UPDATES AND THINGS

 I have not updated this space in a minute and don't know if I want to on a regular basis.  I am on board with using social media to promote myself, but being on every single platform is too much for me.  So I made the choice to keep Instagram and YouTube as the primary platforms I use.  That being said I don't want to fully walk away from here.  My intention is to update this place once a month or every other week with an update about what has been going on.  

In April I attended the South Coast Plaza spring garden show and made a video about the gardens that were there on display.  It was nice to see other designers takes on gardens and how to design them.  

In the last two months, I visited some gardens that I had designed and made updated videos about them.  It's fun so see how something I designed fared a year or months after it was put in.  These are just a few with more to come. 

As much as I love video taping my own designs, I also love showcasing the designs of others.  This particular one is a butterfly garden.  I had met with the owners to consult with them for an hour, but I did not do a design.  They worked with design build firm to create a their garden. 

Lastly, there is my own garden.  Just a simple update on my own.  Its weird because all I have is a 100 square foot pad of concrete that is the only garden space I have.  In fact only half of it is usable as I explain in the video.  

GRAVEL DRIVEWAY GARDEN UPDATE IN HUNTINGTON BEACH

The homeowner had already renovated the back yard years prior and was ready to tackle the front.  Given how much work she put into the back, she new that this time she did not want to do the work herself.  She was clear that she wanted a California native garden.  She also wanted to experiment with having a gravel driveway.  This is what the garden looks like after being installed for 10 months.  

Costa Mesa Garden Makeover

This front garden in the city of Costa Mesa got a lawn gone transformation.  All the turf was removed and replaced with drought tolerant plants and a sustainability feature.  This garden is now a great place for the local birds and butterflies to hang out.  This is also a project that took part in the turf rebate program.  If you would like to participate in the turf rebate program then click here.  

IRVINE DROUGHT TOLERANT TURF REBATE GARDEN

If you live in Orange County and would like to participate in the turf rebate program provided by the Municipal Water District of OC then click here.  You will get $3 per square feet of turf you remove and you also get a design rebate.  The design rebate will cover the cost of the designer up to $1000.  

For this particular project, the client wanted to remove her front lawn and replace it with drought tolerant plants.  She also wanted to make some changes to the plant palette in her back yard and interior courtyard.  

CENTRAL ORANGE COUNTY GARDEN MAKEOVER

This garden in central Orange County was designed in 2021.  The install was put on hold until this year, when the project was finally finished.  The brief was simple.  Design a garden that allows room to chill out and entertain.  One in which the inground plants are California native, with room for raised edible garden beds and a composter.  

Although some of the hardscape materials changed during the installation, it still is a great project that met the needs of the homeowners.  It looks a shit ton better than it did before.  Now the local wildlife have a place to hang out and party.  

SMALL GARDEN TRANSFORMATION

When I was contacted by the homeowners, they had one requests.  They wanted the artificial turf in their front yard replaced.  It was there when they bought the house and they hated it.  So did I.  Truth be told I do not see any value in having fake turf anywhere.  

We decided due to budget reasons to keep all the existing hardscape.   This is what I tell my clients when it comes to existing hardscape.  If it's not a hazard and you don't hate it, then let's not break the bank and leave it be.  In this case we added pavers to not only extend the seating area but also create a path to the side gate.  

The plants are mostly California native and mulched using decomposed granite.  There is also decorative pottery and boulders used to add some pizzazz to the garden.  

GARDEN GROVE TURF REBATE GARDEN

This garden was designed by me in 2023 via The Plant Nerd for the Municipal Water District of Orange County turf rebate program.  Installed by Greenside Landscaping, this garden features a dry river bed alongside California native and California friendly plants.  Due to budget constraints we kept the existing hardscape and most of the big established plants.  

The basic premise is that you do not need to spend a lot of money to transform your garden.  With a little imagination you can work with a professional to create a no mow garden that requires minimal maintenance.  A garden that allows space for the local wildlife to party and have a good time.  

DANA POINT GARDEN UPDATE MAY 2024

This garden in Dana Point participated in the Orange County chapter of the California native plant society last weekend.   It was installed two years ago and I am really happy about how things are growing.  This garden looks great and I wish I could live here.  

THE MINIMALIST GARDEN UPDATE

I love going back to gardens that I have designed and seeing how they look many months or years after they have been installed.   In this case the project is a minimalistic design that also uses palm springs gold decomposed granite from South West Boulder and Stone as the mulch.  This color of dg mimics the look of beach sand.  

This is the original video that I made about the project. 

This is the updated video of what the garden looks like 2 years later.

