As landscape contractor for more than 35 years for the Emmy® Award-winning television series This Old House and Ask This Old House, Roger Cook provided expert advice learned over the course of a lifetime in landscaping. He stepped away from the role in January 2020.
Roger’s journey with This Old House began in 1982 when he first appeared in the series. At the time, he was working as the landscape foreman for the Frost and Higgins Company, but that didn’t stop him from contributing ideas and expertise to several This Old House projects, including the Bigelow Project and the Woburn House. A phone call many years later from landscape architect Tom Wirth changed everything. It was 1988, the project was the Lexington Bed & Breakfast renovation, and Roger was on board full-time as the landscape contractor.
In 2018, Roger penned a heartfelt letter to readers of This Old House Magazine: “I am extremely proud to have been part of This Old House for more than 35 years. I have enjoyed the opportunity to share my knowledge of and passion for landscaping. And my life has been greatly enriched by the professional relationships and friendships I’ve formed over the years.”
In 1977, Roger received a Bachelor of Science degree in wildlife management and conservation law from the University of Maine. A certified landscape contractor in Massachusetts, Roger is an active member of the Massachusetts Arborist Association and has served as president of the board of directors of New England Grows and the Association of Landscape Contractors of Massachusetts.
Roger’s approach to landscaping evolved alongside the industry itself. As he explained in a 2004 interview for This Old House Magazine’s 25th anniversary: “When I started my landscaping business, most people just wanted some grass in the yard. Now people are spending much more time enjoying their outdoor space, and they’ve become more interested in perennial plantings and natural hardscape materials like brick and stone.”
Roger was known for mentoring the next generation of This Old House talent. Landscape contractor Jenn Nawada recalled her early days working alongside him: “I was very intimidated by him because he was Roger Cook. He was the god of landscape to this country, and he was right there in front of me.” Roger took Jenn under his wing on the show, offering her a characteristically practical piece of advice: “It’s always easier to do with a shovel in your hand.”
In 1988, Roger made his first appearance on This Old House, beginning a decades-long run as the show’s beloved landscape contractor. As host Kevin O’Connor reflected in a special tribute episode, “We’ll remember Roger for who he was and will always be—our dear friend.”
Roger owned and operated K & R Landscape, which he founded in 1982 with his wife, Kathleen. In August 2024, Roger passed away after a long battle with illness. Surviving Roger are beloved family members: son Jason, daughter Molly, brother Greg, daughter-in-law Anna, and three grandsons—Peter, Noah, and James. He is predeceased by his beloved wife, Kathleen, who died from cancer in 2010.
Roger’s son Jason remembered his father’s deep love of the outdoors beyond landscaping: “Aside from his family, I’m not sure that anything else took precedence over fishing. Every weekend in the summer was carved out for fishing for Dad. As long as there wasn’t gale-force winds, we were going out on the boat.”
