots Veris is a Latin word that means both "true" and "the creation of Spring". Our work is centered on the principle of landscape design as a means both of supporting and enhancing life while uncovering the true, inherent nature of a space. We strive to create designs that possess the energy and vitality of a flower in bloom, sustaining and enriching life year-round. luna lake restoration project This past year (2008) Rachel, directed a determined band of volunteers in transforming Prospect Park's Luna Lake from a weedy no-man's land to an eye-catching, native plants rain garden - the first of it's kind and scale in the City of Ypsilanti. Prospect Park, located at the corner of Grove and Prospect in Ypsilanti's Historic East Side Neighborhood, created in 1893, has a long and significant history and serves as an important community recreational area. A Michigan Historic Marker commemorates the sites significance and storied place in the community. Luna Lake, a small man-made pond complete with fountain, graced the park in its early days and served as a destination for residents from all over the City. Over the decades, however, the pond fell into disrepair and became an unsightly repository for trash and weeds. Rather than restoring the mechanized pond, whose maintenance had already proved untenable, the Historic East Side Neighborhood Association (HESNA) spearheaded an effort to convert the space to a native plants rain garden which would reduce maintenance costs, beautify the space and increase biodiversity while creating educational opportunities for adjacent Adams Elementary School. Over the course of two work days, volunteers cleared brush, moved many tons of large boulders, distributed 50 CY of mulch, 9 CY of compost and planted almost 1,000 perennials and 60 trees and shrubs. The completed project is an attractive ecological asset that will help to process and filter storm water runoff, provide an educational resource for the community and adjacent Adams Elementary that will demonstrate the beauty and importance of the use of native wildflowers in the Michigan landscape. You can read more about it at mlive.com or at the Ypsilanti Courier.