DESIGN WITH NATIVE PLANTS Introducing Native plants to the landscape is a trend that is becoming more popular as awareness of climate change and natural ecosystem preservation increases. As a firm dedicated to the best in design in California and beyond, we are increasingly using the plants native to the areas in which [...]
Design Process Part 3: Design Oversight Services Construction of a landscape is a lot of work for the contractor and construction team, and often also for the homeowner. Questions arise, details need ironing out, substitutions may be required, and when your full-time job isn’t landscaping it can be a lot to take on. For this reason, [...]
Design Process Part 2: Construction Documents & Details Once we finalize a Conceptual Landscape Design with the desired layout, elements, and cost inventory, we can move on to the next stage! Construction Documents are defined as technical drawings that are used to obtain permits, prepare comprehensive bids & implement the design vision to its fullest. [...]
Design Process Part 1: Client Connection & Creative Design When we set out to design a landscape, we know we are designing a lived experience that is perfectly unique to your lifestyle and your passions – In short, the landscape of your dreams. On a daily basis we mix dreams with reality, in [...]
Plant Focus: Phormiums There are so many things to love about this time of year. Cooler weather and cozy vibes reign, and we relish the excuse to bring out our sweaters and hang out in the Autumn garden. That being said, late-season color in the garden can be a tough one. [...]
Mission Revival Landscapes California architecture has a long and complex history, from Victorian to Mission to Modern, and each style tells a story while bearing its own unique beauty. When it comes to the landscape, keeping in style with this architecture allows us to tell part of that story and highlight [...]
Abstracting The Landscape “I don’t get it.” Is probably the most commonly-used phrase when looking at abstract art. Abstraction is a concept that can be hard to grasp, after all. Merriam-Webster helpfully defines the abstract as “expressing a quality apart from an object” which makes sense if you don’t think about [...]
Design Details: Carpentry We always have an intention in mind for our designed spaces: To create a sublime, all-encompassing outdoor experience. If we do our job right, you are enjoying this experience so much that you aren’t thinking about how it was put together. But as you spend more time in [...]
Feeding Your Plants When you walk down the aisle in the garden shop, there is often a bewildering selection of bags and boxes of fertilizer. You may find yourself wondering what your plants really want. If only you could ask them to write you a shopping list! While not too hard [...]
An Innovative Approach: Landscaping the Sunset House of Innovation When the owners of Sunset Magazine’s House of Innovation called last year for a complete reimagining of their landscape, the J.Montgomery team was in heaven! Initially conceptualized by Sunset and Popular Science Magazine as part of a series of experimental showcase homes, [...]
