Offering Landscape Design for Mauldin SC,  Simpsonville SC,  Greenville SC,  Fountain Inn SC, and Golden Strip.

My name is Mike Lee and I am originally from New Jersey. I have been in a family landscape / nursery business since I was born.

At age 5 in the summer I remember being with my dad at landscape jobs. I felt tremendous honor to sweep the driveway. There were no leaf blowers then and I would have to start over when I finished.  I loved being outdoors. I truly learned the business from the ground up.

We also had a nursery in our back yard or the “farm” as we lovingly called it, for as long as I can remember.  So building landscapes is actually what I have done all my life.

I was fortunate enough to attend a high school with a strong Agriculture program in which I received many ‘A’ grades.  After HS I attended a local community college. There agriculture and its opportunities expanded for me to learn the “whys” about plants.

I graduated with High Honors and an AAS degree in Agriculture Business. I and then took and passed the Certified Nursery and Landscape Professional Exam for our state.  While living in New Jersey I held the CNLP status for 18 years.

From New Jersey to Clemson University.

After spending a few more years on our farm, which now had a retail nursery, I transferred to Clemson where I spent two years studying Ornamental Horticulture. While at Clemson I learned a great deal about plant make up and structure as well as working in a tissue culture lab.

I returned to New Jersey when my father passed away suddenly in 1997. While in my hometown, I held a seat on the zoning board of adjustment for 10 years. After many years of owning and running the landscape / nursery, I decided retail was not for me.

My wife and I spent a few more years in New Jersey raising our family. Finally we decided we liked the warmer winters in the upstate best and moved back in 2009.

I am currently the Chairman of the Tree Board in Mauldin, SC and we are growing Design by Lee in the golden strip with both my sons participating in this third generation business.