On a serene backroad in Milan, Michigan, some twelve miles from Ann Arbor, lies a delightful hidden gem, with lush grounds more akin to a Monet painting than your traditional landscape design studio. Here, you will find a worn gravel path winding beneath vast towering groves, forming a thick, wooded passage toward KC Runciman — the oldest landscape design firm in the Ann Arbor area, and a staunch advocate of old-world artistry and craftsmanship.
KC Runciman Landscapes was founded in 1946 by Kenneth Claude Runciman, who was the first registered landscape architect in Washtenaw County. Over the company’s nearly 80-year history, its vision has expanded beyond that of your typical landscaping firm, becoming a curator of outdoor spaces built on craftsmanship and naturalistic design. For current owner Fred Knight, who worked as a subcontractor for KC Runciman for two decades before joining the company in 2010, honoring that legacy is just as important as preserving it.
“We’ve always kept the Runciman name,” Knight says. “Ken left a good legacy, and we’re proud to carry that forward while evolving what he started.”
Knight’s own journey into landscape design began after graduating from Michigan State and becoming both a licensed builder and horticulturist. After working for a landscaping company in Northville for a few years, he started his own firm, Knight Landscaping, in the late ’80s, which eventually merged with KC Runciman.
Perhaps the largest driving force at KC Runciman is its steadfast commitment to naturalistic design. Though this applies to ecological factors such as plant selection when designing outdoor spaces, it also goes a step further — in order to ensure that their landscapes feel timeless, KC Runciman frequently uses reclaimed and historic materials from all over the country, including barnstone, bluestone, antique bricks, and salvaged sidewalk slabs from old municipal projects.
“We use a lot of reclaimed materials because they bring stories with them,” Knight says. “It’s about giving a second life to these things. They’re beautiful, durable, and they have a soul. We’ll get old sidewalk material from Ohio that was quarried around the same time as many of Ann Arbor’s historic homes. When you use it in a project, it feels like it’s always been there.”
Some of the company’s most notable projects have utilized these reclaimed materials, including the Charles Lang Freer House on Wayne State University’s campus in Detroit, the Kempf House Museum in downtown Ann Arbor, and several private residences throughout the Ann Arbor Hills neighborhood and the city’s west side. KC Runciman’s work has also been featured in the annual Ann Arbor Garden Walk, offering attendees an intimate look at the company’s unique garden designs.
Beyond gardening, KC Runciman also offers one of the most extensive inventories of contemporary and historic architectural materials in Michigan. The headquarters in Milan features more than 150 tons of boulders alone, not to mention its collections of salvaged stone and building materials sourced from the Midwest and the East Coast.
“It’s not for every project,” Knight admits, “but when we can use these materials to give a garden more character, more soul — it’s incredibly rewarding.”
However, these projects would never get off the ground without the skilled people behind them. KC Runciman may not be the largest landscaping firm in the Ann Arbor area, but it’s certainly one of the most comprehensive, featuring hard-working crews that specialize in woodworking, hardscaping, planting, and long-term garden maintenance. “These gardens are investments,” Knight says. “They evolve, they grow. We don’t just build them and walk away — we help take care of them, season to season.”
KC Runciman’s commitment to maintain its clients’ gardens has helped cultivate relationships spanning multiple homes, decades, and even generations. “We’re already doing projects for the kids and grandkids of original customers,” Knight says. “That’s very satisfying, getting a chance to work with them again.”
Though the firm’s values are rooted in its past, that hasn’t prevented Knight from focusing on the company’s future. Knight’s son Kevin, who’s been with the company for 11 years, represents one part of KC Runciman’s next generation of leadership. Additionally, the company is looking to open their Milan headquarters to the public in the near future. “We’ve created something beautiful here,” Knight says. “The display gardens, the antiques, the mature plantings — it’s a nice, peaceful setting.”
Though Ann Arbor has gone through many changes in the past few years, companies like KC Runciman will continue to offer its residents something lasting: a chance to create their own garden refuge in Tree Town. As Knight says, “We need beauty in our life, and we have a role — to give people a spot to step away from business in the fast-paced town this is becoming.”
kcrunciman.com
@k.c.runciman.landscapes
"When we can use these materials to give a garden more character, more soul — it’s incredibly rewarding.”
Fred Knight
“We need beauty in our life, and we have a role — to give people a spot to step away from business in the fast-paced town this is becoming.”
Fred Knight