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I'm an artist. I've been drawing since childhood, making pictures in all sorts of media:
pencils, pen, paint, crayon and collage. I've also built scale models, designed clothes
and quilts, made greeting cards and illustrations, and grown lots and lots of gorgeous
gardens. Every day, I wake with fresh ideas.
As an artist, I offer something different from the others in the field of landscape design. I
create whole works of art. From wood, water, rocks and plants, I craft a complete
composition, one cohesive construction, in which every color, shape and size
compliments the others as an harmonious whole, one big picture that wraps around the
home. Because the landscape is visually integrated, it feels beautifully balanced and
pleasantly peaceful. Like a work of fine art, it captures the viewer's attention.
A painting exists in two dimensions and a sculpture in three, but the art of landscape
design requires four. That fourth dimension is time. So, when I design, I envision the
future: I imagine how this landscape will look next year, in five years, in twenty. A
landscape is not a static scene, it's more like endless theater with new acts every day.
For a landscape to last, it must be well planned and carefully crafted. The hardscape,
such as walls, patios, pathways and pergolas, must endure without cracking, shifting or
settling. The plants must be healthy, at home in their setting, irrigated correctly, so they
thrive well into the future. A well designed landscape grows beautifully better over time.
A poor design deteriorates.
In composing a landscape, I think first of its structure, its framework. In most designs,
it's the hardscape, the built elements, that determines the strong lines, the big shapes in
the landscape. I want those shapes to compliment and connect with each other,
whether they are linear or curving, contemporary or classic. My considerations are both
practical and esthetic, since a landscape is not only something to see, it's something to
use. So I think about where people will sit, what they will see, where they might work or
play. Combining function with style, I fashion a setting with a visual flow, a rhythm of
movement and a sensual allure. I create an invitation to enter.
As I plan the hardscape, I consider the many options in materials. What will best suit the
style of this particular design? What enhances the house, what fits the budget? Will the
patio be pavers, flagstone or brick? Should the fence be redwood, bamboo or wrought
iron? Will the retaining walls supporting the terraces be block, dry-laid stone or wood?
Where might I utilize architectural salvage, such as gateways, ceramic tiles or
weathered posts? As my aim is to build a unified whole, I chose materials that integrate smoothly.
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Once I've built a framework, I can drape it with plants. Again, I consider form,
proportion, and color. What plants look best, when arranged as a group? What will
stand in the background; what in the front? What color scheme blends with the house?
Most importantly, what will grow well in this particular place? That is the critical
point! For plants to prosper, they must have the same horticultural requirements -- the
same need for water, sunlight and soil type. To create long-lived compositions, I search
carefully for complimentary companions, the most perfect partners, that harmonize both
esthetically and functionally. For instance, tea roses are not compatible with drought
tolerant succulents but paint a pretty picture when combined with dwarf fruit trees in full
sun and rich soil. California natives look lovely on slopes but don't mingle with tropical
imports like Lantana, Hibiscus or Bird of Paradise. However, an exotic trio like that
could highlight a pond or enhance a large patio.
Choosing combinations is much like arranging a giant bouquet. To keep that bouquet
forever fresh, I arrange the plants to maintain a balanced relationship, never squelching
each other in size or with shade, requiring the same sort of care and conditions and
eventually forming their own eco-system. I plan a healthy community that takes care of
itself. A landscape that's self supporting is called sustainable. It requires no inputs
made from petroleum like synthetic products, chemical herbicides or the gas that runs
mowers. It generates no waste from continual pruning, no pollution or water run-off.
Every landscape that I design is sustainable, but that doesn't mean that they all look
alike. Rather, each one is an original, created just for that site and that customer, with a
discernible style that sets it apart from all others. Each Design is a distinct composition.
If you chose to consult with me, I'll first ask what you'd like to see on your property and
how you want to use your yard. We'll discuss different styles of landscape. I'll show you
lots of examples. I'll ask what you're able to spend on your project. Once I know what
you can afford, I can design within those parameters. My Design Plans cost less than
10% the price of installation by a Landscape Contractor, yet the Plan is the most
important stage of the work. A Design Plan is not just a vision, it's a blueprint for
success.
