Landscape Design-Build Company Turns Backyards Into Climate Defense

Sponsored By Field Form

Form follows function in gardens designed to fight flooding in Brooklyn.

Created By Brownstoner

As Brooklyn faces increasingly severe storms—like cloudbursts that can dump more than three inches of rain per hour in some areas—a Gowanus-based landscape firm is turning the tide on flooding, one garden at a time. Field Form is revolutionizing how homeowners protect their properties by creating gardens that are both beautiful and prepared for rising waters.

The stakes are particularly high in their home turf near the Gowanus Canal, where just an inch of rainfall can trigger flooding and combined sewer overflow events. “We weren’t starting from scratch,” says Samuel Robinson of Field Form, describing one of their signature projects in Park Slope. “There’s a tetris-like quality to drainage design jobs, where you have a sense of what pieces you need, but how to situate them requires imagination.”

That imagination has led to innovative solutions like their “Thirsty Birch Gardens” project in Clinton Hill, where they transformed four adjacent gardens — including one in collaboration with landscape design firm Studio Zewde, and another with landscape designer Michael Cafiero — into an interconnected flood fighting network. Think gravel catchment areas cleverly disguised as elegant hardscaping, and French drains that double as garden features. All working in harmony with water-loving river birches that drink up excess rainfall.

Based in the flood-prone Gowanus watershed, Field Form’s approach goes beyond surface-level prettiness. Each project begins with a deep dive into the site’s history—analyzing everything from core samples to the ghostly paths of long-buried streams. This research informs designs that work with, rather than against, Brooklyn’s natural water patterns.

Currently focusing on projects within a two-mile radius of their Gowanus office, Field Form envisions a future where private gardens become part of a larger, shared infrastructure protecting entire neighborhoods. Their work has already proven successful at reducing on-site flooding and pooling, and in nearly eliminating sewer system outflow in several pilot projects.

The investment in flood-resilient landscaping makes financial sense too. According to FEMA analysis, just one inch of flooding can cost homeowners $25,000 in cleanup, repairs, and renovation.

For Brooklyn homeowners tired of watching their basements and gardens flood with each major storm, Field Form’s message resonates. Beyond the immediate protection, clients gain valuable insights into their property’s flood exposure and their neighborhood’s watershed dynamics. As one Park Slope client put it, “We never want to worry about flooding again—especially not when we’re on vacation.”

With climate change bringing more intense rainfall to our borough, that peace of mind is more valuable than ever. Field Form’s clients rest easier knowing their gardens are actively working to protect their homes, whether they are witness to it or not. It’s an approach that transforms individual gardens into vital infrastructure, defending not just single properties but entire blocks against Brooklyn’s rising waters.

“We embrace the chance to influence the environment across a larger swath – from drainage improvement interventions to plant selections,” said Robinson. “And more than that, to help build a sense of community among neighbors facing shared climate challenges.”

For more information, contact Field Form.