MY NEW PATIO DESIGN

I had let my patio get into a state shit.  Literally, I had let some plants die and with the recent rains, all kinds of leaf litter had spilled into my patio.  I finally decided it was time to redesign it and give it a good clean.  I made a video of what it currently looks like that I will put at the bottom of this post. 

I decided to use most of what I already had so that I would not have to buy anything new other than plants and maybe a few accessories.  I have not completely redone the patio as I am still not 100% on the plants I am using and may wait until after the IRS had bled me dry before I buy anything.

I have 4 white pots of varying sizes, two green metal chairs, a DIY bench, a worm bin, 4 Greenbo railing planters and a woolly pocket.  As I do for all my clients, I drew a scaled plan.  This one is 1/2" scale. 

In my case I face the challenge of the space being 100 square feet of concrete and there being a gate that opens all the way.  This means that I have no land to plant in and need to leave room for the gate to swing open. 

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 

TOP 4 IDEAS FOR PLANTING OUTSIDE THE BOX

I love the idea of being able to garden regardless of where you live or how much space you have.  Your options are endless and truth be told you are only limited by your imagination.  You can have a wide range of containers in varying sizes.  You could even plant outside the box and use unconventional things as containers.  Here are 4 ideas to plant outside the box.

The first is to use tin containers.  I drink a shit load of tea and there are a few tea brands I love.  But I don't want to just toss there containers in the landfill so I re-use them as planters.  In this case I have some Dudleya's growing in tea containers.

The second is to use a decor item.  I bought this spiky decor thingy at Home Goods.  There was something about it that caught my eye and I had to have it.  At first I had put a candle in it until it dawned on me that I could plant in it.  This one has the String Of Hearts plant in it.  There is no drainage hole so this does not get watered much, but as you can see in the photo it is growing nicely.

The third is a custom planter.  Something unique that not every one and their cousin has.  This can be a cat skull pot head or a mini ceramic skull with an air plant in it.  Whatever it is it can be unique to you and your decor.  I love skulls and have two cats, so these were perfect for me.  I bought them from Etsy.  If you are crafty enough then you could make your own.

The fourth planting outside the box idea is to use mason jars.  They come in varying sizes and are inexpensive to buy.  In this case I bought a special lid from Micheal's that allows it to hang and planted a pothos inside.  This would also be a good idea if you planted a small Fern and had it hanging  in the bathroom.  This is also perfect for gardening up if space is limited.

Think of it this way...  How you garden and with what you garden with really depends on your taste.  As long as the plant is suitable for your sun/shade area and as long as you can water each container weekly then you too can garden.

If you have gardened outside the box then comment below and tell me what you did.  I am curious to see.

TOP 5 WAYS TO HAVE A GARDEN WITH LITTLE TO NO LAND

My garden is a 100 square feet pad of concrete that is right outside my front door.  On the one hand this still allows me to garden using containers but on the other hand, I have to leave a large area open to be able to get to the front door.  This means that I need to be clever in how I garden.

Now if you live in a small space and are wondering how you can garden with little land then this video is perfect for you.  I share 5 ways you can garden with little space.

#1:  Pottery!  You can have pottery to grow California natives, herbs, and various other California friendly plants.  Most nurseries will sell a wide range of pots.  The specific one that you get will depend on your color preference, budget and the overall style/look that you are going for.

#2:  Vertical gardening!  If you can garden up then I highly suggest you try.

#3:  Railing planters!  If you have a fence or railing then consider the Greenbo railing planters.  I have 3 small and 1 large and love it.

#4:  Window boxes!  Although you may be limited in what you can plant since window boxes are not that big, at least you will have some room.  Window boxes are also great for herbs.

#5:  Hanging baskets!  Some nurseries will sell hanging baskets that are pre made with succulents or just craft your own.

This video explains more in detail.  Now if you have a small garden then comment below and share your ideas.

MY FAVORITE 5 GARDEN PRODUCTS FOR SMALL SPACES

I love shopping online for cool garden products for my small space.  I really like the idea of buying something that is handmade and not mass produced.  These 5 online shops are my favorite that I recommend you check out.  Good for any small space gardener that wants to garden but has little room to do so. 

