The UCLA Hannah Carter Japanese Garden is situated in the Bel-Air community of Los Angeles.  Inspired by the gardens of Kyoto, it was originally designed in 1959 by Landscape Architect Nagao Sakurai and Garden Designer Kazuo Nakamura.  A reconstruction was required after the garden suffered damages from heavy rains in 1969; UCLA Professor of Art and Campus Architect Koichi Kawana led the re-design.

This spectacular garden is a must-see if you are in the Los Angeles area.

According to the Garden Guide:
“The complex aesthetic values of traditional Japanese gardens stem mainly from Zen Buddhism.  Among Zen concepts expressed in garden design are asymmetry and a preference for the imperfect and for odd numbers;  naturalness and an avoidance of the forced and artificial; hiding part of the whole to achieve profundity with mystery; a quality of maturity and mellowness that comes with age and time; tranquility, simplicity, and austerity.”

One of the most amazing artifacts in the garden is a stone carved more than 1,000 years ago.  It features Buddha seated in 16 different positions of worship!

For more information and to book a reservation (which is required) go to http://www.japanesegarden.ucla.edu/

Inspiration, productivity and inventiveness are all strongly shaped by your workspace. Whether you feel energized or experience low energy is a direct result of the working environment.

In a recent study completed by Netherlands based research firm, TNO Quality of Life, after an office plant was introduced to the workspace and placed in a peripheral view, workers experienced:

• improved energy
• less stress
• greater productivity

Noise reduction and better air quality may also result in the workplace.  The study recommended one large plant should be provided for every two employees or for every 12 square meters of office space.

My favorite office planter is the Lechuza Delta 15.  With a 4.5″ footprint, it takes up very little space on my desk and with a built-in reservoir  - it eliminates clean up after watering and ensures that plant has a water accessible at all times.

Phoenix Perennials is one of my favourite garden centres for finding specialty perennials that really set my clients’ gardens apart from the rest.

Phoenix Perennials is located at 3380 No. 6 Road in Richmond, BC Check-out their website at www.phoenixperennials.com

I recently sourced some Kangaroo Paw at Phoenix to use as a unique seasonal hit of yellow! Although this plant is too tender for Vancouver's winters, I'll use it in containers to be enjoyed for the upcoming season!

Wildflower Farm is a source for nursery-grown native North American wildflowers and grasses.  Located in Ontario, they have a great online store so you can order them regardless of your location!

Wildflower Farm’s website (http://www.wildflowerfarm.com) is loaded with information on how to assess your soil type, which is essential for identifying which wildflowers and grasses you can grow!

I’m looking forward to trying their Moss Milkshake!  Because of its low profile growth habit, moss makes an excellent alternative groundcover for areas of your yard that are shaded, or pathways where it is difficult to grow grass. Moss thrives in shade! The neatly tailored look that moss provides is perfect for accentuating and showcasing other, smaller woodland shade gardening plants and ferns!

I recently saw this landscape in upscale La Jolla, California.  I really like the way this designer combined the plants!

The groundcover forms a tightly-woven carpet between the articulated succulents that are graphically arranged.

The landscape is terraced, with the upper level highlighted by Cordyline australis 'Red Sensation' underplanted with Senecio mandraliscae. An Equisetum hedge provides a backdrop while screening residences from the street.

The many layers of this landscape come together magically!

En route to Palm Springs, I had to stop and fill-up in Pasadena.  To my delight, we happened across an incredible garden centre before we found a gas station.  I suggested “I bet the garden centre can tell us where to find a gas station” (with an ‘oh please, oh please…  let’s stop just for a minute’ undertone to my voice).  Joey had had a piddle break in hours, so we decided to stop.  Check-out my visit in a separate post here.

Perhaps my best find was Tony Kienitz’s book The Year I Ate My Yard.  It’s a must-read for anyone interested in growing their own food!  Kienitz’s humor is warm and welcoming while his gardening tips are full of insight and common sense.

Look for it at your local garden centre or book store.  You’ll be glad you did!

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!

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.

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!