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I'm an artist. I've been drawing since childhood, making pictures in all sorts of media:
pencils, pen, paint, crayon and collage. I've also built scale models, designed clothes
and quilts, made greeting cards and illustrations, and grown lots and lots of gorgeous
gardens. Every day, I wake with fresh ideas.
As an artist, I offer something different from the others in the field of landscape design. I
create whole works of art. From wood, water, rocks and plants, I craft a complete
composition, one cohesive construction, in which every color, shape and size
compliments the others as an harmonious whole, one big picture that wraps around the
home. Because the landscape is visually integrated, it feels beautifully balanced and
pleasantly peaceful. Like a work of fine art, it captures the viewer's attention.
A painting exists in two dimensions and a sculpture in three, but the art of landscape
design requires four. That fourth dimension is time. So, when I design, I envision the
future: I imagine how this landscape will look next year, in five years, in twenty. A
landscape is not a static scene, it's more like endless theater with new acts every day.
For a landscape to last, it must be well planned and carefully crafted. The hardscape,
such as walls, patios, pathways and pergolas, must endure without cracking, shifting or
settling. The plants must be healthy, at home in their setting, irrigated correctly, so they
thrive well into the future. A well designed landscape grows beautifully better over time.
A poor design deteriorates.
In composing a landscape, I think first of its structure, its framework. In most designs,
it's the hardscape, the built elements, that determines the strong lines, the big shapes in
the landscape. I want those shapes to compliment and connect with each other,
whether they are linear or curving, contemporary or classic. My considerations are both
practical and esthetic, since a landscape is not only something to see, it's something to
use. So I think about where people will sit, what they will see, where they might work or
play. Combining function with style, I fashion a setting with a visual flow, a rhythm of
movement and a sensual allure. I create an invitation to enter.
As I plan the hardscape, I consider the many options in materials. What will best suit the
style of this particular design? What enhances the house, what fits the budget? Will the
patio be pavers, flagstone or brick? Should the fence be redwood, bamboo or wrought
iron? Will the retaining walls supporting the terraces be block, dry-laid stone or wood?
Where might I utilize architectural salvage, such as gateways, ceramic tiles or
weathered posts? As my aim is to build a unified whole, I chose materials that integrate smoothly.
Once I've built a framework, I can drape it with plants. Again, I consider form,
proportion, and color. What plants look best, when arranged as a group? What will
stand in the background; what in the front? What color scheme blends with the house?
Most importantly, what will grow well in this particular place? That is the critical
point! For plants to prosper, they must have the same horticultural requirements -- the
same need for water, sunlight and soil type. To create long-lived compositions, I search
carefully for complimentary companions, the most perfect partners, that harmonize both
esthetically and functionally. For instance, tea roses are not compatible with drought
tolerant succulents but paint a pretty picture when combined with dwarf fruit trees in full
sun and rich soil. California natives look lovely on slopes but don't mingle with tropical
imports like Lantana, Hibiscus or Bird of Paradise. However, an exotic trio like that
could highlight a pond or enhance a large patio.
Choosing combinations is much like arranging a giant bouquet. To keep that bouquet
forever fresh, I arrange the plants to maintain a balanced relationship, never squelching
each other in size or with shade, requiring the same sort of care and conditions and
eventually forming their own eco-system. I plan a healthy community that takes care of
itself. A landscape that's self supporting is called sustainable. It requires no inputs
made from petroleum like synthetic products, chemical herbicides or the gas that runs
mowers. It generates no waste from continual pruning, no pollution or water run-off.
Every landscape that I design is sustainable, but that doesn't mean that they all look
alike. Rather, each one is an original, created just for that site and that customer, with a
discernible style that sets it apart from all others. Each Design is a distinct composition.
If you chose to consult with me, I'll first ask what you'd like to see on your property and
how you want to use your yard. We'll discuss different styles of landscape. I'll show you
lots of examples. I'll ask what you're able to spend on your project. Once I know what
you can afford, I can design within those parameters. My Design Plans cost less than
10% the price of installation by a Landscape Contractor, yet the Plan is the most
important stage of the work. A Design Plan is not just a vision, it's a blueprint for
success.
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