Founder · Petrus Estate Landscapes
Ward
Dilmore
Landscape artist. Estate visionary. The man who sees what your land could become before the first stone is laid.
Ward Dilmore has spent over two decades mastering the art of estate landscapes from the private gardens of Silicon Valley to the great estates of Europe and the Hamptons.
“This truly is art with plants as the medium. The land is the canvas, and every estate is a new story waiting to be told.”
— Ward Dilmore, Founder, Petrus Landscape
Born into a world where art and nature were one
Ward Dilmore did not choose landscaping. It chose him. He grew up on land in the process of becoming former farmland transforming slowly into old-growth forest, where the seasons were teachers and the trees were sculptures. His parents were both artists. Nature was the first gallery he ever entered.
That early education watching raw land develop its own character over years, seeing his parents find beauty in the unremarkable gave Ward a perspective that no classroom can teach: the ability to see what a landscape will become, not just what it is.
He went on to study international relations and horticultural technology at the University of Sussex in the United Kingdom, combining a worldly, humanistic perspective with deep botanical science. What followed was years of travel through the great estate gardens of France, the Mediterranean, and across Europe absorbing centuries of landscape tradition at their source.
When Ward arrived in Silicon Valley in 2015, he brought all of it: the artist’s eye, the scientist’s precision, the traveler’s breadth, and the estate insider’s understanding of what truly extraordinary private properties require.
01
University of Sussex, UK
Dual study in International Relations & Horticultural Technology combining global perspective with deep botanical expertise.
02
European Estate Garden Immersion
Extensive study and travel across France's Mediterranean estates, formal English gardens, and Italian villa landscapes absorbing centuries of tradition.
03
20+ Years in Private Estate Horticulture
Head gardener at multiple estates across Silicon Valley, Los Angeles, and the Hamptons. An industry that, as Ward describes it, operates like "feudal kingdoms with their own worlds of staff, NDAs, and extraordinary architecture."
04
Petrus — Founded with Gabe Thomas
Ward co-founded Petrus to bring the rigorous standards of world-class private estate care to a curated clientele in the Bay Area and beyond.
Influences that span centuries and continents
We hold a singular conviction: the land surrounding a great estate should be as thoughtfully authored as every room within it.
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Consultation
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Services Guide
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Engine Reference
How Ward approaches every estate
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The Land Speaks First
Before a single concept is drawn, Ward walks the property across multiple days and seasons, listening to what the land itself is asking for. Its topography, light patterns, existing vegetation, and relationship with the architecture all inform the design before any vision is imposed upon them.
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Design for Time, Not Trend
The great estate gardens of Europe have endured for centuries because they were designed with permanence in mind. Ward holds the same standard. No project leaves his hands without a clear vision of how it will look in five, twenty, and fifty years' time.
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Every Sense, Considered
A great landscape engages more than sight. The sound of water, the fragrance of a rose garden, the texture of stone underfoot, the rustle of ornamental grasses Ward composes with all of it, creating an experience that envelops rather than simply impresses.
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The Estate as a Living System
Ward approaches each property as an ecology a system of living relationships between soil, plant, water, light, and human life. Landscapes designed this way do not require fighting against nature; they work with it, growing more magnificent each year.
How Ward approaches every estate
1
The Land Speaks First
Before a single concept is drawn, Ward walks the property across multiple days and seasons, listening to what the land itself is asking for. Its topography, light patterns, existing vegetation, and relationship with the architecture all inform the design before any vision is imposed upon them.
11
Design for Time, Not Trend
The great estate gardens of Europe have endured for centuries because they were designed with permanence in mind. Ward holds the same standard. No project leaves his hands without a clear vision of how it will look in five, twenty, and fifty years' time.
111
Every Sense, Considered
A great landscape engages more than sight. The sound of water, the fragrance of a rose garden, the texture of stone underfoot, the rustle of ornamental grasses Ward composes with all of it, creating an experience that envelops rather than simply impresses.
1v
The Estate as a Living System
Ward approaches each property as an ecology system of living relationships between soil, plant, water, light, and human life. Landscapes designed this way do not require fighting against nature; they work with it, growing more magnificent each year.
What it means to work with Petrus
Every engagement begins with a conversation. Not a quote a conversation. Ward wants to understand how you live, what you love, and what your estate means to you.
01
A personal conversation with one of the founders to understand your vision, your property, your life, and your aspirations for the space.
02
Founder personally walks the property assessing topography, light, existing flora, drainage, and the architectural relationship of the land to the home.
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A bespoke design concept is developed hand-rendered and presented by Ward, referencing influences, materials, plant palettes, and the landscape’s future arc.
04
Ward’s team of 30+ master craftsmen brings the vision to life with meticulous precision materials, plants, and craftsmanship of the highest order.
05
The relationship does not end at installation. Petrus offers comprehensive estate maintenance programs to protect and advance your landscape for decades to come.
01
A personal conversation with one of the founders to understand your vision, your property, your life, and your aspirations for the space.
02
Founder personally walks the property assessing topography, light, existing flora, drainage, and the architectural relationship of the land to the home.
03
A bespoke design concept is developed hand-rendered and presented by Ward, referencing influences, materials, plant palettes, and the landscape’s future arc.
04
Ward’s team of 30+ master craftsmen brings the vision to life with meticulous precision materials, plants, and craftsmanship of the highest order.
05
The relationship does not end at installation. Petrus offers comprehensive estate maintenance programs to protect and advance your landscape for decades to come.
Reserve your private
consultation with one of the Founders
We accepts a limited number of new estate clients each quarter, ensuring every project receives the personal attention it deserves. If your estate is ready for its defining landscape, we would be honored to speak with you.
+1 (650) 391-7109
Atherton · Woodside · Palo Alto
Portola Valley · Hillsborough · Beyond
CSLB #1132139 · Bonded & Insured