PATIO MAKEOVER MAY 2020

I live in a 424 square foot condo with only 50 square feet of usable patio space to use as my garden.  I new that it needed an overhaul, but was not sure about the direction I wanted to go in.  So when photowall reached out to me about doing a post collaboration, I was intrigued.  I looked at their website and found a print that drew me in and inspired the color palette for this makeover.

Use this code: earthfriendlylandscapes2021 to get 25% off of your order (code valid for one month).



Some of the products I used in this makeover:
Art print: bit.ly/3cDXhX2
Plants: bit.ly/3bz5ASL
Pottery: http://plantdepot.com/
Soil: bit.ly/3dNskzV
Pocket planter: bit.ly/2Z5RAgI
Rug: low.es/2y4uwDW
Outdoor fabric: bit.ly/2Z2fsls

The plants that I used:
Arctostaphylos densiflora 'Howard McMinn' - McMinn Manzanita
Dudleya (various species)
Frageria californica 'Hybrid Pink' - Woodland Strawberry
Gambelia juncea 'Gran Canon' - Baja Bush Snapdragon
Myrica californica - Pacific Wax Myrtle
Salvia 'Bees Bliss' - Bees Bliss Sage
Salvia clevelandii 'Whirly Blue' - Whirly Blue Cleveland Sage
Trichostema lanatum - Woolly Blue Curls

SATUREJA CHANDLERI - 13 WEEKS OF CA NATIVES

Satureja chandleri - San Miguel Savory is a minty scented edible California native plant that will work in any garden situation.  Below are some details...

• Less than 1' height
• 3' wide
• Filtered sun to full shade
• Small white flowers in the summer
• Minty scent
• Edible leaves
• Works well in containers

SALVIA SPATHACEA - 13 WEEKS OF CA NATIVES

Salvia spathacea - Hummingbird Sage is a great shade loving low growing shrub for any garden.  As the common name suggests, it will attract hummingbirds and is stunning to the eye.   Below are some details...

• 2' height 
• 3' wide
• Full shade to filtered sun
• Little to no water once established
• Fuchsia/red flowers in the spring and summer 
• Attracts hummingbirds
• Works well in containers

SALVIA CLEVELANDII 'JAPATUL' - 13 WEEKS OF CA NATIVES

Salvia clevelandii 'Japatul' - Japatul Cleveland Sage is very similar to the standard Cleveland Sage only it get half as tall and wide.  It is a great plant for any garden.  Below are some details...

• 3' height
• 4' wide
• Full sun to partial shade
• Lavender flowers in the spring and summer
• Minimal to little water once established
• Can be planted on slopes
• Works well in containers 

SALVIA CLEVELANDII - 13 WEEKS OF CA NATIVES

Salvia clevelandii - Cleveland Sage is my favorite California native plant.  It can work as a great accent plant or in mass for some nice interest.  Below are some details...

• 6' height
• 6' wide
• Full sun
• Lavender flowers in the spring and summer
• Gray/green leaves
• Very aromatic
• Leaves can be used in the dryer or brought in as air freshener
• Leaves can be used for smudging

 

HEUCHERA OPAL - 13 WEEKS OF CA NATIVES

Heuchera opal - Coral Bells is a low growing evergreen shrub that will work well in any size garden.  It mounds, but has slim flowers stalks that are very dainty.  Below are some details...

• 1' height
• 2' wide
• Full shade to dappled sun
• 2' tall flowers stalks in white
• Works well in containers
• Thrives well under oaks

DUDLEYA - 13 WEEKS OF CA NATIVES

Dudleya's are my favorite succulent because it is very resilient.  It is one of those plants that can thrive in almost any condition.  From high sun gardens to containers, this plant will do nicely.  The bonus is that you will hardly have to water it.  Below are some details...

• 1' height 
• 1' wide
• Full sun to full shade
• Grows nicely in containers and crevices.
• Will grow indoors on a window sill or area where it get sun.
• Bi monthly watering outdoors and weekly watering indoors.
• Flowers in the spring

CEANOTHUS 'YANKEE POINT' - 13 WEEKS OF CA NATIVES

Ceanothus yankee point is a low mounding shrub that looks nice planted in mass.  It is great for gardens with a lot of sun and will even grow nicely in pots.  Below are some details...

