HAPPENINGS IN NOVEMBER

The month of November was great for video uploaidng.  I was actually on track and very proud of myself for being on top of things.  Ideas were flowing and videos were getting maid.  December may not look like that though.  I want to take some time off to have a much needed staycation and some serious planning days.  Although I want to be able to upload weekly for the entire 2026 year, that may not be feasable.    I am going to try though.  Well, let's get on with it.  

First let's talk about garden must haves.  These are 10 that I would recommend.  You do not need all 10, but worth considering.  

Now let's dive into uncommon garden ideas.  Just 5 that you may not have thought about.  You might want to.  

Moving on to seating ideas for the garden.  traditional, unique a must try in one form or another.  

Moving on to a bit of California native plant talk.  The self seeding kind.  The ones that you plant once and don't have to never worry about again.  

HOW TO FIND YOUR IDEAL LANDSCAPE CONTRACTOR

I will always advocate for letting your landscape designer refer you to the right landscape contractor.  This means that you are going to get someone that the designer has worked with before.  The designers reputation is on the line and they would never refer you to someone that they have never worked with.  Someone that is licensed, bonded, insured and has workmen's comp.  

Now let's assume that you do not need a designer but rather a contractor.  Then what?  In this video I will share with you how to find your ideal landscape contractor.  The different sites that you can go to to find the pro that is right for your project.   

HOW A DESIGNER PLANS A DESIGN

In this video I share with you the basic ways in which a designer plans a design.  First is all about site analysis.  This is where, the designer takes account of the existing site and what is currently happening.  Secondly, is measuring the site and creating a site plan.  This step is important as no contractor can create an accurate quote without a detailed to scale plan.  

Third is drawing concept designs.  You should get at least two options to consider.  Options of what is possible for your garden.  This is followed by the fourth step of creating mood boards.  Mood boards show you images of ideas for your garden and what is possible.  What plants is the designer proposing to use.  This is a time where you will meet with the designer to go over the concept drawings and hash everything out.  

Lastly, is the final detailed drawings.  Drawings that any licensed contractor can quote and install from.  Drawings, that your HOA (if you have one) can review and approve.  I will make detailed videos of each step in the next coming months.  

5 BACK YARD IDEAS TO CONSIDER

Last week I shared with you 5 ideas to consider for your front yard.  This week I share with you 5 ideas for your back yard.  These ideas are not firm.  Just things to consider when you are renovating your garden.  I had dozens of ideas but I had rein myself in and only narrow it down to just 5.  Regardless of these ideas and anything I share with you, you have to have an idea of what you are looking for.  It's always recommended to at the least have an area to entertain.  That could be entertaining a group of friends or just a few.  

I would also suggest considering what the space will look like at different times during the day.  Do you need to be able to see clearly at night?  Perhaps some good lighting might be nice.  

 

5 FRONT YARD GARDEN IDEAS TO CONSIDER

I love a good garden renovation.  One in which you are adding value to your home and enhancing the overall look for the neighborhood.  In this video I share with the 5 things that you can do for curb appeal.  From lighting to no lawns, these ideas will make you the envy of the neighborhood.  

These are features that I consider when designing any garden.  In fact, if you apply for the turf rebate program, you will be required to have at least one or more of these features.  

5 SUSTAINABILITY FEATURES TO CONSIDER FOR YOUR GARDEN

When renovating your garden it is important to consider all possibilities.  Features that will be beneficial to the environment and overall well being of your garden.  

The first feature is a berm.  A mound created at one or a few points in the garden to create levels with plants in and around it.  This will mitigate water runoff.  

The second is a dry riverbed.  This feature creates a visually appealing feature that when it is not raining looks like a beautiful work of art.  When it does rain, the water is collected and begins to percolate into the soil.  

The third is a rain barrel.  This is perfect to connect to the gutters to collect the rain water.  The water can be used to water the garden or for just about anything.

The fourth is a rock garden in which in certain areas in the garden you would use rocks and gravel as mulch instead of wood chips.  

The last feature is a planted swale.  This feature create a divot in the center of the area that water can collect.  It is filled with rocks and gravel with other larger rocks around.  

In this video I describe these feature is greater detail with more images of what the features look like in a garden setting.

IRVINE FRONT YARD TURF REBATE GARDEN

I love killing lawns.  I will design with lawn if it is adamantly desired, but I do enjoy proposing to kill them.  Drawing on paper what will go in their place.  Some drought tolerant (perhaps native) plants, a sustainability feature of some sort.  Definitely an energy efficient irrigation system.   

For this project in the city of Irvine, I did just that.  For budget reasons, we kept the existing hardscape but everything else was gone.  A few plants we kept.  The palette is a mostly native palette as the client already had two native Manzanitas that was kept.  

If you have turf that you would like to kill and take part in the rebate program then click here.  

WHY TURF REBATE PROGRAM

If you live in Orange County and have an area or lawn you can get a rebate for transforming that space into a garden.  The Municipal Water District of Orange County is offering $3 per square foot of turf that you remove.  They are also offering a design rebate, where you get up to a $1000 of the designers fee rebated.  

In this video, I talk about the program and give you some details.  This program is great for anyone that is tired of having to maintain the lawn that in the end is a just a patch of green.  Why not take advantage of this rebate and create a garden for the local wildlife to enjoy with you.  

If you are interested then click here to apply etc. 

WHY KILL YOUR LAWN

I have never been a fan of lawn.  It never did anything for me visually and always seemed like a waste.  I much rather prefer the ideas of having a bountiful garden that you and the local wildlife can enjoy.  A garden that you could forage from.   

