LANDSCAPE PROFESSIONAL

I possess the expertise to design and implement landscape and irrigation systems ranging from residential properties to estates, small businesses to large commercial and industrial sites. I have undertaken design, consultation, and installation projects for municipalities, county, and state (California) governments.

Landscape Artist

I engage with property owners or their representatives in a series of Q&A sessions to gather essential information for developing a design schematic. Upon approval of the schematic, I proceed to create detailed working drawings. These drawings inform the creation of estimates, project timelines, progress milestones, completion dates, and a structured compensation schedule.

LANDSCAPING SERVICES

  • Landscape

  • Design

  • Consulting

  • Construction

  • Irrigation

  • Wireless irrigation phone capabilities

  • Drip irrigation

  • Grading/drainage

  • Sod

  • Plants/trees

  • Boulders/decorative rock

  • Hardscape

  • Concrete walks

  • Curbing

  • Decomposed granite/ bark cover

  • Low water use design/installation

  • QWEl Certified

  • Water features, waterfalls or fountains

  • Dry or running creek beds

  • Plants that attract nature

  • Annual flowers

  • Design/install allergy free landscapes

CONSULTING

I also provide consultation services to organizations during the project planning stage, collaborating with other contractors to ensure the safeguarding of landscape areas from harmful construction materials, soil compaction, protection of tree root zones, encroachment of overhead structures, installation of protection barriers, and more. Some of my areas of expertise encompass:

  • Landscape themes from plant selection, topography, to hardscaping.

  • Water wise landscape and irrigation design.

  • Rock and boulder-scapes, grading and drainage, turf installation, tree selection and installation, shrub and ground cover/flowers that fit the theme and complement the site. Allergy free landscapes.

  • I like to design movement in the landscape including water features, sails, flags, plants and trees that move in the breeze/wind, birds (especially hummingbirds).

  • I like designing seasonal color from permanent plants.

SOME OF OUR WORK BELOW

Professional Landscape

RIVER HOME FLOWERSCAPE

This project is nestled along a sizable river. A multi-level house and landscape provided many “rooms” to decorate about the estate. The owner wanted to wake in the morning and view a sea of color outside including flowers hanging off the boat dock wall and into the water.

Everything went as planned. We added rich amendments to planter beds, flower promoting fertilizer, and modified the irrigation system to properly water the flowers.

Then, an unusually hot period melted a lot of snow in the mountains sending an abundance of water flowing downstream. The banks filled to the top as the water continued to rise, spilling over the wall and flooding the lower area. 

Fortunately, the house sets upon a hill and was safe from flooding. Almost two weeks of flooding caused a considerable amount of flower damage. When the water subsided and everything went back to normal, all but the most severely flooded flowers returned and finished glorifying his beautiful landscape.

CONNECTING PARKING TO THE FRONT WALK

Professional Landscape

This house is at the bottom of a steep hill. The guest parking was at the top. However, most friends parked down the hill in the garage area. They had to walk across the grass to get to the front door, tracking in debris from their shoes. The owners wanted a walkway that would look like pavers but didn’t want to pay the high price. My solution was a colored carved concrete walk. After pouring and rough finishing the concrete, we troweled on the colored cement. As it was drying, we carved out the colored concrete to look like grout. It worked and at half the cost. No more debris in the house. 

Professional Landscape

CREATING AN INTIMATE SPACE

This tiny back yard was a challenge to fit all the elements the owner wanted. His theme was intimacy. He wanted a place where a few good friends could get together and feel a connection.

We added an overhang slatted arbor to cool the area and add to the cozy feel. A raised planter with an intimate conversation pit was designed so two or three people could sit and talk comfortably. An olive tree was planted in the corner to give some height and screen to the conversation pit. The planter walls were covered in cultured stone and capped with a wide top comfortable enough to sit on. A concrete floor was poured to complete the vision. 

ON GOING LANDSCAPE AND MAINTENANCE (22 years)

Professional Landscape

I have many clients I’ve worked with for more than 20 years. Several of these clients have renovated their landscape two or three times, mostly to fit their changing needs and circumstances. I’ve seen their kids grow up and graduate college, grandkids, buried several animals and unfortunately, when they move into an assisted living facility or when one passes away. I keep most clients for life. 