• 3' height
• 6' wide
• Full sun
• Mounding habit
• Cobalt blue flowers in the spring
• Shiny green leaves
• Minimal water once established

WHERE TO BUY POTTERY IN THE OC

I love adding pottery to most designs.  It adds a touch of something.  A bit of pizzazz.  But where do I go to buy pottery?  Well there are some places that I would recommend if you live in the OC that I would highly suggest you check out. 

My top three favorite places are O.C. Succulents, Plant Depot and West Coast Pottery. These three stores have such a wide selection of pottery that there is bound to be something for everyone.  Their prices are also reasonable for what you get.  

There are also many other stores such as the Potting Shed By Carlisle in Orange.  This store is a cool eclectic store and also sells other garden accessories.  A fun place to roam when you have some time to kill or just want to get out of the house and browse somewhere.  

There are also other places to buy pottery such as Green Thumb, Armstrong Gardens and Village Nurseries.

TOP 5 LANDSCAPE RELATED HOLIDAY GIFT IDEAS

The holidays are approaching and sometimes the hardest part is finding the right gift for the right person.  I got 5 landscape related gift ideas that anyone is sure to love.  These gifts are a mixture of useful and decorative.  

The first, is called the AeroGarden.  A hydroponics garden that is great for indoor spaces, that allows you to grow herbs, vegetables etc.  I recently bought one of these and am loving it.  They are available at Macy's, Bed Bath and Beyond, Sur La Table and various other stores or online.  Here is a video about the AeroGarden.

The second, is a product that you may have seen on shark tank.  The Earth Log is a great alternative to burning fire wood.  It is made of recycled paper and unlike traditional fire wood, it does not emit any smoke and even has a nice floral scent.  This is a video I made of the product.  

The third, is another product that I saw on shark tank a few years ago that I believe would be a great addition to any home.  That is a mushroom grow kit from Back To Roots.  This is something that I totally want to try. This video explains how to grow and harvest.

The fourth, is the greenbo railing planter.  I have four of these in my garden and love them.  They are especially great for small spaces.  These are perfect for growing herbs, greens or any plant that does not need a lot of room to grow.  This video shows you an option on what you can grow in them.  I water mine bi weekly.

The fifth, is an art print that it great for the plant lover.  I found this print on Etsy and bought one for myself and love it.  I really do want all the plants.  hahaha 

INDOOR PLANT TOUR FALL 2018

I live in a 424 square feet condo and love it.  What I love most about my condo besides the size is that I have 40+ plants in it.  I love the feeling of living in a jungle being surrounded by nature.  There is also something about waking up with living plants around me that makes me feel at ease.  In this video I share with you all my indoor plants.

MY 3 FAVORITE NON NATIVE PLANTS

Although I design primarily with native plants, does not mean that I don't like non natives.  In fact I have a ton of non native plants inside my home and a few in my patio garden.  There is nothing wrong with using non natives as long as it is done correctly.  That means stepping outside the comfortable bubble of what you see everywhere and trying something unique.  Using natives and non natives.  Yes it is possible to use both natives and non natives in a California landscape and get great results.  These are my favorite 3 non natives. 

My first favorite is Calylophus hartwegii - Sundroops.  I love this plant because it stays green year round, is a great as a low growing groundcover and blooms all year (except winter).  It gets about a 1' high, 3' wide and prefers mostly sun.  The cool part is that when the flower has been pollinated and has served it's purpose, it shrivels up to a burn orange color. 

My second favorite is Salvia greggii - Autumn Sage.  This plant gets 3' tall/wide, can handle some shade and comes in an array of flowers colors.  Red, pink, fuchsia, coral, light yellow, white and purple are your options.  Just imagine having a few of these colors in your garden in mass.  Stunning!

