The Penthouse of this luxury Downtown Vancouver residential tower has four separate gardens.

Upon entry to the condominium, a small balcony has been turned into a virtual oasis with a green wall, basalt burbler fountain and ornamental grasses.

Linear plantings of Mexican Feather Grass and New Zealand Flax wrap around the main living space of the condominium.

The roofdeck garden features an outdoor kitchen, Hinoki Cypress hot tub and grove of Black Bamboo, creating the ultimate outdoor room overlooking Vancouver’s False Creek and English Bay, with views of Vancouver Island on the hoizon.

“Michael is a gem. We originally hired him in 2006 to do the landscaping for a rooftop penthouse. We have been working with him ever since. Having worked on many construction projects over the past 15 years with many different vendors I can honestly say I wish there more people like Michael to work with. He has become a trusted friend, he is lots of FUN, he get the job done, and he follows up. What a pleasure!”

– Allison Stern

Combining various foliage colours is a way of making a dull part of your garden more vibrant!

At this Palm Springs residence, privacy is ensured with a lush Ficus hedge; but the hedge lacked punch! I installed a tall ceramic planter to punctuate the space. I chose a blue ice plant that picks-up on the blue glaze in the predominantly brown pot.

I surrounded the pot with light-coloured river rock, which adds a textural extention to the concrete pool deck.

Now we’ve gone from simply ‘a hedge’ to a dynamic focal point!

This new fence installation was built by Cedar Bay Fence Company.  I call it a fence, but it’s really a privacy panel which screens the neighbour’s view of my clients’ garden.

The classic trellis panels are supported between 6″x6″ posts, and a top arbour will support Akebia quinata, which will soon green up these handsome panels.

Gardenology.org is a complete plant and garden wiki encyclopedia with over 18,000 plant entries and articles written and edited by gardeners from around the globe!

Plants are, of course, the stuff that great gardens are made of! A garden can be defined by one specimen plant, but more often than not it is a collection of plants are that artfully arranged. Your garden is probably a collection of plants that speak to you, reflecting your individual tastes and lifestyle.

My personal favourites include classics such as elegant Japanese Maples (Acer palmatum and Acer palmatum dissectum), bamboos (the likes of Phyllostachys nigra and Fargesia robusta). I also love old-fashioned perennials such as Iris, Bleeding-Hearts and ornamental grasses!

What we want our gardens to look like says alot about us. We all have our favourite plants and styles preferences. Research has been conducted on our love of, or disdain for, grass: Conformists like lawns that are golf course perfect while non-conformists strive for anything but fescues, ryes and Kentucky blues!

I also like many of the new introductions that various growers develop. I use these new hybrids to edit my garden; it’s an easy way to give it a new look every season! This year I am looking forward to adding an edible component to my garden with lettuces, herbs and other vegetables.

You will find many plant profiles on this site. If you are looking for a particular plant, just enter the botanical or common name in the search field at the top of the page.

This year people are enjoying the outdoors as never before.  Especially after the record-breaking winter, we’re ready to ‘get outside’!

Classic bar-b-ques are being re-fitted into outdoor kitchens.  Old-school lawn furniture is being replaced with swanky outdoor sofas and club chairs with beautiful outdoor cushions.  We’re casually eating around fire pits with our iPods broadcasting tunes through wireless speakers.  Today’s outdoor rooms are giving their indoor counterparts a run for their money!

One of the first steps you need to take in planning on outdoor room is to determine whether you want to build a deck or an at-grade patio.  Compare your finished elevation of your home to that of your garden.  There are pros and cons to both decks and patios and you’ll want to check local building codes for any restrictions.

If you choose a deck, why not incorporate storage beneath?  Consider the investment of a premium tropical hardwood such as Kayu Batu.  If you opt for a patio, consider all the materials available including Pennsylvania bluestone, flagstones, limestone and a wide variety of concrete paver styles!

While these design decisions set the stage for your outdoor living, they are just the beginning!  Personalize your space with funky planters, living walls, water features and decorative stone!  And extend the usability of your outdoor room by adding landscape lighting and a heat source (such as infra-red heaters or a fire pit) so the party doesn’t end when the sun goes down!

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!

learn more…

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!