Drought is normal for Southern California, but many of our public and commercial spaces are landscaped with water-thirsty plants. To help create more climate resilient landscapes, our office worked with South Pasadena Beautiful to design a new sustainable low-water garden at the South Pasadena Post Office. The project will unfold in two phases, dying trees...Read More

For the past few months, I’ve had the pleasure of working with the committed and energetic girls from South Pasadena Junior Girl Scout Troop 9461 on their Bronze Award, a community service project in which the entire troop decides on and commits to a project that serves their local community. Cookies for a cause! Just...Read More

Why plant a rain garden? You might assume that something with the words rain and garden next to each other does not immediately sound feasible for drought-stricken Southern California.  But rain gardens are a form of water harvesting — a way to capture and filter water that would otherwise flow into storm drains and eventually,...Read More

Thinking about integrating natives in to your garden? Go for it! Some of the benefits include: saving water, lowering maintenance, reducing pesticides and creating a wildlife-friendly garden. Native bees and other California pollinators can improve fruit set, and native birds and insects help keep your garden free of mosquitoes and plant-munching bugs. Gardening with natives also...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