A water-hungry ficus hedge hid most of the home’s facade, and a large berm dominated the front garden.  Mature Washingtonia robusta (Mexican fan palms) and olive trees were retained, and the garden was amended with a mature 12’ tall Yucca rostrata, several Opuntia violacea santa-rita (prickly pear cactus) and Ferocactus wislizenii (barrel cactus) accent a Parkinsonia hybrid (‘Desert Museum’ Palo Verde).  Irrigation demands were reduced by more than fifty percent and the home has a fresh new look.

For a video walk-through of this project, please click here.

A Garden Coach is a professional who comes to your garden to help you create a beautiful garden. It is a highly personalized service that recognizes your individual needs and style!

Garden coaches recognize that many home owners are extremely interested in developing a vision for their landscapes, but often need the guidance that only a professional can provide. By working one-on-one, my clients benefit from my years of experience in landscape design. Together we establish a vision: perhaps you’ve always wanted an herb garden or an outdoor room to enjoy. I empower my clients to make the best choices to achieve the landscape of their dreams.

Many clients join me at garden centres where I help them high-grade their plant selections (i.e. picking the finest specimens in the lot). We’ll shop at garden centres and wholesale nurseries where you’ll benefit from my trade discounts! I deliver plants to your garden, and help you place them in an artful arrangement. You get the right plants in the right place!

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As a Garden Coach, I empower you by:

• developing a vision for your property, based on your needs and your wishlist
• taking stock of your existing garden assets, identifying what’s worth keeping and what should be eliminated
• helping with plant selection and placement
• integrating native plants into your garden
• making suggestions for a lower-maintenance gardening
• creating a seasonal maintenance plan to ensure the long-terms health of your garden

One of my most popular coaching tools is a 3D rendering that helps my clients visualize exactly how proposed changes to their garden will appear in photo-realistic renderings.

I work on-site with clients in British Columbia and Southern California. I also work online, with digital photos provided by clients from across Canada and the US.

To book an appointment, simply complete the online contact form.

Situated on six acres of waterfront property on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, this property is a little slice of Heaven!

When I was asked to be involved with the project, my client had already commissioned a very talented faux stone artist to design an outdoor entertainment area featuring a patio, hot tub, wading pool and outdoor kitchen. Splashes of colour and texture were created by scattering planters extensively throughout the area and planting small mini-gardens into the crevices of a man-made stone structure.

A tapestry of groundcovers filled in the ground beneath fruit trees in an orchard where shade had prevented grass from growing.  A full outdoor kitchen and shower are perched on top of the new installation.

Finding the right landscape professional can seem a daunting process for a homeowner, especially if it is your first time. But taking the time to find the right professional to work with is a good investment and can help you avoid alot of frustration, and makes the process enjoyable!

Hiring the right professional to design and build your landscape project requires a collaboration with someone who is on the same page as you, whose price is fair and who can complete the project in the time frame you want.

I recommend that you:

• know what you want: identify the design features and functionality that is important to your lifestyle
• have a budget; even if you don’t know how much a fence or outdoor kitchen costs, you should have an idea whether you are looking for basic or custom construction. Having a budget will help you work within a price range you’re comfortable with!
• have a set of criteria for evaluating and choosing the professional you want to work with. Candidates’ skill, knowledge and experience will help you decide whether your top contender has the ability to do things right, on-budget and on-schedule! Ask for references!
• understand all the costs: design fees and construction costs should be well spelled-out for you. And I believe the on-going maintenance costs and issues should be discussed from the start!

A good design will empower you to phase-in the work as you see fit! Even if you plan to do it all at once, a landscape is a living thing that will evolve and change over time. A master plan will help you keep focussed on your vision when the unexpected happens. A little homework will help you to identify what you like and don’t like; there’s never been so many choices in styles and colours of outdoor furnishings!

Click here to download and print a PDF called My Garden Wishlist. It was designed to help you summarize the things you want in your garden. You can make notes, including the URLs of examples you have found on the internet! It will also help you to determine whether you are in need of a basic landscaper or a designer.

Basic landscapers generally are your best bet if you:

• want do spend the least possible amount of money
• like to choose from a few basic designs
• only require average materials
• need a quick start to your project

People who choose to work with a designer typically:

• expect a higher level of quality
• want to create a custom place, specific to their preferences
• like to consider many features and options
• prefer high quality materials and construction techniques

Once you have determined which which way you need to go, go online or ask friends/neighbours.

Things to look for:

• satisfied customers and glowing testimonials
• previous work that is aligned with your expectations for your own project
• good listening skills
• ability to discuss problem-solving and construction techniques
• estimated costs that reflect your price range

Things to avoid:

• a bad history
• complaints
• no-shows
• low prices that sound too good to be true

Follow your instinct! If after meeting, you have a good feel (or the opposite), this should be seriously considered!

An upright planter is a nice way to accentuate an entry.  This 30″ tall ceramic pot places a succulent an arm’s length away as you approach the door.

The play of shadows add to the beauty of this entrance.

When choosing a planter for your entry, consider the scale of the entrance and select plants that are well-suited to the exposure.  For sunny locations, it helps to use drought-tolerant plants or use a planter, such as Lechuza, that has a built-in reservoir!

Increasingly, we’re using our landscape for productive, edible gardening! Incorporating vegetable plants and herbs is a great way to grow your own!

This year, I’m using heirloom lettuces as ground covers in planters. You will find their beautiful, unusual foliage unlike any ornamental!

Check out these recommendations:

• Gentilina is a Italian lettuce, with light green ruffled leafy heads.
• Mignonette Bronze is an heirloom lettuce that dates back to the 1800s. Its bronze/green colour adds a punch of colour to planters!
• Cowlick is one of my personal favourites – because of its name, but also for its spiky leaf habit. It is from the Czech Republic.
• Sunfire has a narrow, branching oakleaf shape. Medium green leaves have red and green veining underneath a red surface blush.
• From the Italian Alps, Rossa Di Trento is a broad, savoyed cutting lettuce with exquisite wine red margins
• Another heirloom lettuce is called Ears of the Devil. It has large tapered leaves that are beautifully burgundy and bronze-coloured.

Many of these fabulous heirloom seeds are from a living gene bank called The Seed and Plant Sanctuary for Canada. They are a charitable organization dedicated to the health and vitality of the earth through the preservation and promotion of heritage seeds. The Sanctuary is committed to maintaining, evaluating and keeping records for all the edible, medicinal and useful crops that can be grown in Canada.

The lettuces I have recommended become very different when they flower and go to seed. Leaves change shape, stalks shoot skyward, flowers contrast with foliage, and seedheads pop into reality! This all adds an exciting dimension to your garden design!