HUNTINGTON BEACH CLIENTS SUSTAINABLE NATIVE GARDEN

This client had met with me a few years ago to get some ideas on her back yard that she ended up renovating with her father.  She quickly realized how much work is involved and decided not to DIY the front.  Instead she had me do a design and hired a contractor to do the install.  She had also signed up for the Municipal Water District of OC turf rebate program.  

She had only one requirement being that she wanted to only use California native plants.   That combined with a dry river bed and two rain barrels created a sustainable garden that is guaranteed to reduce her water bills and add to her property value.  We also created a funky gravel driveway and used big chunks of the old concrete driveway to create a path from the street to the front door. 

IRWD CLIENT GARDEN UPDATE

In October I decided to visit a garden that was installed 9 months ago.  This garden is a mixture of California natives and a few non natives.  In this case the homeowners were awarded $5 per square foot by the Irvine Ranch Water District for removing their turf, installing a sustainability feature and drought tolerant plants. This garden is for sure the envy of the neighborhood.  This is an updated video of what the garden looks like.  

This is the original video that I posted about the garden just after the installation

This is the video I shot in Oct. showing the garden update. 

SOUTH OC CLIENTS GARDEN UPDATE

This small front garden got a makeover around 5 months ago and looks really good.  All the plants survived and are looking fabulous.  The intent was was to create a California native palette, use Kurapia ground cover alternative to create a path and have an area for the clients to sit and sip their morning cup of coffee before heading out for the day.  

This is the original video of the post install. 

This is the updated video taken Oct. 20223.  There has been lots of growth and everything looks really nice.  The client has mentioned that when the sages are in bloom, there is a nice aroma that perfumes the air.  

LONG BEACH CLIENTS GARDEN UPDATE

I recently visited a garden in Long Beach that was designed by me and installed by Greenside Landscaping at the beginning of this year.    I love going back to see how my design worked and how the plants faired.  

For the most part everything did great with a few exceptions.  In any garden you always assume that not all the plants will last.  A few casualties is normal.  This garden is no different.  That being said I still love it and would say this is the envy of the neighborhood.  

 

SMALL FRONT GARDEN MAKEOVER IN OC

 This garden is small but mighty.  Located in Orange County, this garden provides a place for the local wildlife to hang out and party.  

FRONT GARDEN MAKEOVER IN DANA POINT

This front garden in Dana Point got a makeover just under 3 months ago.  The client had a simple yet clear brief.  She wanted a California native garden alongside a groundcover area with soft set flagstone to put a small bistro table and chairs.  The existing hardscape was going to remain, which meant that the new flagstone had to coordinate with it.  The groundcover used in this case is Kurapia (in plugs) that once filled in will create a beautiful lounging area with the flagstone.  

DROUGHT TOLERANT LAKE FOREST GARDEN

I have had the great pleasure over the last 15.5 years of being able to design gardens of all types, shapes and sizes.  As of late I have been doing a lot of turf rebate designs and having a blast.  In this design I transformed this front yard in Lake Forest, CA in to a drought tolerant garden.  

$5 PER SQUARE FEET OF TURF REMOVAL

If you live in the Irvine Ranch Water District purview then this is perfect for you.  Currently IRWD is offering $5 per square feet of turf rebate.  This simply means that for every square feet of turf that you remove, you get $5 per square feet.  

Now this money won't cover the entire cost of renovating the garden, but it will help offset some of the cost.  Not to mention that you are ultimately going to have a garden that will benefit the local wildlife.  

If you are interested in more info and to apply, then please visit this link:  IRWD turf rebate.  

This video shows a project that is going to collect such a rebate in the IRWD purview.  

DRY CREEK BED IN A SMALL FRONT YARD

I have said this before and I will say it again, how much I love my job.  Getting to do what I do brings me joy.  Besides making art, I could not imagine doing anything else.  That being said, I am going to try and be more present on social media.  Post regularly and just be present more often.  Anyhoo  onward with this video...  This turf rebate design turned out nice and I am very pleased with the install.  

KURAPIS IN LIEU OF TURF

 Occasionally I get asked by clients if there is a way to still kill the lawn, yet create a space somewhere in the garden for (grand) kids to play.  Yet they don't want to use traditional lawn since that defeats the purpose of creating a habitat garden.  This is where I suggest using walkable groundcovers like Kurapia.  

In this video I walk you through the garden and show you what it's like.  

CHINO HILLS SUSTAINABLE GARDEN

 This garden was a low budget design to make the rental nice and pretty for the perspective tenant.  We kept most of the existing plants and added new ones where necessary.