My first favorite is the worm compost bin by Sacred Resource:  This worm bin is great for those that don't have a lot of land to garden in and yet still want to compost.  I have the 3 tier bin in my 100 square feet patio.  I also like that it looks decorative and does not take up much room.  Perfect for any size garden.  You can even have this indoors. 

Second favorite is outdoor fabric by Fabric Supply CO.  This shop has a wide range of outdoor fabrics that are reasonably priced.  You can buy by the yard, which means that you are not limited to any quantity and can just buy what you need.  I bought the green/blue banana patterned fabric and love it.

Third favorite are mini woolly pockets.  What I love about these is that they are small and work well for any space.  I have two in my kitchen.  You can use these to grow herbs or any type of plant that suits your fancy.  They are made from 100% recycled water bottles.  Totally sustainable and very durable. 

My fourth favorite is the Greenbo railing planters.  These are awesome for condo/apartment dwellers that have no land to garden in and still want to garden.  I have 3 of the small size and one of the big in my 100 square feet patio.  This is a video I made about planting them. 

Fifth and final product love is a table and chairs set from Ikea.  This is great for small spaces and reasonably priced enough that if it gets damaged you won't feel bad.  You could even paint the wood some other color if you don't like its natural color. 

NATIVE GARDEN PHOTO CONTEST

Do you have a native garden?  OR a garden with some native plants?  Then is contest is for you. First off let me mention that I have no association to this contest other than posting it for you, because why not.  With that said...  Tree of Life Nursery is having a "Native Garden Photo Contest".

Info taken from the Tree of Life Nursery website:

Calling ALL photographers, it's contest time!
Send us your inspiring images and have a chance at winning some awesome native plant themed prizes. We have two categories.  "The Native Garden" and "Wildlife/Art In The Garden".  Of course, since we are all about California natives, gardens must be primarily California native species (a few non-natives are ok, we all stray sometimes).

You can be a photographer, homeowner, designer or all around native plant enthusiast to enter.  Click here to read the rules and to enter the contest.  Good luck!

DESIGN STORIES - INDOOR PLANT UPDATE ROUND 2

What I would like to do is give you a peak into my own garden every couple of months.  In my world living with two cats is bound to have changes to the plant life I keep.  That being said this is an update on my indoor plants.

The Japatul Cleveland Sages I had planted did not fair well and the Coyote Mints I planted got thrashed by the cats.  I had also planted some chives and basil that the cats enjoyed eating.  I may one day have to accept the reality that having indoor herbs with two cats is not an option.  For now I will keep experimenting.



If you have grown plants indoors with cats or other pets then comment and tell me about your experience.

500 + PLANTS IN HER BROOKLYN APARTMENT

When I first move into  my new 424 square foot condo a year ago I thought that having an indoor garden would not be possible.  First off I have two cats what will chew on everything and secondly would I even have enough space.  Then one day I came across this video of Summer Rayne Oakes, a Brooklyn resident who has over 500 plants in her apartment.  This just blew me away.   If she can have that many plants that are thriving then why can't I.  I am suppose to be the professional landscape designer that helps others with their garden but have none of my own to speak of.

So I decided to try with a few.  That is what gardening is anyways right?  A science lab where you get to play, experiment and try various things.  In my case some plants are doing really well and other bit the dust.  Failure must happen in order to succeed.  Right?  The other benefit of this experiment is that you are bringing plants into your home that are good for the indoor air quality.  Now I don't intend to have as many as Summer does but enough anyways.  This video made by Barcroft TV shows her apartment and all her plants.



I am curious if you have every experimented with indoor gardening.  If so then comment below and let me know.  Do you have 500 + plants indoors?

MY PATIO GARDEN - PART THREE

I had previously blogged about my patio garden and the design I created for it as well as my worm composter.  So today I thought I would do a quick video about the actual space that is 99% done.  I say 99% because every garden much live every interior space is a work in progress.  It evolves over time as seasons and tastes change.

Mine was interesting as I had only 100 square feet of space that is 100% concrete and some challenges such as a swinging gate door and walkability to the front door to tend with.

