Margo Gardiner moved to Portland from the Boston area in the early 90’s. She started out in the gardening business, first working at Portland Nursery, then for a woman-run landscaping company.

She learned her trade on the job spending several years working for people in the home remodeling business. The projects ran the gamut from smaller bathroom and kitchen remodels to full-scale second story additions. Margo realized that she liked building but missed working in gardens. "So I went out on my own and combined the two in what I call "Garden Carpentry'”.

The main focus of MBG Building are garden structures such as fences, decks, arbors, planter boxes, sheds etc. Margo's style ranges from the classic traditional look to all out artistic using reclaimed wood, old windows and rusty metal if appropriate to the project and taste of the client. "I love creating unique additions to people’s gardens and homes. "I either work directly with the client to realize their vision or have several landscape designers whom I work with. I do all the work myself with a helper and am ever mindful of the plants and landscapes while working. I always clean up the site at the end of each workday." 

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Margo is also a local artisan who loves creating unique boxes, coffee tables, reclaimed bed frames etc.  For more details, see "Artisan" page.