Now I get that there are some people that wish to have a space for the kids to play or dogs to run around.  But even then there are alternatives to allow for play and fun without the water sucking lawn.  I am not talking fake either.  That is a topic for a different (coming soon) video. 

If you have transformed your lawn into a garden then comment below and let me know what you have done.  

PREPARING TO MEET WITH A DESIGNER

In this video I share with you not only where you can go to find your ideal designer but also what you can do to prepare to meet with your designer.  You want to make sure that you have gathered all the right things to ensure that you are clear intended on what you want with your garden.  Also to ensure that the designer understands what you are looking to do to your garden.  

Getting all your ducks in a row is key for any home renovation.  These tips could also apply to your interior space.  

HOW TO FIND YOUR IDEAL DESIGNER

When it comes to having your garden professionally designed, you cannot just hire anyone. You have to make sure that the person you are considering working with is qualified to do the job and is well balanced.  What I mean is that he/she/they should have some educational or real world training in landscape design.  Someone that has hopefully taken an once of time to brand themselves accordingly.  Where there online presence is unique to them and their business.  

It is also imperative that you meet with ore than one designer.  But where should you go to find your ideal designer?  In this video I share that with you and more.  

 

THE IMPORTANCE OF SITE ANALYSIS

When designing a garden it is important to do site analysis.  This is done so that the designer can understand the ins and outs of the site.  Sun/shade areas as well as any other features that may affect the design.  In this video I explain in detail.  

3 REASONS TO CONSIDER HAVING AN IRRIGATION SYSTEM

I get asked all the time by my clients about irrigation.  Do I need an irrigation system?  Can't I just hand water.  The truth is that yes you can hand water.  But you have to water each plant for 10 minutes at least thrice weekly during the first 4-6 months after the install.  Is that something that you can realistically do?  The answer I get is always "Oh! I don't have time for that".  In this video I share with you why you should consider an irrigation system.  

9 THINGS THAT Y0U CAN DO TO GARDEN SUSTAINABLY

In this video I share with you 9 things that you can do to garden sustainably.  These tips are not set in stone, rather things to consider when you are planning your garden.  

1. Reduce or eliminate you lawn
2. Reduce your use of chemicals
3. Reuse if possible
4. Conserve water
5. Plant natives
6. Create a wildlife habitat 
7. Add mulch
8. Compost
9. Leave the leaves

7 THINGS TO CONSIDER IN A RESIDENTIAL GARDEN

In any residential garden there are considerations that need to be made.  Things that need to be thought about before you or your designer can even begin to finalize any design.  

Those considerations are:

1. Not considering the gardens intended use
2. Not considering the existing architecture 
3. Not considering/using plants to enclose the space(s) or create privacy
4. Not planting in different heights, odd numbers and consider the senses 
5. Not planting in masses
6. Not planting for full maturity
7. Not considering the local wildlife

In this video I go into depth about these 7 things.  

SPRING GARDEN SHOW 2024

Last week I visited the South Coast Plaza spring garden show.  A nice array of demonstration gardens that gave me some design ideas and lots of booths selling plants and garden related things.  In this video I give you a look at the gardens so you too can get a look at what was done.  

The way the show works is that designers/contractors, partner with a home store in that mall.  This allows each designer to have access to furnishings and whatever that hone store has to offer.  This is something new that has been done for the past few years.  

7 LANDSCAPE DESIGN MISTAKES TO AVOID IN 2024

When you are renovating your garden, there are many things that you need to consider.  From how you intend to use the space and how much room you actually have, there are lots of considerations that need to be made.  Conversely there are things that you need to avoid. 

In this video I share with you the 7 design mistakes to avoid when renovating your garden.  These mistakes are just things to consider.  The main point is that you need to understand the garden you are renovating.  Also understanding what plants you are putting in the garden is key.  

5 THINGS YOU CAN DO TO HAVE A DROUGHT FRIENDLY GARDEN

When you are renovating your garden it is imperative to think about exactly what you are going to do.  Having a plan to work with the drought is beneficial to the long term success of your garden.  In this video I share with you 5 things that you can do to have a drought friendly garden.  

These 5 things are valuable to the sustainment of any garden.  The first is planting natives.  There are thousands of natives that are very drought tolerant.  Secondly, planting different flowering plants.  The local wildlife will thank you.  Third, having different heights of plants to allow for visual interest.  Fourth thing you can do is add the right amount of plants and lastly patience.  

KURAPIA

Kurapia is my one of my favorite groundcovers, simply because it is a fabulous alternative to lawn.  You can walk on it and so much more.  It's really hardy and once established requires minimal water and maintenance.  You can mow it to mimic the look of lawn or just let it be.  

It typically gets no more than 1' tall and blooms most of the year.  Because it blooms, it will attract pollinators.  This is why some people who may be allergic to bees chose to mow it right as it is about to bloom.  But you don't have to.  You can just let me do it's thing.  

VITIS CALIFORNICA 'ROGERS RED' - 13 WEEKS OF CA NATIVES

Rounding out and ending the series is Vitis californica 'Rogers Red' - Rogers Red Grape.  This deciduous vine is perfect for adding interest to an existing arbor or patio cover.  Below are some details...

• Climbing vine
• 15'-30' wide 
• Partial sun to partial shade
• Minimal water once established
• Green ish white flowers in the spring
• Deciduous
• Leaves can be used in cooking
• Edible grapes