My third favorite non native plant is Epipremnum  aureum - Pothos.  This plant is great for any indoor space.  I have somewhere around 10 inside my home and love it.  In my home they are mixed in areas that get descent sun and no sun.  This is also a great plant for indoor air quality. 

MY FAVORITE 3 CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANTS

There are thousands upon thousands of plants.  Both native and non native.   With so many options, how do you choose your favorite.   Even for me, I struggle with plant selection.  Especially when I am designing for a client.  Often I have to restrain myself from picking too many plants.  I apply the theory that less is more.  While its nice to have lots of plants in the garden and have lots of color, it is also nice to not have an over crowded garden.  A minimalistic pallet might make the garden look bigger.

Having said this, I thought I would share with you my 3 favorite California native plants.  These are not set in stone.  Other designers might disagree with me but I have my reasons as to why I love these three.

The first favorite is Dudleya.  There are many varieties and what's more, this plant can survive indoors.  This plant will tolerate sun or shade and will survive on minimal water.

The second favorite plant is Salvia clevelandii (Cleveland Sage).  I love this plant because not only is it refreshingly fragrant, but it is also a great plant for screening.  You can also use it to add some statement to your garden.  It gets 6' tall and wide with purple flowers.  Blooms in the spring/summer and prefers mostly sun.  The coolest part is that you can not only bring in some branches to add scent to your home but, you can also dry the leaves and use them in the dryer. 

My third favorite plant is Satureja douglasii (Yerba Buena).  This plant is a low growing shade tolerant groundcover that has white flowers in the spring.  The leaves which taste like spearmint, are edible and I cook with them the same way you would traditional mint.  Unlike mint however, this is not invasive.

Now I am curious for those of you that garden with California natives, what are your 3 favorites?

GALVANIZED GARDEN BEDS

As you may have noticed, the last time I uploaded a video was 3 weeks ago.  I am not ditching YouTube but I am re-strategizing my channel to not only create more content but better value content.  In the meantime I wanted to share this video of a raised galvanized garden bed.  Enjoy!

ANTIQUE WOOD SUCCULENT PLANTER

One of the YouTube channels that I follow is Garden Answer by Laura LeBoutillier.  I love the videos that she and her husband make and find lots of inspiration in their content.  In this video Laura shows you how to take a wooden bowl and turn it into a succulent planter.  Enjoy! 

ALPACA PLANTERS

I recently went to Home Goods and found a really pretty small alpaca pillow that I had to have for the bedroom.  That inspired to try and figure out different ways of bringing that theme into the space.  After some googling, I found these really cool alpaca planters at Anthropologie that I just had to have.  I bought two of the yellow and love it.  This Friday I will share an updated house plant tour and will show you what those look like in my space. 

What I love about these is how quirky they are.  A unique find and at only $18 each they are not that pricey.  They do not have a drainage hole and I chose not to make one, so my plants in it will not get watered too often. 

Image from the Anthropologie website.

TOP 5 DESIGN IDEAS FOR SMALL SPACE GARDENING

If you live in a small space and think that you cannot garden then I urge you to think again.  I live in a small space and only have a 100 square feet pad of concrete at my garden space.  Yet with that little of room I have been able to create a garden that I can enjoy year round.  If you think strategically you can totally create a small space garden.   If I can then so can you.  I this video I share with you 5 ideas for you to consider in your small space.



Here are some places that I recommend you visit if you want pottery, plants and furniture for your small space garden. 

Plants: 
Tree of Life Nursery
Plant Depot

Pottery and accessories:
Plant Depot
OC Succulents
Home Goods 

3 LAST MINUTE GIFT IDEAS FOR MOM

It's Thursday and I have yet to buy my mom anything for mothers day.  I can't say that I have not had time, because that would not be entirely true.  I can say though that I am probably not alone.  If you much like me have yet to honor thy mother, then I have 3 gift ideas for you to consider.  These 3 ideas are available to buy offline and really cute for mom. 

The first is a small planter from Anthropologie.  Called the Waterloo Pot, it is nice and small with legs and has a certain funkiness to it.  Pared with a small succulent and you have a cool gift for mom. 

