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.   

FOLLOW ME ELSEWHERE

As you may already know, I am on many social media platforms.  Mostly for the purpose of biz promotion and promoting the ideal of sustainable gardening and living.  I realized since it has been a hot minute since I shared my various social channels, that I would do that here.

These are the other places that you can follow my journey and adventures...

Biz website:  http://creationslandscapedesigns.com/

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/earthfriendlyla

Houzz:  https://www.houzz.com/professionals/landscape-architects-and-landscape-designers/creations-landscape-designs-pfvwus-pf~1887530247

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/creationslandscapedesigns/

Pinterest:  https://www.pinterest.com/earthfriendlyla/

Facebook:  https://facebook.com/creationslandscapedesigns

Etsy shop:  https://www.etsy.com/shop/ramidio

I try to post regularly in all the platforms as often as I can.  If you want to see samples of my work then my website, Houzz and YouTube are the best places to go.  If you are interested in art then do check out my Etsy shop.

SAMPLE BOXES DONE RIGHT

Sometimes when I order sample boxes from a company I find myself getting disappointed. I either get a box that does not have enough choices or is not well curated.  The reality is that if you care about your company and promoting your product, then you should take a bit of extra time to curate samples of your product that wow the potential buyer.  In this case my client in Corona wanted to have artificial turf in his back yard. 

This starts a debate about whether faux turf is good or not.  A debate for another post.  So anyways I ordered samples from three companies and had the samples sent to my client's address.  One company never sent samples. One company sent 3 samples that just did not look appealing.  But this third company really went all out with their branding and sample selection. 

There box is riddled with information about the company and inside were a good dozen samples of their product.  Now I won't always design with faux turf, but if I do then I know what company I would recommend. 

DECOMPOSED GRANITE USED AS MULCH

The typical type of mulch that is commonly used in gardens is wood chips.  It is the least expensive option and gives you the traditional look.  But there are other options, such as decomposed granite.  Sure the color is different than bark mulch, but the look might just be the punch of wow your neighborhood needs.  It adds a little something.  

In this garden in Costa Mesa, the design is simple using California native plants and working with existing hardscape.  The pow comes from using decomposed granite as mulch.  

WHY YOU SHOULD GOOGLE YOUR IDEAL DESIGNER

Let's say that you have done to a local nursery and collected a bunch of business cards.  You are thinking of calling one or more of these professionals, but are unsure as to whom you should call.  Well, the best trick is to google each person whom are you thinking of contacting.  Even if it's a bunch of names you got from HOUZZ.

In essence, when you google any designer, you can see what they post on social media that will give you a realistic idea of what type of projects they design and if those design style fit with yours.  It also allows you to get ideas for your own garden.



You can also grab my landscape design checklist kit giving you all the tools you need to hire the right designer here.

PICKING PLANTS FOR MY PATIO

 As I design my new patio and slowly work on renovating the space, I also have to think about plants.  I don't have land to garden in and thus can only use pots.  This though creates a tricky situation as some plants may not do well grown in pots.  Sadly, my favorite plant aka Cleveland Sage is one of those that will not thrive in any of the pots that I have, due to size.  But there are smaller alternate species that may work. 

I am going to do a video, where I go to the nursery with my plan and show you what I am thinking of choosing.  In the meantime, below are some plants that I am thinking about. 

The three that I have in mind for now are some version of Salvia clevelandii (Cleveland Sage), Dudlya, because it is a great California native succulent that needs little care to grow and Satureja douglasii (Yerba Buena). 

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. 

IF IT ISN'T BROKE DON'T FIX IT

Often I get asked by perspective clients, if they should redo their driveway or patio etc.  My response is always the same.  If it's cracked then yes.  If you cannot stand to look at it anymore, then yes.  But if there is nothing wrong with it then why?  Why fix something that is not broken or in need of repair. 

There is also the aspect of cost.  As it relates to hard surfaces, the biggest cost is not necessarily the material but the the labor of removing what is there and the labor of installing something new.  If you can save yourself that cost then I would highly recommend it. 

Regardless of what you do I would also recommend that you gather images of what you like, especially pics of garden that have the same hardscape that you do.  This way you can see how others have made that same surface work.  I would also gather images of hardscaped gardens using materials that you might replace it with.  Then when you meet with a designer, he/she can tell you if what you already have is workable and if what the new desire is will work with your budget.  Most designers can tell you if your budget will work or not.  The key is that you have to be open to compromise, unless you have a lot of money to spend. 

TOP 5 REASONS WHY COOKIE CUTTER DESIGNS ARE BAD

It may seem like a great idea to buy a design that you can immediately download.  It's cheap and easy.  You don't have to go through the process of working with a designer.  But those designs are not tailored to your needs and your house.  Also why would you want a design that everyone can have as oppose to a design that is custom to your lifestyle. 

THE PUTTING GREEN GARDEN

I love a good challenge when designing landscapes and this project was a nice one.  The client wanted a putting green somewhere in the garden, but most of the property was sloped.  That created a challenge to work with.  One what I was ready for and had fun trying to figure out.  Watch this video to see how the garden turned out.  I am very pleased with the result.

TOP 5 CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANT RESOURCES

It can be daunting when you are want to use California native plants in your garden, because there are so many to choose from.  So where do you go to get resources about these beauties?  Well,  I have 5 places that you can go to get info about California native plants.  Both online and offline there are a slew of resources.  

The first, is YouTube.  Believe it or not there are tons of videos that you can watch about California native plants.  I myself have a ton of videos on my YouTube channel that you can watch here.  