This client has had many changes. We have renovated the landscape three times in 22 years. Sometimes shrubs get old, woody or outdated. Keeping the landscape fresh and inviting while maintaining her style is the top priority. 

This large landscape is always in need of pruning, weeding, planting flowers or fixing irrigation issues. Over the years we have removed diseased redwoods, planted or replaced crape myrtles, olives, Italian cypress, removed or transplanted roses and other shrubs. We’ve added mounds and walkways, raised vegetable gardens, remedied diseases and insects, wild dogs, and gophers. Most of my longer-term clients trust me to do what is needed without having to call me or schedule visits.  

FRONT AND BACK YARD RENOVATION

Professional Landscape

This small house fit nicely on the moderate size lot. The owners wanted functionality with space to have friends and family over to swim and enjoy some backyard fun. They wanted a separation between the adult and kids without blocking the view or flow of the landscape. The pool has a raised deck, so I continued that elevation and make an “adult area complete with sails for shade, a rustic bar top table, electricity and water. Misters were installed to cool the area during the summer months.

Hybrid Bermuda was installed and mowed at ½”  to give it a manicured look and make it easier for their small dogs to play. During the summer the pool area was the center of attention, especially at night. We replaced the back fence and covered the side fences with thin bamboo rollout screen. A large light was installed on the main pole to light up the grass area to extend fun and games. Bistro lights and tiki torches were added for ambiance.

The front yard was relandscaped to modernize the look and add curb appeal. The lawn was reduced to save water and the sago’s were rearranged to screen views and line the walk. I installed a hibiscus hedge to screen the neighbor’s unkept landscape and define the living space. Little touches were added to complete the look of the house. The appeal from the street was unmatched in the neighborhood. This house sold several years later for $12,000.00 above the asking price. 

SPECIAL NEEDS LANDSCAPE RENOVATION

Professional Landscape

This landscape was designed to be wheelchair compliant. The front dry creek was made complete with a custom arching bridge with stone finish and a nicely capped stem wall. The back areas were tied together with pavers level with the concrete making a seamless connection and ease for a wheelchair. Night lighting and timers were installed to extend the use of the backyard at night for entertainment of guests and family. The photos show of the front landscape are before and after (fourteen years later, 2024). The photos of the back yard are during construction.  

LARGE SCALE TREE CONSULTING,  LANDSCAPE DESIGN & INSTALLATION

Professional Landscape

I consulted on this 20-acre site of 104 multi species trees. They had been in the ground for one year. The trees were planted 11 feet apart in a row as a screen to soften the view of a new subdivision underway adjacent to their property. 

Many of the trees were dead or dying. My initial inspection and lab results revealed the presence of the disease Phytophthora. One of the tree species (Carolina cherry) accounted for all the disease symptoms. 

After the initial diagnosis, I was retained to re-design, and install new trees. There were many issues that needed to be addressed to replant and maintain healthy trees in the same general location where the diseased trees were. 

We removed and hauled away the diseased trees, soil from the planting holes and irrigation tubing. Soil from another part of the property was brought in to fill the planting holes. The grade along the tree planting site was uneven. The grade needed to slightly slope away from the trees. Over 150 yards of soil was needed to raise the grade enough to allow excess water to drain away from the trees.

Out of the 104 original trees only 28 remained. Most of the 28 were planted too low and after adding the new soil were up to 6 inches below grade.  

The original site design had the trees in one row and planted too close together. They would have grown together in 3 years and cause pruning and other issues. We kept the same number of trees in the design but spaced them in two rows with a staggard or triangular pattern. 

The trees are now 22 feet apart in each row with the two rows 16 feet apart. The actual distance between trunks is 19.6 feet with a 6-inch margin for error.  Now the trees have 6-8 years before they reach each other. With timely proper pruning these trees will provide a beautiful screen and have room to grow.

After solving their tree screen issues, the owners hire us to landscape ten acres of the 20-acre property. Once the design was approved, we began creating the landscape and irrigation, which includes over 500 feet of dry creek, a small vineyard, rolling hills, large evergreen box trees, and functional turf areas, and 12-ton boulders, in-line drip irrigation, and a state-of-the-art wireless irrigation control system complete with remote access from a smart phone anywhere there is cell service.

We are in the middle of the landscape installation. The sprinklers are in and the valving system for the in-line drip irrigation is in. Go to my blog to follow the rest of this amazing landscape installation.