Sustainably Certified!

Stephanie has completed the G3LA sustainable design program and is now a G3 Certified Landscape Professional!  This program included training on water harvesting (both active and passive), low-water irrigation systems, organic gardening and soil amendment, lawn alternatives, water use and budgeting calculation, and much more.

We are excited to be part of the sustainable movement in landscape design, and looking forward to LA’s transformation into a truly green city; verdant, bountiful and beautiful!  Vive la revolution!

“Salad, to go!” at the LA Garden Show

Our entry in the recent LA Garden Show, as part of the APLD group booth.

Filled with herbs, salad greens and edible flowers, these vintage Samsonite suitcases were recycled as portable salad gardens.  Perfect for apartment dwellers with a sunny window or small patio!

Firepit Fun!

Just got these pictures from a client. He celebrated the New Year with friends at his fab new pad, designed by Barbara Bestor. The house is all about “floating clouds,” and we referenced the cantilevered upper story with a levitating path and patio. And just wait until spring time when the house will be fronted by a cloud of white flowering trees!

In the meantime, these photos reminded me that I haven’t blogged about firepits. I think they are the best “bonus” feature you can add to a garden. Especially in LA, where we always end up outside at parties, even when it’s 50 degrees out in December! Plus nothing makes an evening more magical and relaxing than watching the flames dance around.

I am a big fan of gas fires. They are clean-burning (less pollution!) and don’t throw out any sparks – a big deal in our flammable city. You can still roast marshmallows on them (I did last night with my 3 year old), though it does take a little longer than with a traditional camp fire, as they aren’t as hot.

Add some low-voltage lighting (I’m really excited about the new LED fixtures finally coming out – more on that soon), and your garden is ready for nighttime fun.

Apartment Therapy Link

One of our recent projects has just been profiled on the Apartment Therapy Blog! The beautiful shots of the garden are at the end of the slide show, by the way.

We are Certified!

We just received word that Stephanie has received Certification from the Association of Professional Landscape Designers (APLD).

To qualify for this professional recognition of excellence, she submitted three past projects to a national panel of designers for review. References, educational background, and continuing professional development were also assessed.

With almost ten years of landscape design experience, and many dozens of finished projects, this professional recognition is greatly appreciated.

Playground Design

As the mother of a 2.5 year old boy, and as a garden designer, I am really interested in the way that children use outdoor spaces. Often, given everyone’s busy schedules, it is the children who spend the most time in the gardens. Often, too, their arrival motivates parents to seek our help.

After addressing safety concerns, the two things parents most often request are a play lawn and a play “toy.” Both are very functional and their appeal is obvious, but creative design can create space for more dynamic play and be adult-friendly, too.

We like to include natural elements to play with and on, use plants to stimulate all of their senses, and provide opportunities for creative play and exploration. This can be as simple as a small plot where they can plant vegetables and flowers, or as complicated as a maze. The most popular elements from the play toy can be “exploded” into the landscape (think the board game “Chutes & Ladders”). An outdoor wall, or fence, can be painted with chalkboard paint.

The current issue of GOOD magazine has a whole section of great articles about this topic: Fall Down Go Boom, Nature Playgrounds, Loose Parts Playgrounds, and Adventure Playgrounds

and Silverlake Modern, too!

(Click on the photo above to enlarge)

Another dramatic change! This is a great house with amazing views and its own blog! It’s also on the market now, so it could be yours…

Mount Washington Modern

Out with the old and in with the new!  Leaving the amazing giant euphorbia in the front yard, we replaced the old metal fence with new bamboo, and the funky cactus garden with a mix of colorful, equally low-water succulents, grasses and perennials.  The side yard is now a series of graceful rooms, with built-in seating, a firepit, and herb planter.  A tiny front yard went from dirt pile to small lawn, and the back deck is now sturdy and elegant.

Hollywood Hills Hideaway

Another hillside transformation! A new outdoor kitchen and colorful flagstone completed the upper patio. We added new stairs to provide access to the lower yard. And the boring ivy covered hillside was re-planted with ecclectic, colorful, low water California friendly plants.

Silverlake transformation

From disaster to Mediterranean oasis. This garden features new decks, play lawn, vegetable beds, built in bbq, firepit, decomposed granite and tile patios and low voltage lighting, all with a Spanish flavor. As you can see from the photo, we kept the mature orange tree but everything else is brand new.