The second is called Half Dipped Stoneware by West Elm.  These are cool because they come in different shapes and sizes.  Some are big enough to plant in wile others are just perfect for a single rose.  They are also currently on sale. 

The third is a planted mason jar.  You can go to any arts and crafts store and buy a small mason jar and literally plant inside of it.  Add a little string around it to hang and it instantly adds a certain something to a blank wall.  In this picture I added a Photos plant and hung it in my kitchen window. 

TOP 5 LOW MAINTENANCE GARDEN IDEAS

I don't believe in a no maintenance landscape.  There is no such thing.  In any garden you will have to do some ounce of maintenance in order to keep any garden looking alive and well.  However, this does not mean that you have to maintain weekly.

A true low maintenance garden is one in which you can putter in the garden maybe an hour a month and spend the rest of the month enjoying its beauty. 

In this video I share with you the top 5 low maintenance garden ideas and all of these ideas that are totally doable, worth trying and will save you money in the long run. 

20180 SPRING GARDEN SHOW GARDENS

This past weekend I volunteered with the Orange County chapter of the California native plant society at the South Coast Plaza spring garden show and was impressed to see all the great gardens that were on display.  These gardens were designed by professionals and each garden collaborates with a home store in that mall.  Its a match made in heaven.  The designers get to use items from these stores and the stores get their products showcased for the public to see.  It's a win win.

I have had a display in this show two years in a row (2009 & 2010) so I know what it's like when you have to source everything and figure out how you are getting it borrowed.  It is a lot of work all in the name of promoting your business and generating leads.  It is also a great way for homeowners to get ideas for their garden.

This first garden is designed by Land Workshop INC paired with Crate and Barrel Home Store.  What I like about this design is the different textures in plants.  I also like the wine bottle fountain wall.  Clearly not a cookie cutter design.

The second garden is my favorite of all the gardens.  Designed by Mount San Antonio community college paired with West Elm.  I love the bohemian/eclectic vibe.   Like a garden with things that have been found and collected over time.  This is also a design that could also work indoors.  Almost as if the inside was brought out.


The third design is a rooftop scenario designed by Living Landscapes paired with CB2.   In this case the design has a certain simplicity to it yet maintaining some elegance.  The perfect minimalist garden that could fit on any rooftop.


The fourth garden is designed by Stephanie Shermoen paired with Pottery Barn.   This garden is great for the avid entertainer.  The grill is big and makes a statement in any back yard.  Perfect for any space.

The fifth garden is designed by the Potting Shed by Carlisle paired with William Sonoma.  This is a really pretty design that can work in any back yard.  If this was in my garden I would use the shed as a home office.  This is not the minimalist garden but totally perfect for the avid gardener that loves to putter in the garden.  The shed is perfect for storing gardening tools and plants.


The sixth is designed by Table2Garden paired with CB2.  This is the garden that would love if I wanted a space to chill out and relax.  With different points of interest and colors this garden is great as a secret nook in any space.  I wonder how this wood look on much larger scale.

The seventh garden is designed by the Nursery by Southwinds paired with Sur La Table.  This garden is similar in idea to mine in that there is a space to lounge, a space to dine with lots of drought tolerant plants and herbs.  Although mine is contained in a much smaller size space.  But the idea is the same, which shows that you can garden without having land to garden in.

The eighth garden was designed by Vega Landscape and paired with Crate and Barrel Home Store.  This garden is an eclectic mix of features and elements carefully crafted together.  The fish could almost be realistic about to jump into the water.



The ninth garden was designed by Tulip Landcare Corp. paired with Liuli Crystal Art.  This is an interesting garden.  Definitely for the minimalist that does not want a lot of plants and loves interesting accessories.   The giant flower is stunning and very realistic.  I am intrigued by this garden.

The tenth and final garden was designed by Camille Beehler Landscape Design paired with Z Gallerie.  This garden may not be my cup of tea, but it is a perfect example of why you hire a professional landscape designer.  To design a space that suits your every lifestyle and is unique to your tastes and desires.