Our designs come in all shapes and sizes. Taking a cue from our client's needs and personal style, we create and maintain spaces that feature our creativity based on our knowledge of how outdoor spaces should feel and can best be utilized. We are best described as a boutique landscape firm, specializing in one-of-a-kind, residential spaces. Fiddlehead Gardens is a Unilock Authorized Contractor and all of our crew members are ICPI certified. We pride ourselves on our commitment to excellence at every step of the way. Meet our team.
Curtis Schoenthaler
Founder and owner of Fiddlehead Gardens, Curtis has over a decade of garden and landscape experience. Although inspired by the Iowa prairie, he didn't begin landscaping until leaving the Midwest and landing in Seattle in 2003. A desire to explore his personal creativity led him to start Fiddlehead Gardens after his return to Iowa City in 2006. Over the years, Fiddlehead Gardens has found its footing as a leader in natural hardscaping, utilizing stones found right here in our state. Curtis excels at marrying naturalistic plantings with functional hardscapes. He is just as comfortable in the prairie as he is in an excavator and looks forward to raising kids that can appreciate both sides of the landscape world as well.
“Landscaping is a strong industry right now, and as design trends change, so will we.”
Cassidy Schoenthaler
Curtis’s wife, Cassidy joined the Fiddlehead team in 2020 shortly before the birth of their first child. With her in the office, we officially became a family business. After graduating from the University of Iowa, Cassidy split her time between the Iowa City Farmers Market and Local Foods Connection for several years. In 2016, she helped open Ten Thousand Villages in Iowa City and was the Executive Director there until she entered the landscape world. She brings with her a love of organization, attention to detail and a community-minded ethos. She has enjoyed being part of Fiddlehead’s growth and working alongside her husband each day. When not at work, she enjoys cooking and baby wrangling.
Team Members
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Joining the team in 2024, Alex Schmidt comes to us as a seasoned designer and Iowa City native. With a Bachelor of Science degree from Iowa State in Horticultural Design he has developed creative designs of residential landscapes and some notable public spaces, including the Iowa Lion’s Eye Bank Donor Memorial at the entrance to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. In 2007, he was elected to the Johnson County Soil and Water Conservation District. He later became president of the Conservation Districts of Iowa and was the Northcentral Executive Board Representative to the National Association of Conservation Districts. He has used this to help focus his design work on using urban stormwater best management practices (BMPs) like permeable pavers, rain gardens/bio-swales and soil quality restorations to help his clients understand the importance of these practices both in their yards, and for the greater environment.
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Brandon has been part of our Fiddlehead family since 2021 and has become a integral part of the team. You can catch him delivering products , equipment and plant material in the freightliner or welding a unique metal piece for a new installation.
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John is another valued member of our team. Stepping into a leadership role early in his tenure with Fiddlehead Gardens, he has grown into a thoughtful and effective leader.
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A hard worker, Brent teaches the younger guys how to get things done. For two years now, he has been leading our crew for productivity.
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Evan comes to us from Western Illinois and has been a welcome addition to our team. He’s willing to jump in wherever needed and isn’t afraid of a little dirt.
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Noah is our Decorah transplant. He has shown exemplary leadership capabilities and we are excited to see where his future lands him within the company.
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With experience working in a quarry in central Missouri, Jason brings with him a wealth of knowledge regarding natural stone and an excitement to learn new installation techniques.
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Garrett is new to the team but has jumped right in, helping on a variety of projects and learning the landscape ropes.
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Ashton is a recent graduate from Kirkwood’s Horticulture program and is taking care of all of our nursery plants this year. If you run into him on a job site, ask him about his hydroponic houseplant operation.
