Humans are innately drawn to nature; biophilia being the term coined for our inherent desire to connect with the environment. Beyond the sense of ease that comes with spending time in the natural world, there are positive physiological benefits to spending time in the outdoors. An NPR article, by Marielle Segarra, states that trees have...Read More

On the day-to-day, not much thought may be given to the bee. In fact, many, such as myself, may assume that a bee’s sole purpose is to create honey. But in reality, there are 1600 species of bees in California alone—many of which do not create honey, but are vital to the California landscape. The...Read More

We often have the pleasure of being invited back by clients to review the landscape we’ve designed, especially in the first few years. Usually on our visits, the plants are thriving, and all is well. We have designed your garden to be in harmony with our climate, using trees, shrubs, perennials and succulents either native...Read More

I recently posted the image at left on Instagram, and my normally quiet followers expressed all kinds of interest about the preserved lemon recipe. This was not really a surprise, since for the past five years or more, our clients have consistently requested fruit trees and vegetable beds in their gardens. In response, we’ve developed...Read More

Are you longing for a garden that hums with life? My garden reading this winter has been highlighted by California Bees & Blooms: A Guide for Gardeners and Naturalists.  Drawing from years of research at the UC Berkeley Urban Bee Lab, the book outlines how to transform an urban or suburban garden into a bee-friendly...Read More