Overall I am very pleased with the space.  The only thing left to do is top dress the 3 raised beds which will be done in another blog post.



On a side note I am going to be doing more videos in relation to California native plants, gardening and some client projects.   Stay tuned for those as my goal is to post one video a week.

Here are some things that I have in my garden...

CA native plants - from Tree of Life Nursery:
Salvia clevelandii 'Japatul' - Japatul Cleveland Sage
Ceanothus 'Concha' - Ceanothus
Dudleya pulverulenta - Chalk Dudleya
Dudleya edulis - Dudleya
Dudleya Lanceolata - Lance Leafed Dudleya
Clarkia bottae - Farewell To Spring
Berlandiera lyrata - Chocolate Daisy

Edible plants - from Plant Depot:
Lettuce
Spinach
Parsley
Cilantro
Dill
Onion chive
Arugula

Planters:
Woolly Pockets
Raised beds from Ikea 
Greenbo railing planter

Composting:
Worm bin
Red Wiggler Worms

Accessories:
Home Goods
Cost Plus World Market
Craigslist

MY PATIO GARDEN - PART ONE

I recently sold my Tustin condo and bought another condo in Santa Ana.  This time unlike the last I have a patio (right picture) that I get to landscape.  Although the patio is in full sun with concrete (cannot be removed per HOA rules) at least it is a space that I can have planters in and whatnot.  For me being finally able to have my own garden is exciting and much like any other client I created a drawing so that I could see exactly how much space I have to work with.  The total area is 100 square feet.  Small with a lot of potential.

I started by measuring the space and digitally creating a site plan.  Then I (digitally) drew two options based on what I was looking for, budget and what would realistically work.  I also have a homeowners association, so I had to take into account their rules and guidelines (in my case it was not that bad).

In designing this space I knew that I wanted not only a California native garden but also an edible one and since I can't plant in the ground I was thus limited to containers.  I decided to have some raised garden beds that I found reasonably priced at Ikea.  I also had some Woolly Pockets, a beige Greenbo railing planter and a pair of green metal chairs from my old place that I wanted to reuse.  I also want to try making a succulent pillow as a fun accent in the garden. Another cool feature that I am really excited about is being able to compost. I found this really neat worm composting system from this Etsy shop.  What I like about this system is that it is not made of plastic and looks decorative.

In regards to a color scheme I wanted to do something different than the interior of my space which consists of more reds, greens and browns.  The existing chairs are green (my favorite color) and the flowers will be a mixture of blue, purple, yellow and white.  I also found really cool green/white/blue outdoor pillows at home goods along with some cool decorative accents.

The idea is to plant natives in the raised beds and edibles in everything else.  Some of plants I intend on using are:

• Lettuce 
• Spinach
• Parsley
• Cilantro
• Green onion
• Dudleya in various speicies
• Salvia clevelandii 'Japutal' - Japutal Cleveland Sage (purple flower)
• Frageria californica - Woodland Strawberry (white flower)
• Berlandiera lyrata - Chocolate Daisy (yellow flower)
• Ceanothus thyrsiflorus 'Skylark' - Skylark Ceanothus (cobalt blue flower)

In regards to budget...  I knew that I would spend at least $500 on the materials but do not want to go over a thousand.  If you think that spending a up to a thousand is too much, it's actually not when you consider quality.  I could have bought a cheap plastic worm composter but plastic is really harmful to the environment and looks cheap.  The next phase is to purchase all the materials and begin assembly. I am going to buy everything but the plants and get them in place and take one last look to make sure that my plant palette works with my end goal in mind.  Stay tuned as I post updates on my garden transformation.  

NEWPORT BEACH PATIO GARDEN

My client in Newport Beach recently bought 12 living wall planters for her patio.  The design intent was to garden up since there was not much land to garden in.  This was also going to add color pops to her patio.  In her case we decided to go with the white planters and allow for the plants to add the pop. We used a combination of edible and California friendly plants in different leaf colors and textures. She could have watered by hand but the contractor installed a drip system for ease.  Eventually she will have the drip tubing painted to match the architecture color.

