COOL DIY THINGS TO MAKE

I am an avid user of Facebook.  Addicted might be the right word to describe me but then again I am also connected to family outside of the United States that I love to catch up with.  I also heavily use Facebook as another social media platform to promote my business.  As I casually scroll through my news feed things pop up that are gardening related that strike my fancy that I thought I would share with you here.

The first is a slice of cake.  How cool would this look on your outdoor table?  I am not entirely sure how they made this but I intend to find out and will keep you posted.

The second is the cutest gnome that apparently loves to garden.  This cute planter can be place indoors or out.  I personally would put this in a place where my cats can't get to.


The third is a really cool way to make a mushroom decoration for you garden.  Just imagine the color possibilities and combinations you could try.




The fourth is a succulent planted in a glass container made to look like it's under water. There is even a fish swimming.

If you have tried / made any DIY garden related things then please share with me and will blog about it or share it on Facebook.

SANTA ANA CLIENTS BACK YARD

I was recently hired by a couple in Santa Ana to design their backyard.  I was thrilled to kill their lawn (on paper) and propose a more native / earth friendly alternative.  What they wanted was to have some paths going through their garden, a California native palette as well as reusing the existing pottery and rocks that they already had.  In this case they had also created a Houzz board of all kinds of ideas that suited their fancy and had printed images of things they liked, which was helpful.

I began by creating two concept ideas that we met to thoroughly go over, followed by visiting a nursery to look at the proposed plants.  Then I created a final drawing that the contractor could bid from (above right is the planting plan).

Typically I prefer to create my drawings with a lot of detail so that there is no confusion when bidding or installing.   All in all things went well and the client was happy with the end result.

GUESS WHAT SAN CLEMENTE

If you live in the city of San Clemente and are looking to transform your landscape from boring and cookie cutter to drought tolerant and hip then this is perfect for you.   Basically the city of San Clemente is doing a pilot program in which city residents can get reimbursed for design consultation at Tree of Life Nursery through their designer in residence program.

If you live in San Clemente and would like more information about the program then click here for more information.   This is a great way for San Clemente residents to get ideas about California native plants and other landscape features.