Garden gallery

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WHAT KIND OF LANDSCAPE DO YOU LIKE?

Here are just a handful of the landscapes we have designed. They are all drought-tolerant and sustainable. You can create almost any style or theme in the world with the right design that is artistic and incorporates the best use of your micro-environment (temperature, humidity, soil, sun/shade, drainage, etc.) This is a selection of landscapes that involved themes of ranching, rock, colorful prairie, Asian, contemporary, southwestern, pond/water, serene and chaparral scenic gardens.

They focus on Southern California properties, particularly those of Los Angeles County -- properties where weather is becoming more variable and extreme, requiring creativity to design beauty into tough, resistant, practical and maintainable outdoor extensions to the indoor living space.

GROW AN EDIBLE LANDSCAPE

Many vegetables and fruits are as decorative as other garden plants. These can be integrated into any landscape; create an entire front or backyard garden, be given special areas, grown in ornamental pots or raised gardens, or can be grown in specific pest-protected areas.

Growing your own food, herbs (for cooking, medicinal, or craft purposes) will add both interesting visual elements and usefulness to your garden space.

Currently there is a strong edible plant revival going on in the landscaping business. People want to eat and be healthier. Working with the land outdoors offers many benefits from fresh air, natural vitamin D and good exercise to mental balancing, stress reduction and truly fresh food and freedom from toxic chemicals. Growing edibles and herbs are a wonderful way to add magic and wonder to a child's perception of reality, as well as helping seniors and handicapped people to stay limber and find meaning and purpose in life.

OUTDOOR ROOMS CAN EXTEND YOUR LIVING AREA

What would work for your lifestyle: a play area for children or pets? An outdoor kitchen or entertainment area? A sports area? How about a meditation space, a pond or swimming pool? A firepit? Or a decorative bridge leading from one area of your garden to another – or maybe over what looks like a passage over a dry riverbed that is really a useful drainage swale?

ADD A CONVERSATION PIECE

Create art, whimsy, or design a theme with a piece of sculpture, a water feature, a surprise structure, or by simply using unusual materials, fabrics or a splash of color.

Or consider a wildlife garden that helps the birds thrive despite so much of their living space being converted into human habitats. Invite these creatures into your space where their color, playful antics and soothing motion can turn your garden into a piece of kinetic art!

BUILD IN SAFETY FOR YOUR HOME AND FAMILY…

Designing protection into your property-- like wildfire resistance, hill support, drainage to avoid flooding, flexibility to handle frost and extreme drought, access and passage for maintenance, enclosures for animals, fencing, water recycling and storage, plus so much more – can appear to be nothing more than lovely garden features.

Safety has been built into all these designs.

You should include them in your own garden.

Even if you never need to protect your space from a wildfire, flood, mudslide or damaging winds, providing safe footing, solid construction, child and pet visibility and more, can reduce the chance of accident or injury. As a bonus, wise designing will factor in the best possible use of your natural land's configuration, light exposure and minimize water/utility usage – all of which adds up to saving money, work and frustration!

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