Jacques Zians, Gardener

Jacques Zians is a German‑born designer based in the New York City area whose interdisciplinary background spans furniture, interior, and graphic design.

He brings this design foundation to his work with the Montclair Foundation’s Van Vleck House & Gardens, where he focuses on horticulture and ecological landscape care. Jacques’s earlier experience in product development—moving projects from concept through prototyping and manufacturing—shaped his approach to materials, spatial composition, and systems thinking across scales. This perspective informs his work in garden environments, where he approaches planting with a designer’s sensitivity to natural structure. Jacques is particularly interested in gardens as dynamic systems that support biodiversity while creating clear, welcoming, and meaningful experiences for visitors.