Other elements that we added to the landscape are a fountain with two Japanese Maple trees on either side, California native plants in the ground (Iris, Blue Eyed Grass, Red Autumn Sage).  We also added two edible garden beds for growing more goodness.

PLANTING WOOLLY POCKETS AT GREEN BLISS

When I was contacted by Rita Ho owner of Green Bliss Cafe to assist her with planting her 12 Wally One pockets, I was excited and jumped at the chance. I had been longing for the opportunity to work with Woolly Pockets and was finally going to get my chance. From purchasing the plants to installing them took 4 hours. The pockets were already in place and ready to go. Below is the video of the project.



If you are interested in something similar in your home then I would suggest the following.

• Measure your space to determine how many Woolly Pockets you need.
  
• Install the Woolly Pockets first prior to planting.
  
• If installed indoors then select indoor appropriate plants. If outdoors then select plants that can tolerate being in containers.
  
• Use a good potting soil mixture to ensure the health and survival of the plants.
• Water once a week for the first few weeks and then as needed.
  
• Buy your plants from a reputable nursery to ensure you get a quality plant material.
  

You are only limited by your imagination. If you have a space indoors or out that you would like to plant with Woolly Pockets then feel free to contact me and I would be happy to assist you.

5 TIPS FOR GARDENING OUTSIDE THE BOX

When it comes to gardening outside the cookie cutter box it is often best to do so for the right reasons. I am not saying to just use any material or any old design but to actually think outside the box and create a garden that is beneficial to all. You and the environment as well as your wallet.

Tip #1 - Choosing the right materials - It often becomes easy to choose the same materials that everyone and their cousin has used. But in most cases that is not really safe for the environment unless everyone were using native plants and designing with permeable hardscape. Permeable hardscape allows for water to flow into the ground rather than into the storm drain. Native plants require far less water and maintenance then their non native counter parts.

Tip #2 - Plant outside the box - You are not limited to using the same containers. In fact a simple basket could make a nice planting arrangement that may even be a nice gift for that special someone. One suggestion would be to go thrift store hunting for interesting containers. Another option to plant outside the box is to garden upwards. If you have extra blank wall space then you surely have the room so why not take advantage of it.

Tip #3 - Gather free water - Mother nature gives us free water yet most people don't harness that extra water. Harvesting that rainwater allows you to to irrigate your garden without having to pay for it. This reduces your water bill. If you daring enough you could even use greywater. If you really don't want to harvest rainwater or use greywater then I would recommend having an energy efficient irrigation system installed (stay tuned for future posts on this topic).

Tip #4 - Grocery shop in your garden - I highly advocate using native plants but I also like the idea of being able to eat organically. In any landscape design there is always the design alternative to have an edible garden area. Better yet you could use all native shrubs and groundcovers with edible trees. There are even some edible natives.

Tip #5 - Give back to your garden, not the landfills - There is an easy way to reduce waste in the landfill and create great organic matter for your garden and that is to compost. Compost is the best material to add to your garden to add beneficial plant nutrients to your plants. You acquire all that food waste so why not use it to benefit your garden.

VERTICAL GARDEN INSTALLATION

When I met and heard that Rebecca Sweet and Susan Morrison were writing a book about vertical gardening called Garden Up I was excited that finally someone was taking the concept to print. That got me to thinking about what it takes to install such a garden, so I contacted Scott Hutcheon Owner of Seasons Landscaping and asked if I could video tape one of his vertical garden installs. Thankfully he said yes and now I have the pleasure of sharing that video with you. Vertical gardens are great for those of you that don't have a lot of land to garden in or for those that want to dress up an otherwise bland wall.

Bare in mind that not all plants will work in vertical gardening as the amount of room that some plants need is more than what is available in this vertical system. But for the most part you may be able to use any low growing shrub or succulent and you could even get creative with texture and color.



As you can see in the video the blank white wall has been transformed into something pretty that anyone can appreciate looking at. I personally have a blank boring wall in my front porch and I plan to turn into something similar (stay tuned).

TWO UPCOMING BOOKS TO LOOK OUT FOR

The First.....