The second, is the California native plant society.  They have chapters all across California and hold meetings monthly.  If  you attend any of their meetings then you will get to meet like minded California native plant lovers.  Some of the chapters also have annual garden tours of different residences.  They also have a Facebook group, where anyone can share about their native plants or ask questions and learn.  

The third, is a local Orange County nursery called Tree of Life Nursery.  They are a great resource to see California native plants in real life and be a part of lectures about California natives.  I spec out their plants often and love it. 

The fourth, is another nursery called Las Pilitas in Santa Margarita.  Their website has a lot of information about California native plants. I personally have never visited them, but have heard from people who have that they are a great resource.  

The fifth, is searching HOUZZ or even Google.  It's funny how now you can just say Google it and everyone knows what you mean.  

If you have any resources for California natives that I have not mentioned then comment below and share.  

TOP 5 LANDSCAPE RELATED WEBSITES

I remember when the only way to look at ideas for a garden or to even look up any information about anything was to go to the library and check out books.  Now however, you can just Google it.  This makes sharing information much easier and more accessible.  So now let's assume that you are looking to get ideas on your garden.  Where do you go digitally to get ideas?  Well, I have that answer.  Below are 5 websites that I would highly recommend to get ideas about landscapes. 

The first, is clearly well known.  Hah That being Google.  Google is my best friend. The one being that tells me everything and holds a wealth of information.

The second, is my favorite second to Google.  That being YouTube.  Why you may ask?  Because you can see videos of landscapes being installed and get various other content about sustainable landscapes much like watching HGTV.  You can click here to see my YouTube channel.  

The third, is Houzz.  This is a great place to get and gather photos not only about landscapes but also interiors.  Most everything that is posed is done so by professionals.  

The fourth is Pinterest.  This site operates similar to Houzz, except it is not just for the building industry but for any industry and lifestyle.  

The fifth is Instagram.  What I love about this site is that it is very visual.  This means that you can see what people who are posting about their landscape design projects are doing in real life.  A great way to get ideas.  You can see my Instagram pictures here.  

LAKE FOREST GARDEN UPDATE 2018

Two weeks ago I was driving to meet with a potential client and realized that she lived down the street from a garden that I had designed a few years ago.  So naturally, I had drive by, take a look and made an updated video about the garden.  I designed both the front and the back but only shot the front as the back gate was locked.  This is a quick video I shot about the project.

WHY I SEND BACK SOME PLANTS

I don't like to provide plants and have to deal with the liability.  It is also easier to just let the contractor financially worry about how the plants are getting to the job site.  That being said I work closely with the contractor to make sure that he/she is getting the write plants that are on the drawings.  I am also there on the job site when the plants are being delivered.  This is really important to not only make sure that things are flowing smoothly but to also make sure that the right plants get delivered. 

In the case of a project in North Tustin, there were around 250-300 plants of varying types.  I had coordinated with the contractor and we only had to make one minor substitution.  Then came planting day and when the nursery delivered the plants I noticed that there was one missing plant and that one variety looked like shit.  Rather than making it work I decided to send back the ratty looking plant and request that they also bring the forgotten plant. 

Could I have faked it and just made it work?  Sure, but the client is not paying me to fake it.  They are expecting one thing based on what was agreed upon and should get exactly that.  Now there are times when things shift and change as a result of unknown field conditions but those are instances are few. 

I am curious to those who are designer or have had their garden done,what are some plant stories that were just insane.  Comment below and share. 

THE PROJECT THAT TOOK MONTHS

I was hired to do planting design for a small front yard in Irvine and thought that the process would be easy, but that was not the case.  The hold up was rather simple...  The HOA took months to review the drawings.  Months for a simple planting design, which consisted of some existing Agave's that we were repurposing from the backyard.  That being said, this project turned out really nice.  The design intent was to not add to many plants that would otherwise over crowd the garden, but to add just enough for some interest.

We kept all the existing path as they were not broken and there was no budget to replace them.  There is also an old fountain that was planted with succulents.  Over top of all the plants we added some mulch to give it a finished look.  Overall I am pleased with this project as it was a low budget, drought tolerant design. 

YORBA LINDA CLIENTS GARDEN UPDATE SEPT. 2018

This garden was installed in 2017 and has gone through at least 4 seasons.  The client putters in the garden here and there and it looks really nice.  Most of the plants even survived the extreme summer heat.  Check it out! 

If you would like to check out the install video then click here. 

DESIGN STORIES - CAPO BEACH CLIENTS INSTALL

I love designing landscapes.  Especially when I get to work with homeowner's that not only have a clear idea of what they like and dislike, but are also open minded.  In this project located in Capistrano Beach I had some existing flagstone to work with and lots of random things that the previous owner had left behind.  Not to mention lots of overgrown plants that made no sense where they were planted. 

As you will see in the video the garden transformed into an entertaining, functional space for the homeowner and her loved ones to enjoy. 

LAKEWOOD CLIENTS GARDEN

This garden in Lakewood was installed a few months ago and looks really nice.  I was a bit worried that the extreme summer heat we have had this year would cook most of the plants, but luckily I was wrong.  The plants are mostly ornamental grasses, with a decomposed granite path.  This video shows you the entire garden. 

MISSION VIEJO GARDEN UPDATE

This garden was installed a few years ago and I have done a few videos about it, but I wanted to do another update as I was certain that is heat wave might have killed a few plants.  Sure enough I was right.  Check out this video to see what this garden looks like now. 

MISSION VIEJO GRAVEL GARDEN

I love killing lawns and love it even more when I don't have to convince a client to get on board with me.  In this case the client had let his lawn die and wanted to replace it with mostly California native plants, a few non natives and a path to get around the garden.  He also did not like the look of traditional bark mulch, so we experimented with using gravel as mulch.  Topped with some fun accents this garden really looks great.