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.

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!

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!

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!

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.

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!