Do you have a small front porch or a balcony that could use some tlc? Why use your hard earned dollars to improve someones landscape if you are just renting? If this sounds like you then this forthcoming book is just perfect for your apartment dwelling garden. Small Space Container Gardens by Fern Richardson is about gardening for those that don't have a lot of room, are renting or those that can only use containers. No mus no fuss ideas that will turn any brown thumb green.

Fern also offers container gardening services. If you have a balcony or front porch that is in need of some love then I would highly recommend you contact Fern to assist you. She also writes an award winning blog titled Life On The Balcony, in which she shares her experiences about apartment gardening and other fun things. written by The Second...

Imagine if you had a less than attractive wall. How would you soften it? How would you add texture and life? Well! This is where this book comes in handy for you. Garden UP written by Susan Morrison and Rebecca Sweet is about gardening upwards (vertical gardening). Techniques, tips and tricks on how to successfully have a vertical garden. Below is the book trailer.

I will be filming the installation of a vertical garden this month designed by Season's Landscaping and will post the video on this blog. Stay tuned!

Photo courtesy of Season's Landscaping.

ANOTHER VERTICAL GARDEN

I like knowing that I am not the only landscape designer out there. Friendly competition is nice however, this one I can't compete with. Seasons Landscaping is a company that does vertical gardening. Imagine having an entire wall of plants. A few words from the creator...

"Seasons Landscaping are landscape architects and builders based in Orange County. We specialize in vertical wall gardens and green roofs systems. We manufacture the systems and distribute throughout the US. Our technology is the original wall garden panel and has been used for over 4 years in the US. After servicing the commercial market within that time we are now bringing to the consumer market for the first time living wall retail products. They are pre grown panels as well as our self watering wall garden units. Our grower partner in Southern California is Armstrong Growers, which also pre grows all of our projects in this area."

Scott Hutcheon

Seasons Landscaping

Office 949.419.6530

Email scott@seasonslandscaping.com

HIGH RISE GETTING A 25 FT GARDEN WALL

My friend and plant nerd Christian was reading this article on MSNBC about a building in Portland Oregon and he forwarded it to me and I just had to share. This is by far the biggest vertical garden project I have seen or heard of.

"The architects' plans call for seven vertical "vegetated fins" to jut at acute angles. The fins would be the metal framework for planters and the greenery sprouting from them. The west wall is 150 feet long, making the expanse to be shaded about three-quarters the size of an NFL playing field, minus the end zones. The work is part of a $135 million remodeling, with most of the money from federal stimulus funds. It is the largest single stimulus project announced so far in Oregon. The U.S. General Services Administration says its goal is to create a landmark high-performance building."

As much as I love the idea of a giant vertical wall I definitely don't want to be the person who has to prune it. hee hee

Click Here for the full article.

LIVING WALLS AND ROOF TOP GARDENS

Someday I will get the chance to design a garden that allows me to go up the walls and the roof. It'll be the ultimate living wall or roof top garden. But what exactly are they and how is it beneficial? Living walls essentially means that you plant on a vertical structure while in roof top gardens you plant literally on the rooftop. It is a perfect concept for those that do not have any actual land to garden in. You could even use the Wooly Pockets to create living walls. Whether you plant a vine on the wall or something more unique it is often best to do your homework and actually have a drawing so that you know what will and will not work for the space that you have allotted. The same could be said about roof top gardens. You should also keep in mind that you might have regulatory restrictions. Hopefully you won't.


What if the roof top garden became an edible garden while the living wall was just merely decorative? Your options are endless. Imagine the possibilities. I surely will try the living wall concept in my condo but the roof top garden may not sit well with my hoa.

WOOLY POCKET GARDENS

I live in a condo complex on the second floor and struggle with the lack of room to plant, so when I saw this at a garden expo I was convinced that this was my ultimate solution to having a dream garden.

Wooly pockets are basically vertical gardens (living walls) that are flexible, breathable, modular and perfect for both indoors and outdoors. They are perfect for people like me who have space to garden but no land to garden in. They have a built in moisture barrier that helps protect against water leakage. These pockets are lightweight, which makes them very easy to use and maneuver around where they are needed.

This is definitely something that I can propose to my new clients and will try in my own garden (stay tuned for my living wall garden update). The below video will explain how to install the hanging variety.